Emerging from the shadows of popular R&B, Funk, Pop, and Hip Hop groups such as Vanity 6, TLC, and Destiny's Child, came Lesley, Sarah, Binkie, and Naomi, collectively known as Electrik Red.
Lesley and Binkie grew up together in the city that never sleeps, New York, while Sarah and Naomi were brought up on the streets of Toronto, Canada. The girls met as background dancers for some of today's biggest acts, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Ginuwine, Chris Brown, and for Usher, which is where Lesley and Binkie met Sarah, during the "Yeah" singer's Confessions tour. Sarah agreed to join the group, and asked if they'd like to meet her friend Naomi, and add her as a fourth member, from there Electric Red was formed.
How To Be A Lady Volume 1 was a play on the stereotype of what a lady is supposed to be, how she is supposed to act and what she is supposed to say. According to the ladies themselves, "We're bringing a new age woman to the world...[it's] okay to be different." The album spawned four official singles "Drink In My Cup", "Friend Lover","So Good", and "So Good Remix" featuring Lil Wayne, finally bringing attention to the daring foursome. Unfortunately the album did not make as much of an impact commercially despite the flawless production and writing credits on songs such as "Muah," "We Fuck You," "Bed Rest" and the bedroom banger and personal favorite "Devotion." On the album the ladies effortlessly glided across genres, with lyrics that you wouldn't dare want your mother to hear. They were the female version of The Dream, and finally there was a girl group of the new generation who weren't concerned about fitting into a mold, being role models for young girls, or being the picture perfect image that was Destiny's Child. These were women with minds of their own, who played the game of love like men.
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Electrik Red became YouTube sensations on their channel Electrikk Redd, where their profanity laced, fun filled antics kept their legion of fans entertained when they weren't playing the ladies' album. Despite low album sales, the girls went back into the studio in 2010 to begin work on their sophomore effort lead by the buzz single "I'm That Chick" at the E. World Awards in Atlanta, Georgia.
Binkie confirmed that their new album would have a different sound than their first, demonstrated by 2011's "Bra And Panties." Lesley later confirmed that their label would not allow them to release the full version of the tongue-in-cheek track, but "Africa (Put Cha Money On It)" was released instead, and received positive reviews from fans and critics. Later on that year, still without an album release date, or a single to promote, the girls remixed the Jay-Z and Kanye West hit "That's My Bitch", along with a new photo of the girls standing on a bridge, flashing traffic, with the caption "Guess Whose Back".
Since then no new music has been released from the group, and with all original four members still being apart of the group, How To Be A Lady Volume 2 has seemed to hit a brick wall. With their stiffest competition Rich Girl having disbanded, The Pussycat Dolls playing musical chairs with their members, and their being no other girl group in the US making major moves, now would be the perfect time for the ladies to make a comeback.
In todays' industry four years is a long time for an established act to not be heard on airwaves, so for a group that is still fighting to cement their place on the music scene, it is close to death for their career. There's no drama between the girls, so one can only imagine that something must be going on between the label and the group. It would be wise for Electrik Red to at least release remixes of top Billboard Hot 100 songs, to keep their name afloat. With them gone, who else are going to teach these young women how to be fucking ladies?