A member of Somethin' for the People says the group is considering packing it in as recording artists, but a spokesperson for its label scoffed at that notion, saying the group is just going through a "phase."

After releasing three albums — including their latest,

Issues, which came out this week — the trio's Sauce said the group may become full-time producers when their contract with Warner Bros. expires in three years.

"We're going to make some decisions whether we're going to keep doing this artist thing or continue to make money and keep producing and writing," Sauce (born Curtis Wilson) said. He said he and his fellow vocal-group members, keyboardist Cat Daddy (born Rochad Holiday) and Fuzzy (born Jeff Young), derive more creative and financial pleasure from working behind the scenes.

"That's our first love, that's our day job and that's really what pays

the bills — more so than the artist thing," he said.

But Warner Bros. Vice President of A&R Alison Ball-Gabriel, who signed the group to the label in 1996 and later set them up with a production deal for three of the label's acts, scoffed at that notion.

"I think right now, they're talking about [not being a group], but I

know that I could probably convince them to get back in the studio," Ball-Gabriel said. "I think it's a growth process. I let the artists go through their phases because they have to."

But Ball-Gabriel also said she understands the lure of writing and producing for others. "[It] does make them more money and keeps them busy," she said. "They like that better than being on the road. Production-wise they are really swamped; they have a lot of groups coming out. They're writing songs for a lot of different people."

The group signed a deal in August with Warner Bros., for their Nothin' Personal Productions, to produce three acts: male vocalist Cassie, rapper Diablo and female R&B group Somethin' Sexy.

"As a production company, they have really talented artists that are coming out, so I'm really excited about that," Ball-Gabriel said.

Putting Others First

The San Francisco Bay Area trio — Fuzzy and Sauce are from Oakland, Calif., where the group is based; Cat Daddy is from Los Angeles — first came to prominence as writers and producers on albums by En Vogue (1992's "Give It Up, Turn It Loose"), Brandy (four songs on her

1993 self-titled debut album), UNV (four songs on their 1994 debut, Something's Going On) and Adina Howard (1995's "If We Make Love Tonight"). Then came their 1995 self-titled debut, followed by 1997's This Time It's Personal, which spawned the hit "My Love Is the Shhh," which topped the R&B singles sales chart for three consecutive weeks.

But when the time came to begin work on Issues, they were torn between recording their own material and working on projects for Will Smith (1997's "Just the Two of Us"), Eric Benét (1999's A Day in the Life) and Terry Dexter (1999's "I'm the One for You").

"We had no idea what we were gonna do until we got in the studio," Sauce said. "When we started it, we were working on a lot of other artists, and Warner Bros. was like, 'OK, it's time for y'all to do your album.' So we just kind of dove into it, and we did about 10 to 12 songs, and we stopped because Will Smith called, Eric Benét called, and we wanted to go get those checks.

"We worked on the 'Wild Wild West' soundtrack with one of Will's groups and did the first single, 'Georgy Porgy,' and four other songs for Eric Benét's album," he continued. "Then we went back and listened to our album, and it sucked!"

Sauce said they reworked the record with the hopes of "doing a good album that everybody could put in and listen to without skipping anything. The company wanted another 'My Love Is the Shhh,' but we're producers and artists, so we try to evolve and change with the times."

Times have changed since the release of "My Love Is the Shhh," which was an out-of-the-gate hit. Their current single, "Bitch With No Man" (RealAudio excerpt), has yet to demonstrate that same kind of momentum. After five weeks on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, it appears to have peaked at #39; this week it's at #54. Ball-Gabriel said that might be a contributing factor in the group's disillusionment as artists.

" 'My Love Is the Shhh' came right out and hit," she said. "Everything just happened really fast. ... This is more of a work project, even though it's just as great. Sometimes when it gets hard, people get frustrated. They've just gotta keep focused on it. ... A hit record cures all. When this record starts connecting, and the second single, 'Ooh Wee,' comes out, they'll probably change their minds."

Somethin' For Themselves

Despite their uncertainty about being artists, Sauce acknowledges that standing behind the mic has its advantages.

"Creatively, the artist thing is good to a certain extent, because a lot of things that we say, a lot of people won't necessarily say, so we just do it ourselves."

For instance, "Bitch With No Man" is a straightforward song about a meddling loner who interferes in her girlfriend's

relationship. "Now U Wanna" is about a woman who is more interested in a man's wallet than in the man himself. Along those same lines, "Where You At" sends out a call for women who "don't need a man to take care of you."

But Issues isn't all about flossing and gold diggers. "Come Clean" is a mellow, pop-flavored track in which a lover asks his mate to be honest about her feelings. Benét is featured on the slow jams "Act Like You Know" and "Apologize," while Luther Campbell

checks in on "Take It Off," a catchy track that merges a bit of Elton John's "Bennie and the Jets" with Miami-style bass beats.

Two of the album's highlights are the jazzy, old-school-flavored ballad "Can We Make Love" and the message-ridden "Things Must Change," which takes aim at everything from drug-dealing to name-calling.

Sauce said the lyrical and musical versatility of the album reflects the trio's varying styles. "I think all of us are from different backgrounds of music. Fuzzy was raised in church. His father was a preacher, but he's also a rebel, so he listens to a lot of alternative stuff. I started off doing rap and hip-hop, and Cat Daddy started off writing and listening to producers like Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. So between the three of us, we've got a lot of areas covered, which allows us to switch up and do different things."

Ball-Gabriel — whose relationship with SFTP goes back to when she worked at EMI in the early '90s — said she has watched the group grow as artists and producers and, regardless of what route they choose, she looks forward to working with them.

"I think they're so talented, but if [breaking up as a group is] their

next level of moving on, then I can't fight them. They'll always be in my life; we'll always make records together with other artists and with them."