Boyz II Men make quality music that counts.
Boyz II Men comprise Nate "Alex Vanderpool" Morris, 20; Wanya "Squirt" Morris, 18; Michael "Bass" McCary, 19; and Shawn "Slim" Stockman, 18. They've come quite a long way since they were students together at the Philadelphia High School of Creative and Performing Arts. It was in their music theory class, that they honder theur vocal and songwriting talents.
The talent was there and so was the chemistry, thus, they formed a group and named themselves Boyz II Men. Michael explains, "Nate and Shawn were on the phone one day. We all were crazy about New Edition's music and a song bu them came on called 'Boys to Men.' When we heard it, Shawn suggested it for a name and we agreed."
No one likes to tell the story about how they started their music career as much as the group Boyz II Men. The Philadelphia-based male quartet bursts with pride as they remember the details of meeting singer/producer and now manager, Michael Bivins. "We asked him if we could sing for him. Bivins agreed and we kicked a spontaneous version of "Can You Stand the Rain?" for him. Bivins loved it and said that based on what he heard, he was seriously thinking about starting a production company," the group relates. Bivins then signed the four young men to his Biv Entertainment Company.
Unlike many of their professional counterparts, Boyz II Men are formally trained and studied their craft. Nate says, "We learned voice and how to read music. We all play keyboards and piano. I played the trumpet for a couple of years and Shawn played the guitar for about a year." "We developed an interest in opeara, classical, and jazz music because of our training at Philadelphia High School of Creative & Performing Arts," Wanya interjects.
Boyz II Men's distinctive sound is based on their rich harmony which sounds just as nice when sung a capella as it does with instrumentation. It is a sound that equally highlights ballads, midtempo, and uptempo tunes. Each of them had a hand in songwriting and singing lead vocals, but left the production to produced Dallas Austin-also of BBD fame.
Shawn says, "Dallas is a visionary of music: where it needs to go, where it's at, what's in, what ain't in, things like that. We let the producer do his job." Nate completes the group's thoughts, "We could have done it, but being that we are new artists, we wanted to kick back and watch so we'll be able to do it the niext time if we have to. We were just content with having our own songs on the first album." They considered this an honor in and of itself because such a thing rarely happens on an artist's debut LP.
Coming from the same Philadelphia soul genepool as Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes, The O'Jays, Patti LaBelle, Jean Carne, and Billy Paul, the demand for excellence was extreme. Not only did they have to be good at their craft, they had to be original in order to be on equal footing with their famous predecessors. On the subject of style, Nate claims, "Our style is a combination of a lot of different artists' styles. We really like Take 6's style, so we bought their tape and took it home to listen to it and decipher it for musical technique. We didn't set out to be an R&B, gospel, or pop group, just a good group. We're versatile, so we can sing any type of song." Shawn continues, "We call out music an amalgamation of R&B, pop, jazz, and classical." Boyz II Men are striving for the same kind of closeness and camaradrie heard in Take 6's music.
The ultimate high point of their career came recently when their debut LP, Cooleyhighharmony, and their autobiographical single, "Motownphilly," went gold simultaneously. Each of the ten songs on their now platinum LP put them at the forefront of the music field, and bear witness to the fact that they have a contemporary, marketable sound. Their album blends the old Motown soul sound with the new happening Philadelphia street sound. They've dubbed it "jeep funk" because their music has lots of bass, lots of bumping and loud drums. That sound, they say, is reminiscent of that heard in 4x4 jeeps passing through urban Philadelphia streets.
Although they are a part of what they call the East Coast Family along with Bell Biv Devoe and Another Bad Creation, Boyz II Men are in a clas by themselves. The former's look is mental, while the latter's is "yuppie yup Alex Vanderpool," so dubbed bu Michael Bivins. Wanya calls them "preppy but hip" because they sport such clothes as loose chino pants, button down casual shirts, and Bally loafers.
Little did they know when they sang background vocals for Stevie Wonder, Another Bad Creation, and Robbie Michaels that their own debut project would skyrocket the way it has. Boyz II Men are kicking it live with a sound that shows that they've kept their ear to the street as well as to their radio. They're going for what they know and are ushering in the return to the sound of good music. That "new sound" is sure to bridge the gap between generations!