The group met while attending high school. The original group consisting of Daron Jones, Michael Keith, and Reginald Finley sang together while Jones and Keith were in middle school and Finley was in high school. Once all three were in high school, they met fellow schoolmate Aldon Lagon who was working at a local McDonald’s in Atlanta and added him due to his deep bass voice. They met a high tenor vocalist Marvin Scandrick who sang with them in the school chorus.
They recorded their debut album, 112. Released in 1996, the album eventually went double platinum. The album which was primarily produced by Tim & Bob entered into the top 5 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart, and went on to sell over two million copies. It featured the hit singles “Only You” and “Cupid”, both of which peaked at #13 on the Hot 100 and #3 and #2 on the R&B charts respectively.[1] The group also contributed to records by artists including The Notorious B.I.G., Sean Combs (as Puff Daddy) and Mase. The group eventually went on the road as the opening act for the Isley Brothers at Ron Isley’s request, the first of four separate tours that saw the group criss-crossing the U.S. with Keith Sweat, New Edition and finally Puff Daddy and the Family, over an 18-month period. In the years that followed, they toured with other performers such as Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson.
They had great success in the late 1990s and early 2000s with hits such as “Only You”, “Anywhere” and the Grammy Award-nominated single, “Peaches & Cream”. The group most notably won a Grammy Award in 1997 for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, for featuring in the song “I’ll Be Missing You” with Sean Combs and Faith Evans.
