Mario (album)
Mario is the self-titled debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Mario. It was released on July 23, 2002, by J Records. "Mario" was supported by three singles: "Just a Friend 2002", "Braid My Hair" and "C'Mon". The album debuted at number 9 on the "Billboard" 200, with first week sales of 96,000 copies. To date, the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), selling more than 500,000 copies in the United States. Critical reception. Dan LeRoy from AllMusic states the album "offers doses of the real thing; its combination of Nickelodeon -style charm and authentic substance are reminiscent of nothing so much as a young Michael Jackson, with none of the creepy subtext. While it misses out on the humor of the original, the cover of Biz Markie's "Just a Friend" proves a shrewd update of the unwillingly platonic classic, and serves as a gateway to better originals, including a few slow numbers most teens have neither the chutzpah to try or the chops to handle. "Chick Wit' da Braids" and the swirling, organ-laced "Never" lead that pack, and the second song about cornrows, "Braid My Hair," manages to  evoke the downside of being a child star without sounding like an ungrateful punk. Naturally, you have to excuse a certain amount of filler to believe fully in Mario's potential, but most of these 11 tracks offer generous hints of it". Promotion. In 2002, during the Bow Wow tour, Mario was one of the opening act, alongside R.O.C. and Denim. In 2003, he also been on each tour alongside Nick Cannon, AJA, Jhené, Marques Houston and B2K, as one of the supporting acts for the 2003's Scream Tour III. Singles. The debut single from the album, "Just  a Friend 2002", which is a cover of Biz Markie's hit "Just a Friend", was released on May 4, 2002. The song was produced by Warryn Campbell. The song outperformed to its original song, peaking at number 4 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100, and has reached at number 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, becoming the second most successful single in the United States. The song reached at number 18 in the United Kingdom. Braid My Hair was released as the album's second single on September 7, 2002. Warryn Campbell also produced this track, alongside  Sean Combs aka P. Diddy, who is also serving as an executive producer for the album. In comparison to his debut single, the song was a disappointment, when it has reached at number 74 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100, and peaked at number 18 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The album's third and final single, "C'Mon" was released on January 9, 2003. Warryn Campbell also produced this track. The song peaked at number 61 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and peaked at number 28 in the United Kingdom. Track listing. Sample credits Mario