Tony! Toni! Toné!’s early work can be classified as new jack swing—the hip-hop/R&B hybrid that dominated dance floors at the time—but the trio’s chops and taste always ensured they’d transcend trends. Originally composed of leader Raphael Saadiq, his brother D’wayne Wiggins on vocals and guitar, and their cousin Timothy Christian Riley on drums and keys, Tony! Toni! Toné! formed in the late ’80s in Oakland, California. Writing and producing much of their work, they’d adapt their sound in real time as R&B shifted from new jack’s high energy to the tranquil feel of neo-soul. Often, Tony! Toni! Toné! would bridge both approaches in the same album, as on 1993’s Sons of Soul where the uptempo “If I Had No Loot” and the deeply grooving “(Lay Your Head on My) Pillow” comfortably share space. They also mined the sounds of the emerging pop-rap scene (“Feels Good”) while perfecting their balladeer chops (“Me and You”). Yet the group’s most compelling songs—including 1993’s nine-minute romantic epic “Anniversary”—are intricately orchestrated offerings of love and adoration that immerse us in a feeling.