Let's pretend for a moment that record sales have something to do with those records' quality (though albums like Vanilla Ice's eight-million selling To the Extreme and Nas' near-gold Illmatic prove just the opposite). That would make Boyz II Men one of the greatest groups in music history. As a quartet, Wanya Morris, Shawn Stockman, Michael McCary, and Nathan Morris have sold over 30 million copies of their ,Cooleyhighharmony and II albums worldwide. At 11 ties platinum, 1994's II (featuring the hits "I'll Make Love to You" and "On Bended Knee") was actually the biggest-selling LP in Motown Records history-above and beyond classic LPs by Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. Their latest set, Evolution, promises to maintain Boyz II Men's stature as one of the greatest crossover acts of all time.
"Black music has become very prominent," says Nate Morris, of the group's across-the-board appeal. "There was a time when the R&B stations and pop stations only played R&B and pop, respectively. But Black music has become mainstream. You see white kids who want to be like Martin (Lawrence). That's all from Black roots. You'll notice pop stations filtered over and started playing Black music. Black music is mainstream right now."
With the number one pop success of artists like Puff Daddy, Scarface, and Wu-Tang Clan, who can argue with the Boyz? The quartet were in the studio for 'Evolution' with some of the current icons of rhythm and blues production-Babyface ("Never," and "Girl in the Life Magazine"), Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis (lead single "4 Seasons of Loneliness"), and the ubiquitous Puff Daddy ("Come On," and "Can't Let Her Go"). It's hardly a formula for sellout success, though Boyz II Men still managed to strain those contributions through their own pop appeal filter; most of 'Evolution' is co-produced and/or co-written by the Boyz.
The old adage that nice guys finish last apparently has yet to stiffle Boyz II Men's achievements. As Jodeci, the bad boys who've always offset the Boyz, flounder in hiatus, Boyz II Men are set to follow their proven formula for unbridled success with Evolution. "We happened to come up with the opposite of what was going on," Shawn Stockman says of their Cooleyhighharmony beginnings. "We had on khakis and the cardigan sweaters when everyone had on saggy jeans and boots. That stuck out in people's minds, because it was so against the grain. We were catergoized as the good guys."
Evolution itself continues to represent the Boyz in that light. Though crisp Italian suits have long since replaced their matching Gap outfits, their sound remains the same; lovers of Boyz II Men's best songs will not be dissapointed.
Their lump-in-the-throat, a capella cover of "It's so Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" is matched by Evolution's a capella cover of New Edition's "Can You Stand the Rain." For those who got off on the Boyz' syrupy Mariah Carey duet, "One Sweet Day," Evolution has enough to make Aunt Jemima proud-like their update of the Human Leauge's "Human," entitled "Human II (Don't Turn Your Back on Me)." And for the fans who were digging their harmonizing behind L.L. Cool J on his "Hey Lover" smash hit, the smoothed-out hip-pop of Puffy Combs' "Can't Let Her Go" should satisfy.
The most emblematic track on Evolution, however, would have to be "Can You Stand the Rain"-produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, just like the first time around. It represents a true evolution for Boyz II Men to cover the New Edition classic, for reasons Shawn Stockman sums up. "This was the song that got us over. We heard it on New Edition's Heart Break album, the same album where we got our name from the song "Boys to Men," and sang it a capella for Michael Bivins after sneaking backstage at a Philly concert. That's how we got our deal. So to sing it again, and to keep it in the pure a capella mode, is our way of acknowledging our past, even as we evolve into the future." And the future will no doubt reflect that Evolution continued the ongoing success story of the most famous sons of Motownphilly, Boyz II Men.