Wreckx-N-Effect

Originating from Harlem, the rap outfit Wreckx-N-Effect earned their widest recognition through the massive crossover hit “Rump Shaker,” featured on their 1992 sophomore release Hard or Smooth, which climbed into the Top Ten and received platinum certification. Markell Riley, sibling of noted producer Teddy Riley, assembled the act in 1988; its original roster also included Aquil Davidson and Brandon Mitchell. The trio delivered their Motown debut Wrecks-N-Effect in 1989, a new jack swing effort that registered just outside the upper hundred on the U.S. album chart; this remained the sole album to include Mitchell, fatally shot on August 8, 1990.

Returning to the studio, the group promoted its next project with the Teddy Riley-produced single “Rump Shaker,” an international success that topped North American charts and appeared on rankings worldwide. Its video stirred nearly the same excitement as Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back,” assisting Hard or Smooth in securing platinum status and a Top Ten placement. In 1996 the act issued its third and last album, Rap’s New Generation, which failed to match the impact of its predecessor. Although assorted lineups surfaced over subsequent decades, no fourth record materialized, leaving the group’s reputation anchored to that lasting one-hit wonder.