The Boys (band)
Encyclopedia
The Boys is an American
R&B quartet
composed of the four Abdulsamad brothers, Khiry (born in 1973), Hakeem (born in 1975), Tajh (born in 1976), and Bilal (born in 1979). The group started out singing in Carson, California
. The group had three #1 single
s on the R&B charts
but never had a mainstream pop
#1.
present. They began at the beach in Venice, California and quickly earned over 50 dollars. They started going to the beaches on a weekly basis in 1984. Through 16 shows, the kids made over $12,000.
Only allowed to perform over summer break, their earnings continued to grow as their parents tried to shape them into productive adults. In 1986, the boys moved their talents to try to make records. Their parents Jabari and Angela enrolled in a course in Entertaining Management at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College
and used their learnings to help their kids develop. The kids began working talent show
s and performing private parties. It was at one such talent show where the group got their name. Nameless up until that point, the announcer asked Angela what the group's name was. She responded with "my boys" and then quickly changed her answer to "The Boys."
The group sent their demo tape to MCA
, Motown
, and Solar Records
and were given offers by all of them. Jheryl Busby
signed the group while he was employed at MCA Records. However, when MCA purchased Motown records, Busby made a move up the ladder and the boys found themselves under the Motown label. Working with The Boys, Busby sought to bring the group to Jackson Five fame. They appeared in a Kidsongs music video and DVD called Rockin' Robin
which is part of Kidsongs' video: A Day with the Animals.
. Together with L.A. Reid, the two men crafted the tracks "Lucky Charm," "A Little Romance," and "Dial My Heart." While The Boys weren't impressed with the songs, they changed their minds after seeing Babyface perform them. The public loved the songs as well as "Dial My Heart" reached #1 on the R&B charts in 1988
.
"Happy" "Sunshine" "Lovegram" "Let's Dance" and "Personality" were written and produced by Eddie Watkins Jr. aka "Captain Ed" from Detroit, who is also known as one of the top session musicians in the world. Khiry produced the video of one of Eddie's song "Happy"
The Boys released their debut album, Messages From The Boys
during the same year and it performed very well. The album's second single, Babyface's "Lucky Charm," topped the R&B charts in 1989
.
The Boys second album was their self-titled The Boys, which was released in 1990. The album featured a hit single with "Crazy" which reached #1 in the same year. For a time, the single was featured in Pepsi commercials, helping the group establish further.
Their TV appearances include Showtime at the Apollo
(1988) and Fun House
on Fox (1989); A Different World (1992); and Amen
, and even co-headling the Jump Street '89 concert tour with New Kids on the Block
. They also appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show
. During their interview with Arsenio, Khiry revealed that Tajh (as an infant) portrayed the infant Kunta Kinte
in the miniseries Roots
.
In 1993, the group's deal with Motown expired and they were offered a new six-year contract. However, the group was upset over their treatment on the label, as Motown ignored the group's self-produced album Saga Continues... and the acts produced by The Boys such as Small Change. The group seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth and while everyone believed Motown had dropped them, they, in fact, dropped Motown.
state of Gambia, where they set up a recording studio. Learning the native tongue, the group began to develop a new sound and became known as The Suns of Light. The group continues to produce uplifting and positive music and release albums on a regular basis.
Their CDs include the following titles:
Sunshine - Suns of Light,
Millennium Music - Suns of Light,
Mission - Suns of Light,
First Love - Hakim,
Ancient Wayz - Tajh,
Worlds Most Wanted - Tajh,
http://www.myspace.com/tajhsmusic
http://www.myspace.com/hakimsmusic
Hakim, who wrote and produced "Mama Africa," on Akon
's Konvicted
, released an EP, Inspiration pt. 1, on March 26, 2009. Tajh released an album, New Leap, on May 2, 2009. Both releases are available exclusively on The Suns new website, http://www.vibeout.tv. Hakim is a producer on the New Kids on the Block
2008 album The Block
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
R&B quartet
Quartet
In music, a quartet is a method of instrumentation , used to perform a musical composition, and consisting of four parts.-Western art music:...
composed of the four Abdulsamad brothers, Khiry (born in 1973), Hakeem (born in 1975), Tajh (born in 1976), and Bilal (born in 1979). The group started out singing in Carson, California
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
. The group had three #1 single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
s on the R&B charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
but never had a mainstream pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
#1.
Early years
The Boys were encouraged by their parents to pursue their dreams. The group initially included only Khiry and Hakim, but Tajh and Bilal joined the group when they started to perform publicly. Together, they pushed their dreams further, performing to raise money for a Father's DayFather's Day
Father's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June but it is also celebrated widely on other days...
present. They began at the beach in Venice, California and quickly earned over 50 dollars. They started going to the beaches on a weekly basis in 1984. Through 16 shows, the kids made over $12,000.
