5 Things we learned from the New Edition Story
The New Edition Story opened my eyes to a few things I didn’t know about my favorite group. The experience that BET took us through was amazing, heartbreaking and gave me hope at the same time. For years I’ve wondered how it all started, crashed and managed to rise back up again for six of the best performers the world has ever seen. I wish the series would never stop and I’m sure there are so many moments that were left out but in the end, I am satisfied with the finished product.
Here are 5 Things I Learned From The New Edition Story
[Mark]
Bobby Brown Was Crazy As Hell
I mean, we heard the stories over the years but to actually see how he was, it blew my mind. But, you have to remember that through all of this these were still kids that pretty much had no adult supervision from their teenage years to adulthood. It’s no excuse for his actions but he was young, rich and on top of the world. His behavior needed to be harnessed but the way the stories made it seem was that he was trying to outshine the group when that was never the case. These were personal matters that destroyed his relationship with his friends. The drugs and women were not just a part of his life but as we seen, it was a part of other members lives as well, not just Bobby’s.
Mike Bivins Saved The Group, Not Once But Twice.
We knew the group was getting robbed for their royalties but damn. They were robbed by two different managers back-to-back until Mike Bivins decided to take matters into his own hands. If not for Jheryl Busby schooling Mike on the record business side of things, New Edition will still be in Orchard Park Projects. It was a bold move but one that needed to be made. His next bold move was bringing Johnny Gill into the group. The way it went down may have seemed like a stab in the back but with the way Ralph Tresvant was acting, a move had to be made. Mike later apologized for his actions but with Gill now fully on board, it brought a certain harmony to the group they never had, even with Bobby as a member. Gill’s presence pushed Ralph and vice versa. It was sneaky and risky but in the end, it was the best move.
Each Member Fell On Hard Times
I had no idea Ricky Bell was hooked on drugs. Maybe it was mentioned somewhere but the way that scene was set up when he was in the kitchen snorting coke with his head down it was to make you think that it was Bobby. But, when Ricky’s face was shown I know everyone had a WTH moment. He lost his house and was flat broke due to drug problems and the group not bringing in any funds due to their fighting and lack of touring. Ronnie DeVoe tried his hand at Real Estate, Bobby, well his story is well chronicled. Bivins, many might not remember was accused of pocketing money from his artist during his time running Biv10 Records. Johnny failed as a solo artist and his LSG group never lived up to their potential. Ralph went through a nasty divorce as he watched his career fade as well. The group was a shell of themselves and it was played out so perfectly by BET.
Brooke Payne Is The Greatest Man Alive
Where would New Edition be without Brooke Payne? I remember watching the If It Isn’t Love video when I was younger and thinking who that guy was with the jheri-curl? “Let’s take a ride, on the mo-pads”. Like who is this guy? Now, it all makes sense. Bobby was wrong when he told Ronnie he was the glue to the group. Payne was the one that held them together. His dance moves early on made them who they are. He’s the one that was making sure they had everything they needed while on the road. And one fact that went unnoticed, was that he was getting robbed just like they were when it came to finances. Without Brooke, there is no New Edition.
No Matter What, They loved Each Other
The group was dysfunctional from the very beginning but they ALWAYS had each other’s back. When the decision came down to kick Bobby out, no one wanted to do it, even after the fight onstage. Mike said to give him a hiatus instead. They went to bat for each other like brothers are supposed to. It was constant fighting but you could tell that after Bobby left, a part of the group was lost. Gill was good but he couldn’t fill that void that Brown did. These guys grew up together and that bond could not be broken by drugs or anything else. How many times did they fight with Bobby and how many times did we see them all together afterward? He was there for concerts, TV appearances and weddings. That’s love. If you hate a person you do not want to be around them. Despite what the media has fed us over the years we got to see from their perspective what really went down. There was some anger there but it was also plenty of love.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
