Rated Next is the debut studio album by American musical group Next. After forming, the trio recorded several songs with record producers Prof. T. and Lance Alexander before catching recording artist and producer Kay Gee of Naughty by Nature's attention. He signed Next to his record label, Divine Mill, and the album was recorded in Gee's in-home recording studio. The album was released on September 30, 1997, under Divine Mill and Arista Records.

Upon its release, Rated Next received generally favorable reviews from music critics, though it received negative criticism for the sexual innuendo within the lyrics. The album peaked at number 37 on the Billboard 200 and was certified two times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album spawned three singles: "Butta Love", "Too Close" and "I Still Love You". "Too Close" topped the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the RIAA. "Butta Love" and "I Still Love You" peaked within the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and were both certified gold by the RIAA.