Only allowed to perform over summer break, their earnings continued to grow as their parents tried to shape them into productive adults. In 1986, the boys moved their talents to try to make records. Their parents Jabari and Angela enrolled in a course in Entertaining Management at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College
Los Angeles Trade-Technical College
Los Angeles Trade-Technical College is a public community college in Los Angeles, California. It offers academic courses towards 4-year colleges and numerous vocational training programs including associate degree and certificate programs in Fashion Design, Fashion Merchandising, Culinary Arts,...
and used their learnings to help their kids develop. The kids began working talent show
Talent show
A talent show is an event where participants perform their talent or talents of acting, singing, dancing, acrobatics, drumming, martial arts, playing an instrument, and other activities to showcase a unique form of talent, sometimes for a reward, trophy or prize...
s and performing private parties. It was at one such talent show where the group got their name. Nameless up until that point, the announcer asked Angela what the group's name was. She responded with "my boys" and then quickly changed her answer to "The Boys."
The group sent their demo tape to MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
, Motown
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
, and Solar Records
SOLAR Records
S.O.L.A.R. Records was an American record label founded in 1977 by Dick Griffey, reconstituted out of Soul Train Records only two years after it was founded with Soul Train television show host and creator Don Cornelius.-Company history:In 1975, Soul Train Records was founded by Dick Griffey and...
and were given offers by all of them. Jheryl Busby
Jheryl Busby
Jheryl Busby was a recording company executive who was the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Motown Records.Busby grew up in South Central Los Angeles and attended John C. Fremont High School there...
signed the group while he was employed at MCA Records. However, when MCA purchased Motown records, Busby made a move up the ladder and the boys found themselves under the Motown label. Working with The Boys, Busby sought to bring the group to Jackson Five fame. They appeared in a Kidsongs music video and DVD called Rockin' Robin
Rockin' Robin (song)
This article is about the song. For the wrestler, see Rockin' Robin ."Rockin' Robin" is a song written by Leon René under the pseudonym Jimmie Thomas and recorded by Bobby Day in 1958. It was Day's only hit single, becoming a number-two hit on the Billboard Hot 100...
which is part of Kidsongs' video: A Day with the Animals.
Motown
As an act, the group was very self-sufficient, writing and producing their own music. The group befriended Babyface in 1985 when he was starting to become known for his work in the group The DeeleThe Deele
The Deele is an American 80s R&B band from Cincinnati, Ohio, originally consisting of Indianapolis native Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds along with Antonio "L.A." Reid, Carlos "Satin" Greene, Darnell "Dee" Bristol, Stanley Burke, and Kevin "Kayo" Roberson...
. Together with L.A. Reid, the two men crafted the tracks "Lucky Charm," "A Little Romance," and "Dial My Heart." While The Boys weren't impressed with the songs, they changed their minds after seeing Babyface perform them. The public loved the songs as well as "Dial My Heart" reached #1 on the R&B charts in 1988
R&B number-one hits of 1988 (USA)
These are the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart number one hits of 1988:-Chart history:-Chart comparisons:*Six songs have reached number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Five of them charted the same year: "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Man In the Mirror," "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My...
.
"Happy" "Sunshine" "Lovegram" "Let's Dance" and "Personality" were written and produced by Eddie Watkins Jr. aka "Captain Ed" from Detroit, who is also known as one of the top session musicians in the world. Khiry produced the video of one of Eddie's song "Happy"
The Boys released their debut album, Messages From The Boys
Messages From The Boys
Messages From the Boys is the debut album by kids pop group The Boys. It was released in 1988.-Track listing:# "Dial My Heart" # "Lucky Charm" # "A Little Romance" # "Sunshine" # "Love Gram"...
during the same year and it performed very well. The album's second single, Babyface's "Lucky Charm," topped the R&B charts in 1989
R&B number-one hits of 1989 (USA)
These are the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart number one hits of 1989:-Chart history:-Chart comparisons:*Two songs have reached number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: "Batdance" and "Miss You Much." A third song, "My Prerogative," which reached number-one on this chart at the beginning...
.
The Boys second album was their self-titled The Boys, which was released in 1990. The album featured a hit single with "Crazy" which reached #1 in the same year. For a time, the single was featured in Pepsi commercials, helping the group establish further.
Their TV appearances include Showtime at the Apollo
Showtime at the Apollo
Showtime at the Apollo is a syndicated music television show, first broadcast on September 12, 1987 to May 24, 2008 with 1093 episodes, and is produced by the Apollo Theater...
(1988) and Fun House
Fun House (game show)
Fun House was a United States children's television game show that aired from September 5, 1988 to April 13, 1991. Two teams , each consisting of a boy and a girl, played messy games and answered questions to win a chance to run through an obstacle-strewn Fun House at the end of the show. It was...
on Fox (1989); A Different World (1992); and Amen
Amen (TV series)
Amen is an American television sitcom produced by Carson Productions that ran from September 27, 1986 to May 11, 1991 on NBC. Set in Sherman Hemsley's real-life hometown of Philadelphia, Amen starred Hemsley as the deacon of a church and was part of a wave of successful sitcoms on NBC in the 1980s...
