12 Play
| 12 Play | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 9, 1993 | |||
| Recorded | March–July 1993 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 63:10 | |||
| Label | Jive | |||
| Producer |
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| R. Kelly chronology | ||||
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| Singles from 12 Play | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Chicago Tribune | |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
| Entertainment Weekly | C− |
| Los Angeles Times | |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
| The Village Voice | C+ |
12 Play is the debut solo studio album by American R&B and soul singer-songwriter R. Kelly; it was released on November 9, 1993, by Jive Records. The album follows his tenure with R&B group Public Announcement, with whom he released one album, Born into the 90's (1992). It went on to top the R&B albums chart for nine weeks straight, while reaching the second position on the US Billboard 200 chart.
The album features four singles including the sexually themed singles "Bump n' Grind" (US, number 1), "Your Body's Callin'" (US, number 13), and the more overtly direct "Sex Me, Pts. 1 & 2" (US, number 20). The album serves as the first of a trilogy of albums Kelly released under the 12 Play moniker including TP-2.com (2000) and TP-3: Reloaded (2005). Since receiving an initially mixed response from critics, 12 Play has received more favorable retrospective criticism.