The Run That Back series is a deep dive into some of music’s most popular or underrated projects. Whether it’s been 5 years or 50, there’s never a wrong time to ‘run that back.’
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Thirty years ago, two of the greatest male R&B groups in history released their debut albums— one month apart. The powerful vocal stylings of Boyz II Men hit the scene first with Cooleyhighharmony and then the sensual powerhouses with an edge, Jodeci slid in right behind them with Forever My Lady. Unlike the actual Verzuz where each competitor uses their entire discography to see— once and for all— who is the best, this breakdown will decide who had the better debut album. Let the games begin.
Up first is Boyz II Men. The group formed in 1988 at Philadelphia’s High School for Creative and Performing Arts. When the classically trained vocalists— Michael McCary, Wanya Morris, Nathan Morris, and Shawn Stockman— approached Michael Bivins about wanting him to manage them, they reminded Bivins of a modern New Edition. After all, they named their group after one of their songs. Out the gate, Boyz II Men proved they couldn't just sing, but they can sang. Their sound was old school R&B seamlessly morphed into something new and fresh. With a signature voice like Michael's, Wanya and Shawn tackling the riffs and runs and richness of Nathan's tone paired with his pen game, they had all the ingredients for success and longevity.
Cooleyhighharmony kicks off with "Please Don't Go," and the first voice we hear is Michael, with a bass to rival Melvin Franklin of The Temptations and the classic nayhoo of '90s R&B. However, it wasn't until "Uhh Ahh" that went from sanging boys to sanging men. From "Uhh Ahh" to "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday" to "Motownphilly," we get put through an emotional ringer.
"Uhh Ahh" went from lusty and served as the precursor to "I'll Make Love To You." They sang, "the love I have right next to me/Is here and always will be/I'm caressing your body emotionally..." However, the sequel version of "Uhh Ahh" was down right sexual. "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday" is one of the saddest songs and is one of those covers that is more popular than the original. G.C. Cameron's 1975 version from Cooleyhigh moved the group so much that they recorded their own version and named their album after the film. Then, we're hit with "Motownphilly," a hit heavily influenced by the New Jack Swing era and features a verse from Bivins about that fateful night when their paths crossed for the first time.
Cooleyhighharmony, produced by Bivins and Dallas Austin, isn't a perfect album. It does have some mood skips like their other New Jack Swing-inspired song, "Sympin'" and "Under Pressure," which is often what they describe as "hip-hop doo-wop." The sound was popular among other artists, but didn't particularly fit the Boyz II Men image. Thankfully, the album finishes on a high note with their smash hit, "End of The Road" from the Boomerang soundtrack. The timeless ballad, written by Babyface, LA Reid and Daryl Simmons, dominated charts for 13 weeks, snagged the quartet their first #1 single and garnered two GRAMMY wins for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and Best R&B Song. Not to mention, Cooleyhighharmony took home the GRAMMY for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
Now if Boyz II Men were nice and wholesome, Jodeci was naughty and wild. The hallowed quartet was comprised of two sets of brothers— JoJo, K-Ci, DeVante Swing and Mr. Dalvin— hailing from Charlotte, NC. Their gospel roots and unique harmonies set them apart during the golden era of male R&B groups. Heavy D overheard their demo as they were shopping it around in New York and convinced then Uptown Records president, Andre Harrell, into hearing the group. He was immediately impressed and signed the band. Puff Daddy (now Diddy) was put in charge for their image as the "bad boys of R&B."
Their debut album, Forever My Lady, was co-produced by Al B Sure! and DeVante Swing, was one of the foundational albums that ushered in the Hip-Hop Soul wave. The opening line, "don't talk; just listen" commanded your attention and the run that followed from "Stay" to "Come and Talk To Me," to the album's title track, "Forever My Lady," is one that many are still trying to emulate. Each member has a respected role— DeVante and Dalvin on writing and production and K-Ci and JoJo on lead vocals.
"Come and Talk To Me" became one of their biggest hits, topping the R&B charts for weeks. It also is certified gold by the RIAA and Forever My Lady is certified triple-platinum. "Gotta Love" had that New Jack Swing flavor, and may have been their debut single, but thankfully, it didn't become the sound Jodeci is known for. The men of Jodeci loved ladies and pleasing them. Al B Sure! provided the group a lane for them to be crooners with an edge.
Dalvin revealed in an interview with Soul Culture that Puff pushed the group (and the label) to release "Gotta Love" as their first single, but it was Al B Sure!'s "Forever My Lady" that propelled them into fame. The song was written for Al's then-girlfriend, Kim Porter who was pregnant with their son, Quincy. Dalvin reflected, "‘Forever My Lady’ wasn’t even a song at first. It was an interlude for the album. The record label actually made us turn it into a song. This is when Al B. Sure! came in with those orchestral sounds to strengthen the record. If you heard the first version of the song, it sounded just like “Piece of My Love” by Guy. We had to keep doing over again until the record company was happy with it." Dalvin felt, unlike Boyz II Men, Jodeci "stayed true" to R&B music, instead of "[following] a pop trend."
Despite the hot take on Dalvin's part, we feel as an overall body of work, Boyz II Men had the better debut R&B album. And yes, there are several R&B albums that also happen to be popular, but that's another conversation for another day.
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