Hard or Smooth

{{Short description|Album by Wreckx-n-Effect}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Hard or Smooth

| type = studio

| artist = Wreckx-n-Effect

| cover = Hard or Smooth.jpg

| alt =

| released = November 24, 1992

| recorded = 1991–1992

| venue =

| studio = Future Recording Studios
(Virginia Beach, Virginia)

| genre = {{hlist|New jack swing|hip hop

}}

| length = 46:04

| label = MCA

| producer = {{hlist|Teddy Riley|Ty Fyffe|David Wynn|Wreckx-n-Effect|Franklyn Grant|Menton L. Smith}}

| prev_title = Wrecks-n-Effect

| prev_year = 1989

| next_title = Raps New Generation

| next_year = 1996

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Hard or Smooth

| type = studio

| single1 = Rump Shaker

| single1date = August 25, 1992

}}

}}

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r58924}}

| rev3 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev3Score = C+{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,312705,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070521164934/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,312705,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 21, 2007|title=Hard or Smooth Review|last=Bernard|first=James|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=December 18, 1992|accessdate=December 2, 2012}}

| rev5 = Q

| rev5Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=1103525&style=music|title=Wreckx-n-Effect – Hard or Smooth CD Album|publisher=CD Universe|accessdate=December 2, 2012}}

| rev2 = Robert Christgau

| rev2Score = {{Rating-Christgau|cut}}{{cite web|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=wreckx-n-effect|title=CG: Wreckx-n-Effect|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|publisher=RobertChristgau.com|accessdate=December 2, 2012}}

| rev4 = The Independent

| rev4Score = positive{{cite news|first= Andy |last= Gill |title= RECORDS / No ifs, diggity-do, no butts, diggity-dah: Andy Gill, exploring this week's releases, uncovers the latest addition to the long and distinguished line of buttock anthems |date= January 7, 1993 |newspaper= The Independent |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/records-no-ifs-diggity-do-no-butts-diggity-dah-andy-gill-exploring-this-weeks-releases-uncovers-the-1477091.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220509/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/records-no-ifs-diggity-do-no-butts-diggity-dah-andy-gill-exploring-this-weeks-releases-uncovers-the-1477091.html |archive-date=2022-05-09 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |accessdate= August 4, 2016}}

}}

Hard or Smooth is the second album released by Wreckx-n-Effect. It was released on November 24, 1992, by MCA Records, and featured production from Teddy Riley and Ty Fyffe, as well as Riley's engineers Franklyn Grant and David Wynn. This marked Wreckx-n-Effect's first album following the death of member Brandon Mitchell, who was fatally shot in 1990.

Hard or Smooth became the group's highest entry on the Billboard 200, where it debuted and peaked at number nine. Its lead single, "Rump Shaker", peaked at number two on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks charts, as well as number nine on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play. The album's second single, "Knock-N-Boots", peaked at number 72 on the Hot 100, while its third, "My Cutie", peaked at number 75 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart. The fourth single, "Wreckx Shop", peaked at number 11 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart.