“Have you ever been in love?” asks Shawn Stockman, one-fourth of groundbreaking R’B quartet Boyz II Men.
“So, you know how it feels when that person might get on your nerves, but you still can’t help but to love that person? Unfortunately we don’t choose the people that we fall in love with, love chooses us.”
In this case, a love of music has chosen Boyz II Men. When the Philadelphia-based group appeared on the music scene 15 years ago, they revolutionized contemporary R’B and brought new life to an entire genre. The band’s 1991 debut album, Cooleyhighharmony, introduced the fusion of contemporary hip-hop with old school soul and funk, a style that has been imitated by nearly every popular artist since. Now, after a sabbatical that has seen monumental change in the music world, the boys are ready to return to their first love, this time on their own terms.
“We just want to show our growth,” Stockman says. “We want to show who we are as a band now, because we’re not the same guys we were when we came out.”
One noticeable change in the group dynamic is the loss of bass Michael McCary, who left the quartet in 2003 due to medical issues. Stockman says the group is continuing as a trio. The new album addresses that, as well as other changes.
“[This album] shows our growth and our mindset at this point in our lives,” Stockman says, “which is why it’s called The Remedy. It’s therapeutic for us.”
After clashing with former label Universal, Boyz II Men is set to release The Remedy in 2007 on its own imprint, MSM, giving the members complete creative control over their music.
“We’re just talking about our ability to record songs the way we want to,” Stockman says. “When you have a record label constantly over your shoulder saying you have to do it like this [or] like that, it takes away from the creative freedom.”
Taking advantage of newfound independence, Boyz II Men hired relatively unknown producers in order to create an “ego-free” album “strictly about the music and creating a body of work, not just a hot single.”
Stockman sounds happy simply to be back doing what he loves.
“One of the reasons we came back to the music business [was] because we understood that the music industry was going to change,” he explains. “At one point in our lives we didn’t understand why that change meant trying to get rid of us or saying that we’re done with you. But the music industry and I are back on speaking terms; it’s love. I’ll always love music; it’s a blessing and a curse.”