The band is best known for their debut album, the multi-platinum selling Poison, a key work in the new jack swing movement of the 1990s that combined elements of traditional soul and R&B with hip hop.

The trio of Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Ronnie DeVoe has their origins as founders of the Boston-based quintet New Edition, which had gained notice of famed producer Maurice Starr at a talent show in 1981, and as children had several hits with songs like "Candy Girl" and "Cool It Now".

During a hiatus in 1989, and at the suggestion of producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, the three decided to form a new group, and were signed by MCA Records.

[2] With help from Public Enemy producers Eric Sadler, Hank and Keith Shocklee and several others, Bell Biv Devoe released its debut album Poison in 1990, an album credited as pioneering the "new jack swing" sound of the early 1990s, combining hip-hop, funk, soul, and pop music.

[3] This fusion of styles helped to expose them to a fan base which preferred a harder edged sound.

[6][7] In 1992, Bell Biv DeVoe featured on the US Top 10 single "The Best Things in Life Are Free", a duet between American singers Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson, recorded for the Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis produced soundtrack to the 1992 American film Mo' Money.