Published: Tuesday - December 18, 2007
Words by Todd Davis
Boyz II Men (Photo: Universal Motown)
Philadelphia, PA, quartet, Boyz II Men -- comprised of singer-songwriters Shawn Stockman, Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris (not related), and Michael McCary -- are solely responsible for selling well over 60 million albums worldwide. The, then, quartet, who are now down to a trio due to McCary's health issues, have recorded five no. 1 hits between 1992 and 1997, and are considered to be the most successful R&B male vocal group of all-time.
The Grammy award winning balladeers' biggest single-to-date, "End of the Road," co-written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, for the soundtrack to Eddie Murphy's film "Boomerang," became a record-breaking success, remaining at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for thirteen weeks, breaking the previous record of 11 weeks set by the legendary Elvis Presley with his "Don't Be Cruel" b/w "Hound Dog" back in 1956.
On their latest endeavor, Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA, a covers album featuring songs from the Motown Records' catalog, Boyz II Men are still going off -- not too hard, not too soft. BallerStatus.com reached out to one third of the group, the tenor Shawn "Slim" Stockman, to see what's been up with the guys...
BallerStatus.com: Last year saw the release of your solid, but commercially overlooked, The Remedy LP. Were you surprised that it wasn't met with much fanfare?
Slim: Actually it was met with the exact amount of fanfare we expected. We knew what we were involved in when we decided to release our album via our website (BoyzIIMen.com), because it went against the grain of how albums from big artists are released normally. Our core fans knew about the album and they supported it. That's all an artist can ask for, especially in this crazy climate the music biz is in. We also maximized the release by advertising it at every show we performed, and it made some noise. When you look out and you see fans singing word for word an album that you released online, that's all the confirmation you need. The right people bought the album. So all in all, we thought it was pretty successful.
BallerStatus.com: With that being said, why do you feel that the last few Boyz II Men releases haven't necessarily been chart-toppers?
Slim: A few factors actually, but the main one being time and chance. If you look at the history of chart-topping artists, from Elvis all the way up to now with Jay-Z, you will find that no one has a perfect record in sales. To have a career in this business you must understand that there will be pendulum swings. The biggest mistake an artist can make is to think that it will ALWAYS be about them ALL the time. Also, with society at large, people's tastes in music changes every few years. With that understanding, and with time of not thinking it was something wrong with us, we realized that and just fell back and was patient. What WE have though, that many artists do not, is the brand name that enables us to tour all over the world without any album out at all. So, while the industry was going through its changes, we went to Thailand! (laughs)
BallerStatus.com: Do you feel that the group has lost some of its relevance in today's musical soundscape?
Slim: Good music never loses its relevance. Again, it's all about patience. As long as the artist doesn't crack under the pressure and does something that will jeopardize his/her chance to make a comeback, that artist can be relevant again. With that being said, look out for Whitney's album, it WILL be a great one.
BallerStatus.com: Let's jump right into this brand new project, Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA. How did this record even come to fruition?
Slim: This album concept was the brainchild of two music biz vets that many outside of the industry would not know of. Winston and David Simone, no relation, who are huge publishing owners as well as marketing geniuses, thought that we would be perfect to re-do Motown classics. We felt that this was the album and the moment we were waiting for, for we also thought it was a great idea. They thought that Randy Jackson, who besides his current fame as a judge on "American Idol," also has some big production credits under his belt and is also a friend of ours, would be perfect to co-produce the album with us. It was a perfect fit and the most fun we had in the studio dealing with a major label in a looong time.
BallerStatus.com: Aside from being all Motown songs this time around, what makes this album different from your other covers CD, Throwback [2004]?
Slim: What makes this different is our approach to recording. We really went "old skool," and did the whole album live, all real instruments, from the drums to the flute. We wanted to capture the true essence of the Motown era as much as we could, and translate it to everybody that hears it, [so they] know we put our whole hearts in this project. These are proven hit songs already, so we wanted to make sure we didn't taint the original feel, and at the same time add our Boyz II Men "spin" on them as well.
BallerStatus.com: What particular string of events led to your current inking with Decca Label Group? And, why not just put it out through your former recording home, and the most logical choice, Motown Records?
