New Edition buzz is everywhere right now, and N.E. members Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe, better known as BBD, are ready to give fans what they want with their new album Three Stripes.
During an interview with Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club, BBD talked about how The New Edition Story, came about with BET.
“This is a process that started more than 10 years ago,” Bell said. “It was supposed to be done with FOX but things fell through because Bobby [Brown] never signed the papers, which turned out to be a blessing and landed us here.”
When it came to the crucial moments in the film, including the fights, BBD said the things portrayed were “absolutely true.”
“It got to a point where we looked at everything as business,” DeVoe said. “We would literally be fighting backstage and hear our name announced and the fans yelling and it was like a drug. I’m no drug addict but that adrenaline and addiction to that feeling is like crack but it keeps us going despite everything we had going on backstage.”
In regards to their new album, the first in 15 years, BBD revealed the project is one that stays true to what fans love about the group but is true to who they are as well. The 10 track album features appearances by Doug E. Fresh and Boyz II Men, but one of their favorite songs is “Finally” featuring fellow 90s R&B trio SWV.
“I knew [‘Finally’] was something special when I was driving my mom from Boston to Connecticut for the holiday. Biv said. “I played it for her and my wife and tried to let them hear the rest of the album. But both of those ladies kept saying ‘can you please go back to “Finally”.”
When asked about why BBD wasn’t as successful as they should have been in the 90s, Biv admits lack of confidence played a major part..
“Honestly I think it was because we cared too much about what other people said,” Biv said. “You know our album was going to be titled, Hootie Mack which is what we used to call weed back in the day; but we didn’t want people to know we smoked weed so we changed the name. then a few months later, [Dr.] Dre came out with The Chronic and we really knew then we played ourselves trying to be this perfect image that we’re not.”
Three Stripes will drop at midnight on January 27th, check out the interview below.
