Hi-Five
| Company type | Group or band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Headquarters | Waco, Texas , United States |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Hi-Five is a five-member American R&B group originating from Waco, Texas. They secured a No. 1 position on the Billboard' Hot 100 chart in 1991 with their hit single "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)".
Initially formed in 1989 as a trio consisting of Tony Thompson, Russell Neal, and Toriano Easley, the lineup was later expanded by Jive Records with the addition of Roderick "Pooh" Clark and Marcus Sanders. During the release of their first album, Easley was replaced by Treston Irby due to legal complications. After disputes over finances, Neal departed following their second album, and when Clark became paralyzed in a car accident, Shannon Gill and Terrence Murphy joined the group.
Transitioning from Jive to Giant Records, the label favored lead vocalist Thompson over the ensemble, which ultimately led to Hi-Five's breakup. Thompson subsequently signed with Bad Boy Records and reassembled Hi-Five in 2005 with new members, without approval from the original members, resulting in legal issues. Following Thompson's death in 2007 caused by drug-related factors, former members reunited in 2012 to pay tribute to him.
Early career
Hi-Five secured a contract with Jive Records in 1989 and launched their debut album in 1990, which earned platinum status and was produced by Teddy Riley. The album featured notable tracks such as "I Just Can't Handle It" (R&B No. 10), "I Can't Wait Another Minute" (Pop No. 8, R&B No.1), and the chart-topping hit "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)".
Their sophomore effort, Keep It Goin' On (1992), delivered popular songs including "She's Playing Hard to Get" (Pop No. 5, R&B No. 2) and "Quality Time," penned by R. Kelly (Pop No. 38, R&B No. 3), which received significant airplay within urban markets. The group faced adversity when Clark was left paralyzed following a vehicular accident.
Released in 1993, Faithful produced singles like "Unconditional Love" (Pop No. 92, R&B No. 21) and "Never Should've Let You Go" (Pop No. 30, R&B No. 10). "Unconditional Love" featured on the multi-platinum soundtrack for Menace II Society, while "Never Should've Let You Go" appeared on the Sister Act 2 soundtrack.
Later career
Tony Thompson passed away on June 1, 2007, due to inhalation of toxic freon gases. He was laid to rest at Doris Miller Memorial Park in Waco.
In 2011, Treston Irby pursued a solo career under the name Tru$ through the independent label Bronx Most Wanted Ent.
By 2012, Irby joined forces with Shannon Gill and Marcus Sanders to revive Hi-Five alongside Andre Ramseur (Dre Wonda) and Faruq Evans; Ramseur eventually departed and was succeeded by Billy Covington. This reformed lineup released the single "Favorite Girl."
On July 2, 2014, former member Russell Neal faced murder charges related to his wife's stabbing incident in Houston.
Hi-Five was profiled on TVOne's documentary series Unsung in August 2014, which chronicled their ascent to fame, struggles encountered, and eventual reunion.
Roderick “Pooh” Clark died on April 17, 2022, at the age of 49.
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 |
US R&B |
AUS | |||
| 1990 | Hi-Five
|
38 | 1 | 102 | Gold (US) |
| 1992 | Keep It Goin' On
|
82 | 9 | — | Gold (US) |
| 1993 | Faithful
|
105 | 23 | — | |
| 2005 | The Return
|
— | — | — | |
| 2017 | Legacy
|
— | — | — | |
EP
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2014 | The EP
|
Compilation albums
| Year | Album information |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Greatest Hits
|
Singles
| Year | Single title | Highest chart rankings | Certifications | Album | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 |
US R&B |
US A/C |
AUS | GER | NLD | NZ | UK | ||||
| 1990 | "I Just Can't Handle It" | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | 20 | — | ||
| 1991 | "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)" | 1 | 1 | 42 | 47 | 41 | 47 | 43 | 43 |
|
|
| "I Can't Wait Another Minute" | 8 | 1 | 30 | 112 | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Just Another Girlfriend" | 88 | 41 | — | 107 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1992 | "She's Playing Hard to Get" | 5 | 2 | — | 46 | — | 76 | 14 | 55 | ||
| "Quality Time" | 38 | 3 | — | 114 | — | — | 36 | — | |||
| 1993 | "Mary, Mary" | — | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Unconditional Love" | 92 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Never Should've Let You Go" | 30 | 10 | — | — | — | — | 38 | — | |||
| 1994 | style="text-align:left;"|"Faithful" | — | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994 | style="text-align:left;"|"What Can I Say to You (To Justify My Love)" (with Nuttin' Nyce) | — | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012 | style="text-align:left;"|"Favorite Girl" | — | — | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | rowspan=7 style="text-align:left;"|'Legacy' | |
| 2013 | style="text-align:left;"|"You Never Know" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014 | style="text-align:left;"|"It's Nothing" | — | — | — | &miss;‐; | &‐&miss;; | |||||
| style="text-align:left;"|"Different Kiss" | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | |||
| style="text-align:left;"|"Sunshine" | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | |||
| style="text-align:left;"|"Christmas" | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | |||
| 2016 | style="text-align:left;"|"Kit Kat" | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | &‐&miss;; | ||
Music videos
}| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | "I Just Can't Handle It" | Antoine Fuqua |
| 1991 | "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)" | |
| "I Can't Wait Another Minute" | ||
| "Just Another Girlfriend" | ||
| 1992 | "She's Playing Hard to Get" | Lionel C. Martin |
| "Quality Time" | ||
| 1993 | "Unconditional Love" | Marcus Nispel |
| "Never Should've Let You Go" | ||
| 1994 | "Faithful" | |
| "What Can I Say to You (To Justify My Love)" (w/ Nuttin Nyce) | ||
| 2012 | "Favorite Girl" | Treston Irby |
| 2013 | "You Never Know" | Christian Marcus & Treston Irby |
| 2015 | "Different Kiss" | Colin Keith & Treston Irby |
| "Sunshine" | Mark Geohagen & Treston Irby | |
| "Christmas" | Mark Geohagen & Hi-Five | |
| 2016 | "Kit Kat" |