Slim: Winston and David have a deal with Decca to bring projects like this to them. Besides, Decca has the know-how to promote an album such as this one, so we were confident in there abilities to push this project. Both Motown and Decca are under UMG, so everybody wins at the end of the day.
BallerStatus.com: How was it working with Mr. Randy Jackson?
Slim: Randy was a pleasure to work with. He allowed us to be us, and he did his thing as well. We all just brought our strengths to the table and made the album. It was 50/50 as far as creativity went.
BallerStatus.com: How did the songs that made the cut get chosen? Who got to pick those?
Slim: We all sat down in David Simone's office and put together our list that everybody wanted days before. Coincidentally, most of the songs we chose were the same across the board, so the process of picking the tunes wasn't hard at all. It was actually quite quick.
BallerStatus.com: Describe and/or define for me the style of music that Boyz II Men create and perform?
Slim: Soulful, real, and from the heart... 'Nuff said.
BallerStatus.com: What has been the secret to Boyz II Men's success?
Slim: What has and what always will sustain us as a group is our love for music, and our love for each other. We realize that what we have done as artists is something special, and you gotta hold onto special things in your life if you're blessed enough to have them.
BallerStatus.com: I know each of you have other aspirations. What's going on with those ventures; Shawn, your label, Soul Chemistry Projects, and that long rumored solo CD? Wanya's own solo record on The Company Entertainment? And, Nate's label, AdLib Ent., and very first artist, Megan Rochell?
Slim: We're all working diligently on all of those projects. We're just prioritizing, and right now it's about the mothership that makes all our other aspirations come together, and that's Boyz II Men.
BallerStatus.com: Are you happy with the current state of R&B music?
Slim: I like some of the music that's out there. But, the right artists aren't getting the shine they deserve: Jill Scott for example, should be everywhere. Unfortunately, good music is taking a backseat to flash-in-the-pan artists because labels don't believe in investing in an artist's career. It's good music out there, you just gotta be diligent in wanting to find it. Because the majority of it isn't being promoted the way it should.
BallerStatus.com: What is the biggest misconception about Boyz II Men?
Slim: That we are the realest dudes you will ever meet in the industry. You can't find more humble guys in this biz with our success than us. I'm very proud of that.
BallerStatus.com: What do the members of Boyz II Men do in their off-time, completely away from the music?
Slim: I like to workout a lot. And then, on the flipside, I can stay in the house and be a hermit. But, my mind is always running. If it isn't another idea for my group, I'm trying to get in the studio and write or produce some songs. My job is also my hobby.
BallerStatus.com: What has been the biggest moment in your career?
Slim: Too numerous to list all in this one questionnaire, so I would have to say... My whole career.
BallerStatus.com: What's the five to ten year plan for Boyz II Men?
Slim: On tour, doing arenas again in the States, and doing stadiums everywhere else. My solo album would have been released by then, and all of our individual projects would have been up, running and flourishing.
BallerStatus.com: Any immediate plans to take the BIIM show out on the road anytime soon?
Slim: The album is out right now, and yes we do plan on going on the road with this one as we do all of our projects. We're already putting together a 3 month run for Europe, Australia, and Japan for the spring.
BallerStatus.com: As for the group, have you all started planning your next studio album of all original material?
Slim: We're talking about the next album, but it isn't what people may expect. It might be an all a-cappella doo wop album, might be another original album. Hell, it might be a country album. The freedom that we have in our lives creatively is awesome, and we plan on taking full advantage of it.
BallerStatus.com: How is your former group-mate, Michael McCary doing? What is he up to nowadays?
Slim: Mike is good. He lives in L.A. now and is working on his acting. He will be in a movie called "The Mansfield 12," which should be out very soon. I know I look forward to seeing Mike do his thing. And, we are still close, that's our brother for life.
BallerStatus.com: Speaking of Michaels, do you all remain in touch with your mentor, and the group's founder, Mr. Michael Bivins?
Slim: No, I don't speak to Michael.
BallerStatus.com: Do you have any parting words?
Slim: Thank all of our fans that has believed and patiently waited for us to return. We appreciate your loyalty and devotion to our music! This is only the beginning. The pendulum is swinging once again! Shalam!
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