Johnny Gill’s “Rub You The Right Way” appears on his 1990 third solo album, Johnny Gill—not to be confused with his 1983 debut that has the same title. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis wrote and produced “Rub You The Right Way” for Gill while his group, New Edition, was on a break. Gill’s baritone projected strength and sensitivity, which convinced listeners that he really would provide a sensual massage to his subject.
Jam and Lewis had just worked on New Edition’s 1988 Heart Break album, crafting songs that reflected their transition from being teenagers into young men. Their work on Gill’s album provided some sonic continuity. “Rub You The Right Way” had earmarks from Jam and Lewis’s funky Minneapolis roots and elements of New Jack Swing. The dance floor energy of the song and Gill’s masterful performance proved that he could sing a club track as well as a ballad.
C.L. Smooth got on the remix, which widened its appeal to hip-hop fans who might not have normally listened to Gill. The single had crossover success, hitting Number 1 on the Billboard R&B charts and Number 3 on the Hot 100, and it made platinum status within three months of its release. Gill’s third album was the pinnacle of his solo career, and it was not surprising because he had Jam and Lewis for the uptempo songs and Babyface and L.A. Reid who masterminded the hit, “My, My, My.”
“Rub You The Right Way” has introduced younger fans to Gill’s voice outside of New Edition, and in 2023 it went viral on TikTok as a new generation embraced its classic New Jack Swing choreography. New Edition completed their highly successful The New Edition Way Tour in April 2026. Keeping that incredible momentum going, Johnny Gill just released the Snoop Dogg-produced single “A Dance, A Kiss” on May 22, 2026—celebrating his 60th birthday.
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis wrote and produced “Rub You The Right Way” for Gill while his group, New Edition, was on a break. Gill’s baritone projected strength and sensitivity, which convinced listeners that he really would provide a sensual massage to his subject.
Jam and Lewis had just worked on New Edition’s 1988 Heart Break album, crafting songs that reflected their transition from being teenagers into young men. Their work on Gill’s album provided some sonic continuity. “Rub You The Right Way” had earmarks from Jam and Lewis’s funky Minneapolis roots and elements of New Jack Swing. The dance floor energy of the song and Gill’s masterful performance proved that he could sing a club track as well as a ballad.
C.L. Smooth got on the remix, which widened its appeal to hip-hop fans who might not have normally listened to Gill. The single had crossover success, hitting Number 1 on the Billboard R&B charts and Number 3 on the Hot 100, and it made platinum status within three months of its release. Gill’s third album was the pinnacle of his solo career, and it was not surprising because he had Jam and Lewis for the uptempo songs and Babyface and L.A. Reid, who masterminded the hit “My, My, My.”
“Rub You The Right Way” has introduced younger fans to Gill’s voice outside of New Edition, and in 2023, it went viral on TikTok as a new generation embraced its classic New Jack Swing choreography. New Edition completed their highly successful The New Edition Way Tour in April 2026. Keeping that incredible momentum going, Johnny Gill just released the Snoop Dogg-produced single “A Dance, A Kiss” on May 22, 2026, celebrating his 60th birthday.
