Boyz II Men - Motown Philly

What this video is

Released in April 1991 as the debut single from Cooleyhighharmony, 'Motownphilly' introduced Boyz II Men to mainstream audiences at the peak of the new jack swing movement. The song's title is a portmanteau of the group's two primary musical influences — 1960s Motown soul and 1970s Philadelphia soul — and served simultaneously as a debut statement, a Philadelphia origin story, and promotional vehicle for Michael…

Why it matters

A foundational text of early-1990s R&B vocal group revival, 'Motownphilly' fused new jack swing production aesthetics with classic doo-wop vocal harmony, a style the group and Michael Bivins dubbed 'hip-hop doo-wop.' The video established the template for Boyz II Men's visual identity —…

The director

Lionel C. Martin is an American music video director, film director, and VJ from Queens, New York. A trailblazer in urban visual production, he co-created and co-hosted Video Music Box with Ralph McDaniels — one of the first television programs to feature…