Too Close – Next | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning

Chart Performance: Pop (#1 for 5 weeks) & R&B (#1 for 3 weeks); 1998

Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne

Perhaps Next’s success was fated since gospel music connections played a key role in the early days. First, in 1992 Raphael (Tweety) and Terry (T-Low) Brown met Robert (R.L.) Huggar through the brothers’ uncle who was director of a local gospel choir. The trio then practiced at the home of T-Low’s godmother, Ann Nesby of gospel music’s Sounds of Blackness, who also trained and managed them.

While gigging locally – as Straight4ward – Prof T. and Lance Alexander of Lo-Key? caught the group’s act, and cut some demos on them. Kay Gee, of Naughty By Nature, was the next to sense the boys’ potential, and signed them to his label. Just seven months after the release of Rated Next, Too Close sat atop both the R&B and Pop charts. Too Close included the customary sample, in this case – oddly enough – it was Kurtis Blow’s holiday tune, Christmas Rappin’.

This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2023 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.

Produced by:

• Kay Gee

Lyrics Written by:

• Kay Gee
• Terry Brown
• Robert Huggar
• Raphael Brown