Shawn Stockman is the gentle philosopher. His thin frame and oval-shaped face give him an almost ascetic appearance. Perhaps the most mellow of the four men, you sense the little boy in him. In his whisper-quiet speaking voice, you hear echoes of his supple singing voice. He explains why they did "Can You Stand the Rain" on Evolution, what the future holds and much, much more. Read on.....
Shawn Stockman calls "Can You Stand the Rain" a "musical heirloom." As he recalls: "This is the song that got us over. We heard it on New Edition's Heartbreak album, the same album where we got our name from the song 'Boys to Men,' and sang it a cappella 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 cappella mode, is our way of acknowledging our past, even as we evolve into the future."
And what is the future about for Boyz II Men? "The future," says Shawn, "is all about seeking a spiritual love. That love can come from your significant other, from your friends, your family, even your fans. But the source of the love comes from a higer power. That's why our Evolution concludes with 'Dear God.' At first, I wasn't sure a non-secular song should be included on our album. But I was denying my feelings, because after I sang my part on 'Dear God,' I broke down and cried. The spirit filled my chest. Finally, I saw that the song had to be part of our evolution. It's truly a collective effot, its melodies and harmonies expressing the power of gradtitude and rightness of humility."
Shawn pauses, closes his eyes, searches for the right words to summarize his feelings for the group. "The miracle," he relates, "is that our four vocal personalities reflect the natural elements of the world. Wanya is a resounding tempest; Nate is the shifting wind, the fluttering breeze; I'm the water, the sea and Mike is the earth, the core, the ground we walk upon. The chemistry is magical, but the evolution of that chemistry depends on something more than magic. We've evolved through hard work and responsibility; we've evolved through honoring art and respecting the people whose lives it touches."