Ranging in ages from 13-20, South Jersey R&B sibling quartet, WanMor, comprised of Big Boy, Chulo, Tyvas and Rocco, have spent the last 7+ years honing their craft.
Tell me your whole inception into music -- When did you all first become interested in it? And, how did it all begin for WanMor?
Big Boy: It was our parents who introduced us to music for the first time. No matter what we were doing; cleaning, housework, or even simply relaxing, our mom would play music from earlier times in the background. We also used to attend many of our dad's performances when we were little, and one of our favorite acts to see was Boyz II Men.
Now you all are natives of...where exactly? So growing up, who all did / do you all consider to be your strongest musical influences? Your famous father notwithstanding...
Tyvas: Our current home is Atlanta, but our roots are in Jersey. Artists such as Bruno Mars, Stevie Wonder, Mint Condition, the Jackson 5, and Chris Brown were our musical influences when we were growing up.
That said, how do you all classify your overall sound and / or style?
Rocco: WanMor's sound is a blend of Pop and R&B, yet we make sure every song is upbeat and full of fun. Sometimes we may play it slow and showcase our vocal harmonies as well.
From both a personal and vocal standpoint, what do each of you - individually - bring to WanMor specifically?
Chulo: The group's leader, Big Boy, keeps everyone focused on the prize: becoming one of the most legendary entertainment acts of all time, no matter how rowdy the rest of us get. Our father, Boyz II Men's Wanya Morris, has a similar singing style to him. I’m the ladies man, even though my bandmates strongly disagree. My smooth voice is a giveaway. Tyvas has a new nickname now. He has a silky tone and a chill demeanor, which earned him the nickname Silky. With his boundless enthusiasm and powerful singing voice, Rocco is the lifeblood of the band.
Speaking of your dad, how much actual input / involvement does Wanya have when it comes to the overall hands on experience with you all and your music?
Big Boy: He used to drop us little hints of guidance here and there when we were younger, but now he's completely absorbed in his work, and our mom has been left with all the responsibility. She has been our advisor, manager, and mother.
What particular string of events actually led to you all linking up with the Queen of Hip Hop Soul, Miss Mary J Blige, and ultimately inking with / to her Beautiful Life Productions, Inc., through 300 Entertainment?
Chulo: When we initially started WanMor, we were brainstorming different songs to sing. We settled on singing clean, old-school music since we wanted to keep things as clean and innocent as possible. We continued this for a few years until one of our posts made it onto Mary J. Blige's page. After receiving our videos and falling in love with our content, she contacted us and expressed her desire to enroll us in her Beautiful Life Productions. We were honored. It was a gift from above.
Switching gears here,..
Longevity, what do you all feel it’ll be that’ll continue to sustain you all in music?
Big Boy: Music is an integral part of who we are. Music is what we eat and sleep. We think we’ve managed to stay enamored with music and our craft for quite some time.
What do you all want people to get from your music?
Big Boy: Our goal is to compose music that may be enjoyed by all generations, not just this one. The enduring quality of our music is our goal.
On a more serious note, are you all happy with the current state of R&B music? And, why do you all feel that we, the masses, don’t see more of the group dynamic like there was back in the late eighties / early-mid nineties?
Tyvas: We are fans of the new R&B music that has recently been released, especially the songs that we could listen to. We think the reason why there aren’t a lot of groups today is because of the fact that it’s really hard to get everybody to agree with each other or coincide with each other. It could also be very hard for all group members to stay committed. Even though we're all brothers, we can still have trouble being on the same page. Family is strong, and our bond works to our advantage.
Do you all have any other outside / additional aspirations, maybe even completely away from music?
Tyvas: It's difficult to imagine us engaged in any activity apart from music, however we have no doubt that we would like participating in sports such as football and basketball. We thoroughly enjoy discussing and debating various sports.
To date, what has been your greatest career achievement(s), at least thus far anyway?
Rocco: Our greatest achievements were performing at the Grammys with Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, and Chris Stapleton. We also had the pleasure of performing on big stages like Madison Square Garden and the Staples Center [now Crypto.com Arena]. We were featured 5 times on Lil Uzi Vert’s Eternal AtakeEP, and can’t forget being nominated three times for a BET Award.
Finally, what's next for WanMor?
Big Boy: We’re gearing up to release another single, which is produced by Hitmaka. It’s called “The One,” and it’s a spin off of the SWV hit song “You’re The One.” We‘re also putting together a tour headlined by us...coming to a city near you, so stay tuned!
Is there anything I left out, or just plain forgot to mention?
Big Boy: We think you touched on everything.
Any "closing" thought(s) for our readers?
It took a lot of hard work and dedication to get to where we are now, and we want to give a special shout out and thanks to everyone who supported our journey. It’s because of our millions of fans / friends that we keep grinding to be the best! Continue to follow us for more to come!
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