Boyz II Men - Motownphilly

What this video is

Released in April 1991 as Boyz II Men's debut single from Cooleyhighharmony on Motown Records, 'Motownphilly' arrived at the precise cultural intersection of new jack swing's commercial peak, the resurgence of vocal harmony groups, and hip-hop's absorption into mainstream R&B. The song's title — a portmanteau of 1960s Motown and 1970s Philly soul — declared the group's dual cultural inheritance. The video…

Why it matters

Landmark debut video for one of the most commercially successful R&B groups of the 1990s, establishing the template of the urban harmony group video: choreography integrated into authentic city-location shooting, hip-hop fashion signifiers applied to a vocal group context, and a multi-act ensemble…

The director

American music video director, film director, and VJ born in London and raised in Queens, New York. Co-creator and co-host of Video Music Box (launched 1983 with Ralph McDaniels), one of the first television programs to feature hip-hop music videos. Directed…