Words: A.R. Shaw
Photos: DeWayne Rogers
There was a time when soul and R&B groups ruled the music charts. From soulful crooners such as The Temptations and The Jackson 5 to collectives such as New Edition and Boyz II Men, soul and R&B groups set trends and provided the soundtrack for youth-inspired love.
Today, the concept of an R&B group is on the verge of becoming obsolete. The financial state of the music business has played a major role in diminishing the prominence of R&B groups. With decreased record sales due to digital downloads and pirating, it can be more costly for labels to promote a group versus breaking one artist. Also, in the age of social media, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook have a way of promoting individualism that could inhibit the group concept.
Enter Tyrese, Ginuwine and Tank. The trio joined forces to create the R&B supergroup, TGT.
Musically, TGT represents the essence of true R&B. But because Tyrese, Ginuwine and Tank have all experienced success on the solo front, they bring three different experiences, expressions and entourages to the fold. Will they be able to put aside their egos for the greater good?
“You have to know how to coexist with powerful people,” Tyrese said during rolling out’s interview and photo shoot with the trio. ”You have to have a bottom line and opposition. What you expect and what you’ll respect. But at the same time, you have to be willing to force your pride and ego to the side to say that we are doing this for a much bigger purpose than what we have done individually. Because if it was going to be about us individually, we should have never done the group.”
Certainly, egos must be checked at the door for TGT to attain success. With the release of their new album, 3 KINGS, TGT appears to be prepared to take the R&B mantle to the next level.
