Kris Ex of Rolling Stone magazin, noted "Puff Daddy continues to brand his soul acts with everything B.I.G. Here, the slain rapper's "Dead Wrong" serves as intro music; there, a vocal snippet from his "Who Shot Ya" punctuates the R&B quartet's "Dance With Me." But this album doesn't need B.I.G. to bump - the jittery, futuristic "Dance" bounces like something Judy Jetson would jam to when George isn't around, the prurient "Peaches and Cream" thumps hard with synth rattles and a thugworthy groove. The ballads - "Player," "Sweet Love," "Do What You Gotta Do" - drip with sweetness, but not at the expense of cool self-awareness. Produced largely by group member Daron Jones, Part III sounds as if 112 have come to terms with lacking the all-out star power of the boy bands or the ubersentimentality of glory-years Boyz II Men. Enter exhibit Part III: proof positive that Puffy's artists pack dance floors and hit the charts with bullets. We mean the right kind of bullets." Jose F. Promis of Allmusic mentions in his review, "112 have proven themselves as one of the most successful and enduring acts to emerge from the 1990s urban music explosion, and continue to prove their longevity on their third set, Part III. Their second album, Room 112, despite the hits "Love Me" and "Anywhere," failed to hint at any artistic progress for the group, but the third effort is a different story. A lot of the sappy ballads that impaired their previous outings are abandoned in favor of edgier, techno-flavored jams, resulting in a more modern and forward-sounding effort. The album's first single, "It's Over Now," is an aching slice of melodrama that proved to be the group's biggest hit to date, and one of the best singles of the year. Other cuts on the album pick up where that one left off, utilizing cutting beats and electronic sounds, such as the album's dance-flavored opener "Dance With Me," the second single "Peaches & Cream," and "All I Want Is You," which is augmented with rock guitars to fine effect. And as always, the group's vocals are nothing short of stellar. Despite some clichéd lyrics (case in point -- "Don't Hate Me") and sagging ballads toward the middle of the album (although the ballad "Missing You" is a well-crafted slice of true soul), this set is definitely a step in the right direction for a hard-working group one can happily classify as having evolved."

Felicia A. Wilks of Amazon.com, noted "Since New Edition and Boyz II Men ceded their R&B group throne of the '80s and early '90s, it's been hard to keep up with the myriad groups that have tried to take their place. But Bad Boy's resident gentlemen, 112, have always stood out from the crowd. Their latest release, Part III, further solidifies the group's appeal. On "It's Over Now," the album's first single, the group does what they do best: combining impressive vocals with Bad Boy's trademark hip-hop production. Likewise, on "Dance with Me," an intricately produced song with an infectious heartbeat bass line, the group reminds listeners that their singing ability is in a league of its own. Part III is not without its shortcomings, however. Songs like "I Think" and "Player," two monotonous attempts at romantic ballads, could have been deleted from the album without being missed. To the group's credit, however, Part III is one of the most varied and truly captivating albums that the R&B world has seen in a long time. From beautiful harmonizing to upbeat party pleasers, Part III places the four members of 112 up there with the legends of their genre."

Track listing

Personnel

• Mark Allen - Design
• Wayne Allison - Recorder
• Chris Athens - Mastering
• Roger Che - Recorder
• Tom Coyne - Mastering
• Stephen Danelian - Photography
• Anthony Dent - Producer
• Diddy - Producer, Executive Producer
• DJ Scratch - Scratching
• DJ Wiz - Scratching
• Jan Fairchild - Mixing
• Andy Haller - Recorder
• Daron Jones - Vocals, Producer, Executive Producer, Instrumentation
• R. Kelly - Arranger, Producer
• Paul Logus - Mixing
• Tom Martin - Guitar
• Marvin - Vocals
• Tony Maserati - Mixing
• Ian Mereness - Recorder
• Mike - Vocals
• Mike - Executive Producer
• Rob Paustian - Recorder, Mixing
• Harve Pierre - Associate Executive Producer, A&R
• Q - Vocals
• Brian Smith - Recorder, Mixing
• Twista - Performer
• Kevin Wales - Executive Producer

Charts

Chart (2001)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 200	2
U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums	1

Release history

Region	Date	Label	Format	Catalog
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...	March 20, 2001	Bad Boy Records Bad Boy Records Bad Boy Records is a record label founded in 1993 by producer/rapper/entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, and is distributed by Atlantic Records.-Beginnings:...	CD	B0000039Q7