Nuttin' But Love (Explicit)

by M.F. DiBella Heavy D continued his '90s resurgence with the release of the multi-genre Nuttin' but Love in 1994. Calling on the likes of heavyweight producers Erick Sermon, the Trackmasters, Marley Marl, Teddy Riley, Kid Capri, Easy Mo Bee, and fellow money earnin' Mount Vernon native Pete Rock, Hev ventures into slow-jam R&B as well as his usual catchy hip-hop offerings on this funky album. The first single, "Got Me Waiting," fueled by a sample from Luther Vandross' "Don't You Know That?" registered some success as did the follow-up "Nuttin' but Love," which featured an MTV video with a number of up-and-coming supermodels at the time, testimony to the Overweight Lover's Casanova persona. Pete Rock's production is particularly tight including the up-tempo "Black Coffee." While the heavy-handed quiet storm stuff is trite and repetitive, it does not damage the overall pleasurability of the album. Heavy D's respect among the hip-hop community is evidenced by guest appearances (some simply spoken intros) from the likes of LL Cool J, KRS-One, Queen Latifah, and Q-Tip, to name a few. A solid release from a slick hip-hop king.