POISON

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"Poison" is a 1990 single by the New Edition spinoff group, Bell Biv DeVoe. This song—in the style of New Jack Swing, a late-80s hybrid of R&B and hip hop—was the group's most successful, and sings of the dangers of falling in love. "Poison" was the first single taken from Bell Biv DeVoe's debut album as its title track.

While the song samples from hip hop (Kool G. Rap's "Poison"), the lines "Never trust a big butt and a smile" and "The J, the I, the M, the M, The Y" (originally from Boogie Down Production's 1988 classic "Jimmy") reflected a new era of AIDS consciousness and would quickly become a staple of hip hop. In the outro, BBD gives shout-outs to their former New Edition bandmates, Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant and Johnny Gill.

On the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, "Poison" rose from number fifty-two to number thirty-eight in the week of April 14, 1990, and eventually peaked at number three for four consecutive weeks, beginning on June 9, 1990. The single also peaked at number one on the Hot Black Singles chart for two weeks.^[1]"Poison" became one of the most successful singles of 1990 (see 1990 in music), and was a staple on MTV and mainstream radio in the summer, spending ten weeks in the Top 10. The single peaked at number seven on the dance charts^[2]. "Poison" was certified platinum by the RIAA on June 1, 1990 for sales of over one million copies.

It has been used in film (Pootie Tang, Pineapple Express), television (A Different World, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Scrubs, Glee), and video games (2004's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, on New Jack Swing radio station CSR 103.9, 2009's DJ Hero, 2010's Dance Central). It is also referenced in theMadvillain song, "Fancy Clown". "Poison" was named #60 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90's.