Total (band)
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Total
<tr style="text-align: center;"><td colspan="3"> Total: (left to right) Kima, Pam (front), Keisha </td></tr>
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| Background information
<tr><td>Genre(s)</td><td colspan="2">R&B</td></tr><tr><td>Years active</td><td colspan="2">1994-present</td></tr><tr><td style="padding-right: 1em;">Label(s)</td><td colspan="2">Arista Records |
Total is an American R&B/new jack swing female trio, and was one of the signature acts of Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records during the 1990s.
Total made their first appearance singing the hook on The Notorious B.I.G.'s debut single "Juicy". Garnering attention for the new group, they were also featured on the rapper's next single "One More Chance" and its "Hip Hop Remix". They then immediately hit the studio with Bad Boy Records CEO Sean "Puffy" Combs and began work on their debut album. The first single "Can't You See", had The Notorious B.I.G. returning the favour with a guest rhyme. Despite collaboration with their now big-star labelmate and the tracks appearance on the "New Jersey Drive Soundtrack" the single only peaked at #44 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their self-titled debut album was released shortly thereafter however, and produced four top ten singles, "No One Else" (and it's remix featuring Foxy Brown, Lil' Kim and Da Brat, and "Kissing You" (and it's remix featuring Sean "Puffy" Combs). The album was certified gold by the RIAA.
While recording their second album, they appeared on numerous top ten singles, including LL Cool J's "Loungin'/Who Do U Love?", Foxy Brown's "I Can't" and Ma$e's "What You Want". They also released another single, the Missy Elliott & Timbaland track "What About Us" from the Soul Food Soundtrack.
Their follow-up album, Kima, Keisha, and Pam debuted to strong reviews and sales. The first single, another Missy Elliott collaboration "Trippin", was a top five single on The Billboard Hot 100. However, the next single, "Sitting Home" didn't garner the same attention. In Bad Boy tradition it did get a second life in the hip hop community however when a remix of the track featured controversial artist Shyne.
After the release of Kima, Keisha, and Pam, in 2000 the trio were featured on the track "(I Wonder Why) He's the Greatest DJ" for Tony Touch's album The Piecemaker. All members were also thanked in the credits for their collaboration with Da Beatminerz & Talib Kweli "Anti-Love Movement" in 2001. They also contributed to a few soundtracks. ("Crave", "Quick Rush", "Lose Control", "Let Me Breathe")
Most recently, it is reported that Kima left the group but Keisha and Pam remain and have added 2 new members to the line-up.
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[edit] Trivia
- Keisha is married and has two daughters by actor Omar Epps. A song co-written by the pair "Tell Me" appears on Total's debut album, perhaps explaining how they met.
- Kima's sister is female rapper Vita (LaVita Raynor), who was on Irv Gotti's Murder Inc. Records, but was later dropped from the label.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Album | U.S. | UK | RIAA cert. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Total | 23 | - | Platinum |
| 1998 | Kima, Keisha, and Pam | 39 | - | Gold |
[edit] Videography
- From Total (1995)
- No One Else
- No One Else (Puff Daddy Remix)
- Kissin' You
- Kissin' You / Oh Honey
- Can't You See
- Can't You See (Bad Boy Remix)
- From Kima, Keisha, and Pam (1998)
- Trippin'
- Sitting Home
- Other
- What About Us? (1997)
- As Guest Artists
- Cameos
