Notes & Personnel Info |  | 112: Daron, Slim, Mike, Q (vocals). | | Additional personnel includes: Super Cat, Joe Budden, T.I., Ludacris, Chingy. | | Producers include: Stevie J., Daron Jones, Saint Denson, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, The Hitmen. | | This is Super Audio CD playable only on Super Audio CD players. | | 112: Daron, Slim, Mike, Q (vocals). | | Additional personnel includes: Super Cat, Joe Budden, T.I., Ludacris, Chingy. | | Producers include: Stevie J., Daron Jones, Saint Denson, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, The Hitmen. | | As indicated in "Everyday" -- in which the haters are told to "read the credits" -- Bad Boy veterans 112 have gone through their share of ups and downs, from lack of respect to in-fighting to label difficulties. Though Hot & Wet is technically billed as a split release between Bad Boy and Def Soul, the album marks the group's departure from its former label. While the setting has changed (despite P. Diddy remaining on board long enough to serve as executive producer), the results are the same: the group's fourth album offers the same mixed bag of strong singles and inconsistent album cuts that fans have grown accustomed to since the 1996 debut. Appearances from T.I., Ludacris, and Chingy make the group's embrace of the South evident, but none of the rappers -- who were all busy during 2003 -- chip in with top-shelf collaborative work. On the other hand, "Na Na Na Na" is a successful dancehall/R&B mishmash featuring Super Cat. The overabundance of slow-tempo material weighs down the listen, which is especially problematic since the album is nearly 70 minutes in duration. Whoever was responsible for the sequencing of the tracks likely realized this -- why else would the upbeat remix of "Hot & Wet" be thrown into the middle of the album, rather than the end, the spot where most bonus tracks are placed? ~ Andy Kellman | | As indicated in "Everyday" -- in which the haters are told to "read the credits" -- Bad Boy veterans 112 have gone through their share of ups and downs, from lack of respect to in-fighting to label difficulties. Though Hot & Wet is technically billed as a split release between Bad Boy and Def Soul, the album marks the group's departure from its former label. While the setting has changed (despite P. Diddy remaining on board long enough to serve as executive producer), the results are the same: the group's fourth album offers the same mixed bag of strong singles and inconsistent album cuts that fans have grown accustomed to since the 1996 debut. Appearances from T.I., Ludacris, and Chingy make the group's embrace of the South evident, and "Na Na Na Na" is a successful dancehall/R&B mishmash featuring Super Cat. There is a lot of slow-tempo material and whoever was responsible for the sequencing of the tracks likely realized this -- why else would the upbeat remix of "Hot & Wet" be thrown into the middle of the album, rather than the end, the spot where most bonus tracks are placed? ~ Andy Kellman | | The four-man group One Twelve began its career as the innocent soul crooners of Puff Daddy's Bad Boy crew. The quartet's first records were inviting slabs of gospel-tinged R&B honey, top-heavy on the ballads; however, with PART III, they shifted gears into an edgier, tougher sound with more frenetic, pulsating dance beats and more suggestive lyrics. (They also slightly re-christened themselves, switching from the numerals 112 to the spelled-out One Twelve.) On the fittingly titled HOT & WET, the group continues this transformation. | | HOT & WET opens on an almost serene intro that weaves their earlier hits into a uniquely disarming landscape before setting a tone with the sexually charged, haunting "It's Goin' Down 2Nite," featuring T.I. in a guest appearance. The mood stays put on the title track, as Ludacris drops by with his usual verbal flair. "Unbelievable," which finds the four folding their vocals over one another with cool precision, provides a high point, even sneaking in a nice rap of their own. One Twelve hasn't forgotten what brought them initial success, though, flipping into a segment of smooth and slow songs before turning the tempo back up on an almost sinister remix of the title track. HOT & WET finds One Twelve striking a perfect balance of the new and the old for an appealing R&B record. | | The four-man group One Twelve began its career as the innocent soul crooners of Puff Daddy's Bad Boy crew. The quartet's first records were inviting slabs of gospel-tinged R&B honey, top-heavy on the ballads; however, with PART III, they shifted gears into an edgier, tougher sound with more frenetic, pulsating dance beats and more suggestive lyrics. (They also slightly re-christened themselves, switching from the numerals 112 to the spelled-out One Twelve.) On the fittingly titled HOT & WET, the group continues this transformation. | | HOT & WET opens on an almost serene intro that weaves their earlier hits into a uniquely disarming landscape before setting a tone with the sexually charged, haunting "It's Goin' Down 2Nite," featuring T.I. in a guest appearance. The mood stays put on the title track, as Ludacris drops by with his usual verbal flair. "Unbelievable," which finds the four folding their vocals over one another with cool precision, provides a high point, even sneaking in a nice rap of their own. One Twelve hasn't forgotten what brought them initial success, though, flipping into a segment of smooth and slow songs before turning the tempo back up on an almost sinister remix of the title track. HOT & WET finds One Twelve striking a perfect balance of the new and the old for an appealing R&B record. |
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