Another Bad Creation
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1990s |
| Founder | Michael Bivins |
| Headquarters | Atlanta , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Hip-hop and new jack swing music |
| Parent | Biv 10 Records (Motown Records imprint) |
Another Bad Creation (commonly abbreviated as ABC) was a hip-hop and new jack swing ensemble originating from Atlanta, active during the early 1990s.
Recognized as one of the pioneering pre-teen male groups, ABC was brought to prominence by Michael Bivins of Bell Biv DeVoe. The lineup featured Chris Sellers, Marliss (Mark), Demetrius Pugh (known as Red), David Shelton, Romell Chapman, and Adrian Witcher (also called G.A.).
The group rose to fame with their initial album, Coolin' at the Playground Ya Know! released in 1991, which included popular tracks such as "Iesha" and "Playground". Their musical style blended New Jack Swing rhythms with lighthearted lyrics focused on youthful experiences.
ABC was signed under Biv 10 Records, a Motown Records imprint established by Bivins. They were members of The East Coast Family collective alongside acts like Boyz II Men, MC Brains, and later 702. In 1992, ABC took part in the collaborative track "1-4-All-4-1", showcasing talent from Biv 10.
The commercial achievements of ABC paved the way for later young rap and R&B artists such as Kris Kross and IMx, while also inspiring younger hip-hop duos like Illegal and Kronic, who embraced a harder edge but retained ABC’s youthful spirit.
History
The members of ABC included David "Li'l Dave" Shelton (born November 11, 1982, Boston, Massachusetts); cousins Romell "RoRo" Chapman (born June 15, 1978, Atlanta, Georgia) and Christopher "Chris" Sellers (born October 19, 1978, Cleveland, Ohio); brothers Demetrius "Red" Pugh (born September 23, 1979) and Marliss "Mark" Pugh (born April 15, 1982), both from Atlanta; and Adrian "G.A." (General Austin) Witcher (born September 7, 1978). Their discovery was credited to Michael Bivins.
Their debut album Coolin' at the Playground Ya Know! hit the market on February 11, 1991. The singles "Iesha" and "Playground" both secured top ten positions on the R&B and pop charts; additionally, "Playground" charted on the Dance Club Songs list. Subsequent releases included a rendition of New Edition’s "Jealous Girl" alongside singles "Spydermann" and "My World". The album reached number seven on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum.
During this timeframe, Mark and Dave appeared with other children including Macaulay Culkin in Michael Jackson’s music video for "Black or White". ABC also made their sole cinematic appearance in The Meteor Man, where they sported blonde hair—a style they adopted again in The East Coast Family’s group song "1-4-All-4-1".
On March 3, 1991, Another Bad Creation showcased their single "Iesha" on the television program In Living Color. Keenen Ivory Wayans introduced them by likening their style to that of The Jackson 5, New Edition, and The Boys.
Their sophomore album It Ain't What U Wear, It's How U Play It was released on September 21, 1993; however, neither the album nor its singles made an appearance on Billboard charts.
Albums
| Year | Album Title | Peak Chart Rankings | Certifications (sales milestones) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | Australia | |||
| 1991 | Coolin' at the Playground Ya Know!
|
7 | 2 | 80 |
|
| 1993 | It Ain't What U Wear, It's How U Play It
|
– | – | – | |
Singles
| Year | Track | US Hot 100 | US R&B | US Dance Club | Australia | Corresponding Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | "Iesha" | 9 | 6 | 9 | 17 | Coolin' at the Playground Ya Know! |
| 1991 | "Playground" | 10 | 4 | 6 | 138 | Coolin' at the Playground Ya Know! |
| 1991 | "Jealous Girl" | – | 25 | – | – | |
| 1992 | "Spydermann" | – | – | – | – | |
| 1992 | "My World" | – | 77 | – | 195 | |
| 1993 | "I Don't Wanna Be Grown Up" | – | – | – | – | It Ain't What U Wear, It's How U Play It |
| 1993 | "Where's Ya Little Sista?" | – | – | – | – |