Hard or Smooth

Hard or Smooth
Studio album by Wreckx-n-Effect
Released	November 24, 1992
Recorded	1992 Future Recording Studios Virginia Beach, Virginia
Genre	Hip hop, new jack swing
Length	46:04
Label	MCA Records
Producer	Teddy Riley, Ty Fyffe, David Wynn, Wreckx-n-Effect, Franklyn Grant, Menton L. Smith
Wreckx-n-Effect chronology
Wrecks-n-Effect (1989) Hard or Smooth (1992) Raps New Generation (1996)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	C+[2]
Q	[3]
Robert Christgau	[4]

Hard or Smooth was the second album released by Wreckx-n-Effect. It was released on November 24, 1992 for MCA Records and featured production from Teddy Riley, Ty Fyffe, Riley's engineers Franklyn Grant and David Wynn and Wreckx-n--Effect. This marked Wreckx-n-Effect's first album following the death of member, Brandon Mitchell, who was shot to death in 1990.

Hard or Smooth became a success for the group thanks in large part to the single "Rump Shaker". The album itself made it to #9 on the Billboard 200 and #6 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Several singles made it to the Billboard charts; "Rump Shaker" would make it to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and on the R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, as well as #9 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play; "Knock-N-Boots" made it to #72 on the Hot 100 and #71 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart; "My Cutie" made it to #37 on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales and #75 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart; and "Wreckx Shop" made it to #11 on the Hot Rap Tracks and 46 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart.

Track listing

1. "Rump Shaker" (Aqil Davidson, Markell Riley, Teddy Riley, David Wynn, Anton Hollins, Pharrell Williams) – 5:57
2. "New Jack Swing, Pt. 2" (hard version) (Aqil Davidson, Teddy Riley, Markell Riley, Tyrone Fyffe, Pharrell Williams, Franklyn Grant) – 4:50
3. "Wreckx Shop" (Aqil Davidson, Tyrone Fyffe, Teddy Riley, Markell Riley) – 4:39
4. "Knock-N-Boots" (Aqil Davidson, Teddy Riley, Menton L. Smith) – 4:51
5. "Here We Come" (Aqil Davidson, Teddy Riley, Markell Riley) – 4:27
6. "Tell Me How You Feel" (Aqil Davidson, Teddy Riley) – 4:59
7. "My Cutie" (Menton L. Smith, Teddy Riley) – 4:07
8. "Wreckx-N-Effect" (Aqil Davidson, Teddy Riley, Markell Riley) – 3:53
9. "Ez Come Ez Go (What Goes Up Must Come Down)" (Aqil Davidson, Teddy Riley, David Wynn) – 3:44
10. "Hard" (Teddy Riley, Aqil Davidson, Tyrone Fyffe) – 2:04
11. "Smooth" (Markell Riley, Tyrone Fyffe, Teddy Riley, Franklyn Grant, Menton L. Smith) – 2:59

Personnel

• Teddy Riley - all instruments, executive producer, mixing, recording engineer
• Tammy Lucas - background vocals
• Tyrone Fyffe - production, background vocals, scratches
• Franklyn Grant - production, recording engineer, mixing
• David Wynn - production, scratches
• Jean Marie Horvat - recording engineer, mixing
• Steve Thomas - scratches
• Darryl Shuler - background vocals
• Robert Nickerson - background vocals
• Dante Drew - background vocals
• Earl Thomas - assistant engineer
• Keston Wright - assistant engineer
• Steve Hall - mastering
• Todd Gray - photography
• Vartan - art direction
• DEY International - design

Samples

"Rump Shaker"

• "Blues and Pants" by James Brown
• "Darkest Light" by Lafayette Afro Rock Band
• "Blind Alley" by The Emotions
• "Midnight Theme" by Manzel
• "I Like It" by DeBarge

"Wreckx Shop"

• "Papa Was Too" by Joe Tex
• "The Payback" by James Brown
• "The Big Beat" by Billy Squier

"Knock-N-Boots"

• "Think (About It)" by Lyn Collins
• "Get Up Offa That Thing" by James Brown
• "You'll Like It Too" by Funkadelic

"My Cutie"

• "Hihache" by Lafayette Afro Rock Band
• "Funky President (People It's Bad)" by James Brown

"Hard"

• "Hard to Handle" by Otis Redding
• "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss

"Smooth"

• "It's a New Day" by Skull Snaps
• "Playing Your Game, Baby" by Barry White

Notes