Cheers 2 U


Cheers 2 U is the only studio album by American R&B group Playa. It was released on March 24, 1998, through Def Jam Recordings subsidiary Def Soul. Recording sessions took place at Manhattan Center Studios, Soundtrack Studios and Axis Studios in New York City, at Master Sound Studios in Virginia Beach and at Scream Studios in California. Production was handled by member Smoke E. Digglera, Timbaland and James Earl Jones, with Derrick "D-Man" McElveen and Static Major serving as co-producers. It features guest appearances from Magoo, Aaliyah, Foxy Brown and Missy Elliott.

Commercial performance

In the United States, the album debuted at number 86 on the Billboard 200 and number 19 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. The album was supported with three singles: "Don't Stop the Music", "Cheers 2 U" and "I Gotta Know". Its lead single made it to number 73 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 26 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. The second single off of the album reached number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. The album's third and final single previously appeared on Def Jam's How to Be a Player soundtrack.

Track listing

;Sample credits
  • Track 1 contains a sample from "The Girl from Ipanema" written by Norman Gimbel, Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinícius De Moraes as recorded by Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto.
  • Track 2 contains interpolations of "Thank You" written by Sylvester Stewart and "Don't Stop The Music" written and performed by Yarbrough and Peoples.
  • Track 12 contains interpolations from "Baby" written by Keith Crouch, Rahsaan Patterson and Kipper Jones and "Bad Girls" written by Joe Esposito, Edward Hokenson, Bruce Sudano and performed by Donna Summer.
  • Track 16 contains an interpolation of "Message to B.A." written by Lorenzo Patterson and Andre Young and performed by N.W.A.

    Personnel

  • Jawaan "Smoke E. Digglera" Peacock – vocals, vocal arrangement, arrangement, producer, A&R
  • Stephen "Static Major" Garrett – vocals, vocal arrangement, arrangement, co-producer, A&R
  • Benjamin "Digital Black" Bush – vocals, vocal arrangement, arrangement, A&R
  • Melvin "Magoo" Barcliff – vocals
  • Melissa "Missy" Elliott – vocals
  • Aaliyah Dana Haughton – vocals
  • Inga "Foxy Brown" Marchand – vocals
  • Bill Pettaway – additional guitar, guitar
  • Kerie Cooper – keyboards
  • Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley – producer, co-producer, recording, mixing
  • James Earl Jones III – producer & vocal arrangement
  • Derrick "D-Man" McElveen – co-producer, additional programming
  • Jimmy Douglass – recording, mixing
  • Steve Sola – recording
  • Wayne Allison – recording, engineering assistant
  • Rob Paustian – recording
  • Conley Abrams – recording, mixing
  • Todd Wachsmuth – engineering assistant
  • James Rosenthal – engineering assistant
  • Victor Bruno – engineering assistant
  • James Cruz – mastering
  • Barry Hankerson – executive producer
  • Jomo Hankerson – executive producer
  • Jonathan Mannion – photography
  • The Drawing Board – art direction, design

    Charts