The Puppies

The Puppies were a child hip hop sibling duo composed of brother Calvin "Big Boy" Mills III, and sister Tamara Dee Mills.[1]

Not to be confused with The Puppies (New wave band) from San Diego in the 1980's.
The Puppies
OriginMiami, Florida
GenresHip-hop, bass
Years active1991–1997
LabelsJoey Boy Records (1991-1994)
Chaos/Columbia/SME Records (1994–1996)
Pandisc Records (1996–1997)
Past membersCalvin "Big Boy" Mills III
Tamara Dee Mills

Specializing in Miami bass music, the duo released two albums and scored one Top-40 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, "Funky Y-2-C."

Career

The group was assembled in the early 1990s by Kendall-based record producer Calvin Mills II, who sought to create a young rap group with a Miami bass sound. Knowing the pressures of the music industry first-hand, Mills initially hesitated to include his own children, Calvin III and Tamara Dee, in the group. Nevertheless, the brother-and-sister duo became the Puppies and signed a recording contract with Miami-based Joey Boy Records soon after.[1] Joey Boy issued the Puppies' first eponymous album, produced by Mills II and his brother Carlton Mills, in 1992.[2]

The Puppies soon attracted the interest of Columbia subsidiary Chaos Recordings and were bought out of their contract with Joey Boy, signing a $400,000 deal with Chaos/Columbia.[1] Under this contract, the duo re-released a slightly different version of their debut album along with two singles from the album in 1994. The first of the singles, "Funky Y-2-C", was released in the spring[3] and became the duo's biggest hit, reaching the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and selling over 280,000 copies.[1] The song's music video, featuring the Puppies performing and dancing to the song with children at a playground, a club, and on the beach, also proved popular, particularly on The Box where it was the number one video for multiple weeks.[4][5] The Puppies spent the summer on tour, particularly at schools and radio-sponsored outdoor concerts where they could reach a young audience. While promoting "Funky Y-2-C", the duo frequently held video giveaways and dance contests at their shows.[6]

After the Puppies' second single, "Summer Delight", failed to chart, the duo were dropped from the Chaos/Columbia roster, at which point their producer and father, Calvin Mills II, and prior label Joey Boy Records fought over the rights to the Puppies' material. In exchange for the right to continue to record under the name the Puppies, Mills relinquished a large sum of money along with ownership of the Puppies' prior material to Joey Boy Records.[1] The Puppies then recorded and released Recognize in 1996 under the Miami-based Pandisc Records, supported by the single "Hokey Pokey". The Puppies performed at shows and benefits in South Florida to support the record, along with a mini-tour in Japan where the album had been issued by Cutting Edge Records.[1]

Under Convertible Records, a partnership formed between Pandisc and Mills II in 1996 prior to the release of Recognize,[7] the former duo's Big Boy continues to release music under the name DJ Big Boy, including occasional guest vocals from Tamara Dee.[8][9]

Discography

Albums

Singles
Year Title Chart positions[10][11] Album
US US R&B US Rap
1994 "Funky Y-2-C" 40 31 6 The Puppies
"Summer Delight" — — —
1996 "Hokey Pokey" — —[a] 46 Recognize
Notes
  • a^ "Hokey Pokey" did not enter the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart, but peaked at number 11 on the Bubbling Under Hot R&B Singles chart.[12][13]

Music videos
Year Title Director(s)
1994 "Funky Y-2-C" Ignacio Medrano[14]
"Summer Delight" Dwight Patillo[15]
1996 "Hokey Pokey" Brian Forti and Kevin Layne[16]

References
  1. Piccoli, Sean (March 7, 1997). "Puppies Bounce Back With New Label, Album". Sun-Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  2. The Puppies (CD album liner notes). Joey Boy Records, 1992.
  3. "The Rhythm & The Blues". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 15. BPI Communications. April 9, 1994. p. 22. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  4. "The Clip List". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 26. BPI Communications. June 25, 1994. p. 70. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  5. "The Clip List". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 27. BPI Communications. July 2, 1994. p. 37. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  6. Fox, Marisa (November 26, 1994). "The Underage Take The Stage". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 48. BPI Communications. p. 50. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  7. Reynolds, J. R. (July 6, 1996). "Blues Sets Are Musical History In A Box; NPR, Reeves Let The Good Times Roll". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 27. BPI Communications. p. 18. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  8. "Get Down by DJ Big Boy". iTunes. Apple Inc. 22 December 2010. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  9. "Twerk by DJ Big Boy". iTunes. Apple Inc. 8 February 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  10. "The Puppies Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  11. "The Puppies - Chart history". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  12. "Bubbling Under Hot R&B Singles". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 29. BPI Communications. July 20, 1996. p. 16. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  13. "The Puppies - Chart history". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  14. "CV: Ignacio Medrano-Carbo". Caribbean Art & Visual Culture. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  15. "Summer Delight - The Puppies". VEVO. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  16. "Production Notes". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 28. BPI Communications. July 13, 1996. p. 106. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
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