City High’s Debut Album Has Been Remastered & Expanded
The new Expanded Edition includes the original version of ‘Caramel,’ among other treats.
In 2001, R&B trio City High released their first and only album. Now, in 2024, the self-titled record has been remastered and expanded for audiences old and new. The album includes the high-charting singles “What Would You Do?” produced by Wyclef Jean and “Caramel” featuring Eve.
The new Expanded Edition also includes the original version of “Caramel” (featuring a Spanish verse by group member, Claudette Ortiz), the Dr. Dre Mix of “What Would You Do?” and the Eve featured Trackmasters’ Remix of “Caramel.” Altogether, a total of eight tracks previously unavailable for streaming or download can now be heard.
City High consisted of members Robbie Pardlo, Ryan Toby, and Claudette Ortiz. The group began as a duo, Pardlo and Toby, but their classmate Ortiz was later invited to join when they were seeking a unique lineup. The trio wanted to focus on using their music to tell stories — the first line of “What Would You Do?” even asks “boys and girls, wanna hear a true story?”
“What Would You Do?” was originally released two years before the album dropped, as part of the soundtrack to the 1999 film Life starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence. The song peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 while reaching number two in Australia and Ireland, and number three in the U.K. The versions of the track on the soundtrack and the album are slightly different, with the album version featuring a sample of Dr. Dre’s “The Next Episode.” In 2002, the song was nominated for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards, but lost to Destiny’s Child for “Survivor.”
The album’s second single, “Caramel,” peaked at number 18 on the Hot 100. The track contains vocal samples from “Silent Treatment” by The Roots in addition to a drum sample from Al Green’s “I’m Glad You’re Mine.”
