Next - Butta Love

What this video is

Released in August 1997 as the lead single from Next's double-platinum debut 'Rated Next' on Arista Records / Divine Mill — the label founded by Kay Gee of Naughty by Nature — 'Butta Love' arrived during a pivotal moment in Contemporary R&B when hip-hop-inflected vocal trios were ascending commercially. The track peaked at #4 on the US R&B/Hip-Hop chart and #16 on the Billboard Hot 100, establishing Next as a…

Why it matters

As the debut single of a group that would score a #1 Hot 100 hit with 'Too Close,' 'Butta Love' is a foundational document of late-90s hip-hop soul — the genre bridging New Jack Swing's decline and early-2000s neo-soul. Its warm palette and moderate pace set visual conventions for the R&B trio…

The director

Michael Lucero is a music video director credited on the 1997 official music video for Next's 'Butta Love,' as listed on both IMDb and IMVDb. Active in the mid-to-late 1990s music video space; further directorial credits require additional sourcing.