Three Stripes

Released in 2017 after a 16-year hiatus from studio albums, Three Stripes serves as a modern update to Bell Biv DeVoe's 'Mental' and 'Poison' blueprints. Produced by a roster of heavyweights including Erick Sermon and DJ Battlecat, the album successfully integrates 90s boom-bap sensibilities with the crisp, digital standards of the 2010s. The project was timed alongside the massive success of 'The New Edition Story' miniseries, capitalizing on a renewed cultural interest in the group's history. Unlike many legacy comebacks, Three Stripes was well-received for its refusal to chase EDM or trap trends, instead doubling down on the 'hip-hop smoothed out on the R&B vein' philosophy. The inclusion of peers like SWV and Doug E. Fresh reinforces the album's status as a celebration of a specific R&B lineage. It peaked at #18 on the Billboard 200, a significant feat for a veteran R&B group in the streaming era.