Old heads, why did Boyz 2 Men have more commercial success than Jodeci

[FTBS]

Hood wasnt mainstream yet . To sell 14 million albums (twice ) you gotta appeal to 40 year old white women, 15 year old white girls, in addition to black folks. I went to a BIIM concert last year and it was the most diverse crowd I have ever seen. I am talking black IG/stripper looking chicks and dope dealers, Auntie Yvonne's and Uncle Vernons, middle aged white folk, kids of different races with their parents.

We hadn't reached the point where Jodeci's sound was palatable to everybody (or even accessible) like that. Really more so about accessibility since people will just consume whatever is put in their face over and over. It would be a few years before the mainstream would fully accept the hood. shyt, VH1, yeah that VH1 wasn't even playing the rap parts of songs back then.

 

[shopthatwrecks]

Clean, goodie two shoes image had more commercial appeal

yep it was literally the speakerboxxx vs the love below

 

[gurf]

Nah. The music was better. I’m tired of that narrative.

Not saying it wasn’t, but you a lie if you don’t say B2M didn’t have more commercial/mainstream focused songs.

 

[shopthatwrecks]

One you played at high school prom. The other you play while laying pipe. The former will have a wider appeal.

u played both at the prom...


one for the ones who actually went

the other in the parkin lot..n couple weeks after...

so u havin my baby...

 

[TELL ME YA CHEESIN FAM?]

They were realer than Jodeci too
nikkas split their bread equally with the non-singing, talking ass nikka

That's love

 

[African Peasant]

Let me rephrase. In terms of body of work, few people if any are seeing BabyFace. Devante had so much potential, he had Timbaland, Ginuwine and Missy under his wing.

But yeah, if he didn’t go on drugs and branched out more, he could’ve easily been the Quincy Jones of our era. Dude was that talented.

So do I think Devante is more accomplished than BabyFace? Absolutely not. But I definitely prefer the former’s production more.

I see. Devante is probably one of the biggest (or the biggest) "What if" of contemporary RnB and even black music.

 

[LezJepzin]

Boyz II Men also had Dallas Austin in their corner.

Sure , they had the squeaky clean image but they were some a$$holes.


Jodeci were my dudes but Boyz II Men's run from 1992-1995 was legendary.

End of The Road ruled Summer 1992

I listened to them both but yeah, B2M were for the white audience.

Both albums aged like wine but B2M ain't the same without Mike .

 

[klientel]

I don't think this is a good comparison.... these two aren't even in the same league

one had like 10-12x platinum shyt and the other might have been like 2x

And then they had different styles of music. Jodeci on that Silk, H-Town, 112 level. Stop trying to make them more than what they were.

 

[Diondon]

Then explain R.Kelly & Bobby Brown

Only five artists in history — Mariah Carey, Elvis Presley, Rihanna, and The Beatles — have spent more weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 than Boyz II Men.

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

Only five artists in history — Mariah Carey, Elvis Presley, Rihanna, and The Beatles — have spent more weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 than Boyz II Men.

What I’m saying is there’s more to it than just image because B Brown & R. Kelly had more success than Jodeci ever did. BIIM had better songwriting for that time

 

[trap101-ETHout-Allegri-In]

Clean, goodie two shoes image had more commercial appeal

Especially then. It's not like now. Clean cut, romantic, and having a level of decorum was pushed. If anything Jodeci were the ones to initiate the shift to the raunchy raw

 

[Ziggiy]

Keeping it a buck…


B2M were all MUCH better singers than Jodeci

 

[Dynamite James]

Not saying it wasn’t, but you a lie if you don’t say B2M didn’t have more commercial/mainstream focused songs.

So what Usher had mainstream appeal. Bobby brown had mainstream appeal. TLC had mainstream appeal. R Kelly reached mainstream appeal.

 

[gurf]

So what Usher had mainstream appeal. Bobby brown had mainstream appeal. TLC had mainstream appeal.

The topic is why did B2M have more commercial success than Jodeci....

 

[Diondon]

What I’m saying is there’s more to it than just image because B Brown & R. Kelly had more success than Jodeci ever did. BIIM had better songwriting for that time

They probly had more timeless records too
Bobby's solo career was highly anticipated
R.Kelly used to had those movie soundtrack anthems like, I Believe I Can Fly that were smashes
so yeah