Link Sex Down CD

Concept Album About A Romantic Relationship From Begin.To End

Personnel: Link (vocals, spoken vocals, hand claps); Kenny "Bermuda" Whitehead, Darrell "Delite" Allamby (spoken vocals, various instruments, background vocals); Kenneth "Kenny Flav" Dickerson, Timothy "Tyme" Riley, P. Williams (spoken vocals, various instruments); Ben Arrindell (spoken vocals, hand claps); Shelby Barclay, Pam, Adina Howard, John Grimes (spoken vocals); Steve "Million $ Man" Morales (various instruments); Patrick "D.J. Zero" Rollins (scratches); Steve Morales (hand claps); Antoinette Roberson, Nneka Morton, John Whitehead, Errol "Jam" Johnson, Brandi "Chyna" Simpson, Andrea Wallace (background vocals).
Producers include: Darrell "Delite" Allamby, Kenneth "Kenny Flav" Dickerson, Timothy "Tyme" Riley, P. Williams, Kenny "Bermuda" Whitehead.
Engineers: Ben Arrindell, Darrell "Delite" Allamby, Paul Osborn, Larry Gold.
Recorded at New England Powerstation, Waterford, Connecticut; Audio Dallas, Garland, Texas; Power House Studios, Newark, New Jersey; The Studio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; The Bank Studios, Brooklyn, New York.
Like many rappers and singers before him, Link realizes that songs about sex sell -- and, like Luther Campbell and R. Kelly, he knows that explicitness is bankable in the '90s. Taking his cue from those two trailblazers, Link pushes carnality to the forefront on his debut disc, Sex Down. There's no denying that Link has skills; positioning himself somewhere between hip-hop and smooth urban soul, he cleverly sells his tales of flesh by cloaking them with radio-ready hooks. Sex Down is pure ear candy -- beneath those slick surfaces, there's not much there (apart from some dirty talk). Link only occasionally reaches the songwriting heights of his first single "Whatcha Gone Do" or "My Body," the hit he co-wrote for LSG; when he has mediocre material, he makes it go down easy by creating alluring productions and slamming beats. So, Sex Down is frustrating -- on one hand it shows considerable promise, on the other it shows that he relies on clichés and sex talk to cover up for his occasional lack of direction. There's certainly enough good stuff to make it worth a listen, but only a handful of cuts truly deliver on Link's promise. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Like many rappers and singers before him, Link realizes that songs about sex sell -- and, like Luther Campbell and R. Kelly, he knows that explicitness is bankable in the '90s. Taking his cue from those two trailblazers, Link pushes carnality to the forefront on his debut disc, Sex Down. There's no denying that Link has skills; positioning himself somewhere between hip-hop and smooth urban soul, he cleverly sells his tales of flesh by cloaking them with radio-ready hooks. Sex Down is pure ear candy. Link occasionally reaches the songwriting heights of his first single "Whatcha Gone Do" or "My Body," the hit he co-wrote for LSG; when he has more middle of the road material, he makes it go down easy by creating alluring productions and slamming beats. Sex Down shows considerable promise. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Fusing hip-hop and soul, Link brings equal amounts of both to the street game. Those on top of their own game know that Link co-wrote the number one R&B hit "My Body" for LSG (Gerald Levert, Keith Sweat and Johnny Gill). Now poised for solo commercial success, Link delivers SEX DOWN, his debut release. Written by Link, Antoinette Roberson and producer/writer Darrell "Delite" Allamby, some of the tracks have a deep underground hip-hop texture, some are rooted in soul, while still others bring that jeep-trunk funk. "Whatcha Gone Do" hit big at urban radio, while "I Really Wanna Sex Your Body" has a sweet-soul vibe. Be sure not to miss the Gospel-tinged "Runaway." Link's lyrics are fundamentally about relationships, and SEX DOWN runs the gamut of emotions; from joy to sadness.

Entertainment Weekly (7/24/98, p.74) - "Booty calls need background music and this new R&B sweet-back wants to provide it....Link's vocals gifts and efficacy as a songwriter...help." - Rating: B
Vibe (9/98, p.299) - "...a playful, truly adult album that will satisfy the freak in you."