112
112 formed in Atlanta in 1993 and became one of the defining vocal groups of Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records, pairing Marvin 'Slim' Scandrick's high, tender tenor with plush four-part harmony on quiet-storm ballads and hip-hop-soul singles. Their run of late-90s and early-2000s hits — 'Only You,' 'Cupid,' 'Peaches & Cream,' and 'Anywhere' — set a standard for smooth, radio-ready R&B, and the group shared a Grammy for their feature on the Notorious B.I.G. tribute 'I'll Be Missing You.' Their blend of church-trained harmony and Bad Boy sheen influenced a generation of R&B singers who followed.
112 came up directly in the wake of Boyz II Men, and their focus on intricate, interlocking vocal blends draws on the older group's lush a cappella-style harmony; you hear it in the way 112 layer their voices into a single glossy chord.
listen forPlay Boyz II Men's 'End of the Road,' with its cascading, overlapping harmonies and spoken-bridge drama, then 112's 'Only You' — the same dense, church-rooted stacking, just draped over a slicker Bad Boy groove.
The group has said their signature ballad 'Cupid' was primarily inspired by Babyface, whose silky, melody-first quiet-storm songwriting was a template they chased, even courting him as a collaborator on their debut.
listen forPlay Babyface's tender, fingerpicked 'When Can I See You,' then 112's 'Peaches & Cream' — both build an intimate, featherlight vocal over spare, gentle backing that puts the melody and the softness right up close.
112's grittier, more sexually frank slow-jam side sits in a lineage with Jodeci's gospel-rooted, hard-edged R&B — a connection reinforced by their work with producer Stevie J, who came to Bad Boy fresh off producing for Jodeci.
listen forCue Jodeci's smoldering 'Freek'n You,' all breathy come-ons and slow-grinding groove, then 112's 'Anywhere' — the same after-dark, seduction-first mode where the harmony turns hushed and insistent.