''Off the Hook'' is the second studio album by American R&B group Xscape. It was released on July 11, 1995, through

So So Def Recordings So So Def Recordings is an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, founded by producer Jermaine Dupri in 1993. Specializing in Southern hip hop, R&B, and bass music, the label has signed musical acts such as Bow Wow, Kris Kross, Xsca ...

and

Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...

. The album was produced by

Jermaine Dupri Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper and record producer. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia as the son of Columbia Records executive Michael Mauldin, he began his career in music at the age of nine. He discovered th ...

Organized Noize Organized Noize is an American production duo from Atlanta, Georgia, currently composed of Ray Murray, Rick Wade and Sleepy Brown. History Among the hit records they have worked on include TLC's "Waterfalls", En Vogue's " Don't Let Go (Love ...

, and

Daryl Simmons Daryl L. Simmons is an American R&B record producer and songwriter. Best known for his production work with L.A. Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Simmons was credited on the majority of albums by their label LaFace Records, as well as sev ...

and features a guest appearance by

MC Lyte Lana Michele Moorer (born October 11, 1970), better known by her stage name MC Lyte, is an American rapper. Considered one of the pioneers of female rap, MC Lyte first gained fame in the late 1980s, becoming the first female rapper to release a ...

. ''Off the Hook'' was preceded by the release of four singles — " Feels So Good", "

Who Can I Run To "Who Can I Run To?" is a song originally recorded by American girl group The Jones Girls, for their eponymous album released in 1979. The song was covered and made popular by American girl group Xscape, who recorded the song for their second al ...

" and " Can't Hang/Do You Want To". The album debuted at number twenty-three on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It was eventually

certified Platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA) on November 16, 1995 and won the 1996

Soul Train Music Award The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards ceremony which honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the production company of ''Soul Train'', the program from which it takes its name, and ...

for R&B/Soul Album of the Year – Group, Band or Duo.

Critical reception

In his review for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

, senior editor

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...

called the album "an improvement on their first record, demonstrating gains both in terms of music and lyrics ..While they are still sexual on their second album, ''Off the Hook'', it doesn't overwhelm the music as it did on their debut. Recording with producers Dupri,

, and

on various tracks, the group has developed into impressive musicians, with a thorough grasp of slow, seductive soul and slick funk. ''Off the Hook'' may run a little long – the 12 songs clock in at well over an hour – but the record proves that Xscape has staying power."

Track listing

Notes * denotes co-producer

Credits and personnel

Musicians

* Preston Crump, LaMarquis "Mark" Jefferson, Zachary Scott –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

* Randy Hutchinson –

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

* Tommy Martin –

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

* Bruno Speight – guitar * Delores Major –

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

* Lomax Spaulding – guitar * Ralph Stacy – bass

Production

* Executive producers:

, Michael Mauldin, * Producers: Jermaine Dupri, Carl-So-Lowe,

, Daryl Simmons * Vocal assistance: Organized Noize, Xscape * Engineers: Thom "TK" Kidd, Phil Tan, Bernasky Wall * Assistant engineers: John Frye, Thomas Rickert * Mixing: Mick Guzauski,

, Phil Tan * Mixing assistance: John Frye, Kevin Lively, Alex Lowe, Thomas Rickert * Programming: Felipe Elgueta, John "J.R." Robinson, Glen Woodward

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control 1995 albums Xscape (group) albums Albums produced by Jermaine Dupri Albums produced by Organized Noize