Hi-Five (album)

Hi-Five
Hi-Five
Studio album by Hi-Five
Released	September 25, 1990
Recorded	November 1989–May 1990
Genre	Dance-pop, soul, R&B, new jack swing
Length	51:39
Label	Jive
Producer	Teddy Riley, Bernard Belle, Eric Foster White, Dave Way, Alvin Moody, Vincent Bell, Carl Bourelly, Kevin Johnson, Frankie Smith, William Walton
Hi-Five chronology
Singles from Hi-Five
	"I Just Can't Handle It"; Released: August 27, 1990; "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)"; Released: January 2, 1991; "I Can't Wait Another Minute"; Released: June 1, 1991; "Just Another Girlfriend"; Released: July 16, 1991; "Just Another Girlfriend (Remix)"; Released: October 1991;

Hi-Five is the debut 1990 album by the American R&B (New Jack Swing) vocal group Hi-Five; original founding members are Waco, Texas and OKC, Oklahoma natives—lead singer Tony Thompson (age 14), Russell Neal (age 16), Marcus Sanders (age 17), Roderick Clark (age 17), and co-lead Toriano Easley (age 16). Released on September 25, 1990, The album peaked at number thirty eight on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Driven by the hit singles released; first single on August 27, 1990 "I Just Can't Handle It" on the Jive label, (R&B #10), "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)" (#1 R&B/Pop), "I Can't Wait Another Minute" (R&B #1, Pop #8) and "Just Another Girlfriend" (R&B #41). Also, Hi-Five is the only album to feature original founding Hi-Five member 16-year-old Toriano Easley (b. December 10, 1973), who turned himself in to Oklahoma City police on September 4, 1990, weeks before release of the studio debut album "Hi-Five" for first-degree murder (after a confrontation with a ) and . Also, Easley marked both his only single cover and music video (release Nov. 7, 1990) "I Just Can't Handle It" appearance for the debut album with original founding group members; before dismissed from the group. Recorded between ages 13 and 16 years old, Toriano is co-lead singer with Tony Thompson on "The Way You Said Goodbye," "Rag Doll," "I Can't Wait Another Minute," and their demo "I Know Love" which sealed the deal for record label (Jive/RCA) recording contract.^[2] The album received an Gold certification in the US in May 1991.^[3] In the video for "I Can't Wait Another Minute", Treston Irby, at age 18, native of Bronx, New York (who is Easley's replacement) lip syncs Toriano's co-lead vocals during live performances and in video appearances (none of studio debut Hi-Five album songs were re-recorded with Treston Irby's vocals).

Background[]

The song, "Too Young" (in a single edit version), also appeared on the soundtrack to the 1991 John Singleton film Boyz n the Hood. It is the first recorded appearance of Mobb Deep rapper Prodigy who was 16 when this song was released, which he revealed in his book My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep's Prodigy.^[4]

Track listing[]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"I Just Can't Handle It"	Bernard Bell, Teddy Riley	Bell, Riley	4:32
2.	"Just Another Girlfriend"	Eric Foster White	White	4:01
3.	"I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)"	Riley, Bell, Dave Way	Riley, Bell, Way	5:49
4.	"Rag Doll"	Alvin Moody	Moody	4:39
5.	"I Can't Wait Another Minute"	White	White	5:03
6.	"Too Young"	Carl & Jean-Paul Bourelly, Roz Davis	Carl & Jean-Paul Bourelly	5:13
7.	"Merry-Go-Round"	Carl Bourelly, Kevin Johnson, Sean Richards	C. Bourelly, Kevin Johnson	5:11
8.	"The Way You Said Goodbye"	White	White	4:41
9.	"Sweetheart"	Bourelly, Bourelly, Richards, Davis,	C. Bourelly	4:09
10.	"I Know Love"	William Walton	Watson, Frankie Smith	3:54
11.	"Just Another Girlfriend (Remix)"	White	White	4:07

Personnel[]

Hi-Five[]

Tony Thompson – harmony and backing vocals
Roderick Clark – harmony and backing vocals
Marcus Sanders – harmony and backing vocals
Toriano Easley – harmony and backing vocals
Russell Neal – harmony and backing vocals

Additional singers

Bernard Bell – backing vocals
Tim Cashion – backing vocals
Roiz Davis – backing vocals
Gordon Dukes – backing vocals
LaGaylia Frazier – backing vocals
Frederick Gordon – backing vocals
Dave Hollister – backing vocals
John James – backing vocals
Alvin Moody – backing vocals
Teddy Riley – backing vocals
Sean LaBreeze – backing vocals

Musicians[]

Carl Bourelly – keyboards, drum programming
William Walton – keyboards, drum programming
Jean-Paul Bourelly – guitars, keyboards
Fritz Cadet – guitar
Josh Grau – guitar
Frankie Smith – guitar
Vincent Henry – harmonica, saxophone
Kevin Johnson – keyboards, drums, percussion
Sean Richards – drum programming
Eric Foster White – keyboards, drum programming, trombone
DeVante Swing – mixing

Charts[]

Weekly charts[]

Chart (1990–1991)	Peak position
US Billboard 200^[5]	38
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[6]	1

Year-end charts[]

Chart (1991)	Position
US Billboard 200^[7]	75
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[8]	4

References[]

^ "Hi-Five". 25 September 1990 – via Amazon.
^ "Marcus Sanders revisits Hi-Five's debut album - Return To The Classics - SoulCulture".
^ https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=hi-five#search_section
^ Johnson, A.; Checkoway, L. (2012). My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep's Prodigy. Touchstone. p. 36. ISBN 9781439103197. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
^ "Hi-Five, TLP". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
^ "Hi-Five, BLP". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2021.

External links[]

[1] "Hi-Five". 25 September 1990 – via Amazon.

[2] "Marcus Sanders revisits Hi-Five's debut album - Return To The Classics - SoulCulture".

[3] ttps://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=hi-five#search_section

[google-4] Johnson, A.; Checkoway, L. (2012). My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep's Prodigy. Touchstone. p. 36. ISBN 9781439103197. Retrieved June 24, 2015.

[5] "Hi-Five, TLP". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2021.

[6] "Hi-Five, BLP". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2021.

[7] "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2021.

[8] "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2021.

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hide v t Hi-Five
Marcus Sanders Treston Irby Shannon Gill Faruq Evans Billy Covington Tony Thompson Terrence Murphy Russell Neal Roderick Clark Toriano Easley Deion Braxton Darrell Payne Dre Ramseur
Albums	Hi-Five Keep It Goin' On Faithful The Return
Compilations	Greatest Hits
Singles	"I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)" "I Can't Wait Another Minute" "She's Playing Hard to Get" "Unconditional Love" "Never Should've Let You Go"