Too Close

"Too Close" is a sexually charged song about a guy who gets an erection when he is dancing with a girl. She tells him to step back because he is dancing too close and she can feel a poke coming through. He retorts that he can't help it because he's excited. There is a touch of double entendre in the line, "You're making it hard for me," but it's pretty obvious what's going on. Despite the saucy lyrics, most listeners considered the song harmless and it got plenty of airplay.

The song was produced by KayGee of Naughty By Nature along with his associate Darren Lighty. Kay Gee signed Next to his label Divine Mill (an imprint of Arista), which released their debut album, Rated Next, in 1997 with "Butta Love" the first single. "Butta Love" did well, going to #16 in the US, but "Too Close," released as the next single, was much bigger, climbing to #1 for five weeks. The group's next two singles also charted: "I Still Love You" and "Wifey."

Musically, "Too Close" is based on "Christmas Rappin'" by Kurtis Blow (1979), the first rap song issued on a major label. Next wasn't familiar with "Christmas Rappin'" but KayGee knew it well and interpolated the music to create a modern update. "We played it live and changed it around," said KayGee. "I felt if we put the right lyrics on top of that beat, we could bring that same magic back in the '90s."