Debut album for the one who, hell, is featured on the cover of the 1987 NWA debut? Yes, he's right there in front, sitting. Friend of Sir Jinx, he meets Dre and in 1989 he released his own EP produced by TeaFly and Johnny "J", "Hip Hop Addict", published for an independent label.
The record goes almost unnoticed, but an A&R is attracted by the pop single "Knockin' Boots", which begins to get a first radio airplay: Candell "Candyman" Manson signs for Epic Records and realizes this effort, entirely produced by himself and by Johnny "J". Epic promotes it in Europe and Brazil, "Knockin' Boots" arrives in the top ten of the Hot 100 and is first in the Netherlands: in two months, the album infiltrates the charts up to the top 40 of Billboard and in two months it's gold certificate.
Incredible, this one-hit wonder comes from L.A. but he doesn't sound hardcore and he doesn't bring gangsta arguments, his carefree soft rap record focuses mainly on generic themes such as braggadocio and girls. There's something irresistible about these condensed pop rap cuts with fresh samples ("La Di Da Di", Prince, Rick James, NWA, Lyn Collins, James Brown, Kool & the Gang, Michael Jackson; props to the cool production of Johnny "J"), female R&B hooks that makes it rise above their normal state of stagnation, Candyman is perfectly at ease and delivers quite worthily, both when the beat slows down to the ballad pop for the single, both when the rhythm accelerates in the tracks more urgent.
Rating: 6/10.
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