, and even co-headling the Jump Street '89 concert tour with New Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block are an American boy band from Boston, Massachusetts, assembled in 1984 by producer Maurice Starr. The band currently consists of brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood.New Kids on the Block enjoyed success in the late 1980s and...
. They also appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show
The Arsenio Hall Show
The Arsenio Hall Show is an American variety/talk show that aired late weeknights in syndication from January 3, 1989 to May 27, 1994. The show was created and hosted by comedian/actor Arsenio Hall.- Background :...
. During their interview with Arsenio, Khiry revealed that Tajh (as an infant) portrayed the infant Kunta Kinte
Kunta Kinte
Kunta Kinte is the central character of the novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family by American author Alex Haley, and of the television miniseries Roots, based on the book. Haley described his book as faction - a mixture of fact and fiction...
in the miniseries Roots
Roots (TV miniseries)
Roots is a 1977 American television miniseries based on Alex Haley's fictional novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family. Roots received 36 Emmy Award nominations, winning nine. It also won a Golden Globe and a Peabody Award. It received unprecedented Nielsen ratings with the finale still...
.
In 1993, the group's deal with Motown expired and they were offered a new six-year contract. However, the group was upset over their treatment on the label, as Motown ignored the group's self-produced album Saga Continues... and the acts produced by The Boys such as Small Change. The group seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth and while everyone believed Motown had dropped them, they, in fact, dropped Motown.
The Suns of Light
As the '90s progressed, the members of the group moved to the Western AfricanWest Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
state of Gambia, where they set up a recording studio. Learning the native tongue, the group began to develop a new sound and became known as The Suns of Light. The group continues to produce uplifting and positive music and release albums on a regular basis.
Their CDs include the following titles:
Sunshine - Suns of Light,
Millennium Music - Suns of Light,
Mission - Suns of Light,
First Love - Hakim,
Ancient Wayz - Tajh,
Worlds Most Wanted - Tajh,
http://www.myspace.com/tajhsmusic
http://www.myspace.com/hakimsmusic
Hakim, who wrote and produced "Mama Africa," on Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
's Konvicted
Konvicted
-Samples:*"Mama Africa" samples Gentleman's "Dem Gone"*"Tired of Runnin'" samples Bobby Bland's " I Don't Want to Be Right"*"Once in a While" samples 3 Dog Night's "I'd Be So Happy"*"Don't Matter" interpolates the melody of R...
, released an EP, Inspiration pt. 1, on March 26, 2009. Tajh released an album, New Leap, on May 2, 2009. Both releases are available exclusively on The Suns new website, http://www.vibeout.tv. Hakim is a producer on the New Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block
New Kids on the Block are an American boy band from Boston, Massachusetts, assembled in 1984 by producer Maurice Starr. The band currently consists of brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood.New Kids on the Block enjoyed success in the late 1980s and...
2008 album The Block
The Block (album)
The Block is the fifth studio album by New Kids on the Block. The album was released on September 2, 2008, along with a deluxe edition that included four bonus tracks. It sold 100,000 copies in its first week of release and debuted at number one on the U.S. Top Pop Albums chart and at number two on...
.
Members
- Khiry Abdulsamad (born November 8, 1973)
- Hakim Abdulsamad (born March 26, 1975) - starred in Ernest Goes to CampErnest Goes to CampErnest Goes to Camp is a 1987 Touchstone Pictures comedy film directed by John R. Cherry III and starring Jim Varney. It is the second film to feature the character of Ernest P...
and voiced Franklin in This Is America, Charlie BrownThis Is America, Charlie BrownThis is America, Charlie Brown was an eight-part animated TV mini-series, depicting events in American history with characters from the Charles M. Schulz comic strip Peanuts. It aired from 1988 to 1989 on CBS. These eight episodes, originally released singly on videocassette, were released in a...
. - Tajh Abdulsamad (born December 10, 1976)
- Bilal Abdulsamad (born April 17, 1979)
Albums
- 1988: Messages From The BoysMessages From The BoysMessages From the Boys is the debut album by kids pop group The Boys. It was released in 1988.-Track listing:# "Dial My Heart" # "Lucky Charm" # "A Little Romance" # "Sunshine" # "Love Gram"...
- 1990: The Boys
- 1992: The Saga Continues...
Singles
- 1988: Dial My HeartDial My Heart"Dial My Heart" was the 1988 debut single by The Boys. The single on the Motown label was a crossover hit for the group, peaking at number thirteen on the Hot 100, and topping the Hot Black Singles chart for one week...
#13 Pop, #1 R&B - 1989: Lucky Charm #1 R&B
- 1989: A Little Romance #29 R&B
- 1989: Happy #57 R&B
- 1990: CrazyCrazy (The Boys song)"Crazy" is the title of a number-one R&B single by The Boys. The hit song spent one week at number one on the US R&B chart and also reached number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100..-Music video:...
#29 Pop, #1 R&B - 1990: Thing Called Love #14 R&B
- 1991: Thanx 4 the Funk # 8 R&B
- 1992: Tonite # 3 R&B
- 1992: The Saga Continues... #15 R&B
- 1992: Doin It Wit the B