NEW YORK (AP) — When the members of B2K — J-Boog, Omarion, Lil Fizz and Raz-B —- went their separate ways, the ensuing years were filled with verbal attacks and discord.
But now, the jokes are flying and the comradery is sincere for the platinum-selling 2000s R&B group. It seems a miracle that they’re speaking to each other, much less prepping for B2K’s first major tour in years, co-headlining with Bow Wow.
“O washed his hands with all of us: ‘I’m not working with y’all,’” J-Boog said recently of Omarion while laughing.
“I did,” Omarion replied with a smirk. “I was dead serious.”
The Boys 4 Life Tour kicks off Friday in Louisville, Kentucky. The tour is presented by Black Promoters Collective.
It’s been more than two decades since B2K’s breakup, but group members have since battled internal dysfunction, public disses and yearslong periods of not speaking. For diehard fans, it may be hard to believe this reunion is here, but the “Bump, Bump, Bump” artists are just as surprised.
“It definitely starts with maturity,” said Fizz, now 40. “We’ve all taken the time to heal and work, to grow, to get to this mature space.”
“It goes beyond the scope of anything that has to do with entertainment,” said Omarion, 41, piggybacking off Fizz. “I hope people really get that message because brotherhood can be difficult — or it can be a beautiful thing.”
The tour will hit 28 cities. Other notable millennial acts like Amerie, Pretty Ricky, Crime Mob, Waka Flocka Flame will join as support. B2K, whose name means boys of the millennium, and Bow Wow toured together in 2002 during the wildly popular Scream Tour II.
“I never would have thought in a million years that me and the boys would be able to tour again together,” said Bow Wow. “For this to just come full circle, it’s amazing.”
REUNITED … AGAIN
The tour arrives amid a surge of early 2000s nostalgia, including fashion, film and TV, and even food, as Taco Bell introduced its Decades Y2K Menu last fall. Hilary Duff has made a comeback, and the Backstreet Boys have held a successful residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
In an era where cellphones weren’t ubiquitous, there was no YouTube and today’s iteration of social media didn’t exist, the then-15 and 16-year-old teen sensations gained worldwide fame in 2001, packing malls with screaming fans and selling out arenas with hits like their top-40 debut single “Uh Huh,” and “Bump, Bump, Bump” featuring Diddy which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
But the group disbanded after only six years and three albums. Internal friction and financial disagreements with manager Chris Stokes were all contributing factors, as well as feelings of betrayal when Omarion stayed with management to launch what would become a successful solo career.
The high-energy dance quartet delivered a surprise performance at last year’s BET Awards, and group members joined Omarion on stage for his final Millennium tour stop last April.
B2K’s last tour came in 2019 after more than a decade apart. Later, Fizz joined the cast of the reality series “Love & Hip-Hop: Hollywood” along with Apryl Jones, the mother of Omarion’s children, and shocked viewers by revealing they were in a relationship. The “Ice Box” and “Touch” singer said he was “unbothered” by the relationship, creating an instant viral catchphrase that would become the title of his book.
“It had to start with me and the mistakes that I had to own up to,” said Fizz to the AP about rebuilding his friendship with Omarion. “When you do that work, and you heal from it — and you have the hard conversations — you can move past and then start learning how to trust again.”
BOW WOW’S BITE
Bow Wow, 38, also needed to smooth things out with Omarion. The pair have toured together throughout the years, building a tight bond early on that led to their popular 2007 dual “Face Off” album. But the relationship became frosty in later years, and while on tour last year, they didn’t perform any songs together — or speak to each other.
“I love the fact that we can put our differences to the side. And plus, O knows me — O knows I can be a little bit crazy at times,” Bow Wow said with a grin. “I’m just happy that we came back around. … It starts with growth.”
There aren’t many faces more recognizable with the Y2K era than Shad Moss. As a 13-year-old, then called Lil Bow Wow, he released “Bounce with Me” featuring Xscape in 2000, hitting No. 1 on Billboard’s hot rap tracks, leading the way for his multiplatinum debut album. Other hits included the youth friendly “Take Ya Home” and joining Destiny’s Child’s “Jumpin’ Jumpin’” remix before later finding adult success with “Like You” featuring Ciara and “Shortie Like Mine” with Chris Brown and Johntá Austin.
Today, he’s earning a new generation of fans as his family-friendly movies like “Johnson Family Vacation” and “Like Mike” are streaming. He’s also had roles in “The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift” and “Roll Bounce.”
But with social media and technology allowing young people to gain quicker access to adult forms of entertainment, he’s not confident that his early musical success could be attained today.
“It’s just a new era … I don’t know if you’re gonna be able to program these kids to dumb it down to, ’Here, yo let’s go to Six Flags and ride the rides / and win a prize,’” said the rapper-actor. “I came in at a time where it was needed. It was the right time … I don’t think Lil Bow Wow could pop now.”
NEW ERA, NEW MUSIC
Both Bow Wow and B2K plan to release new music. B2K’s upcoming album, currently untitled, drops this spring and will be their first together since the soundtrack to their beloved 2004 dance film “You Got Served.”
“We picked every record, we’re making all the decisions,” said J-Boog of the album, which includes their first musical collaboration with Bow Wow. “Our hearts and our opinions and our feelings and our stories are actually really in this as grown men.”
Omarion is also gearing up for a new solo album, and Bow Wow plans to release a slew of projects, including an already completed collaboration album with an unannounced artist and his own solo record.
Bow Wow, who has reiterated this is B2K’s moment, says his main goal is to please the fans — something that the egos involved haven’t always made a priority.
“I’m at my point in my life where I don’t care who’s bigger,” said the “Use Me” artist. “I’m approaching this tour like I’m a team player. … first time I feel like a group member — except I’m the one that can’t dance.”
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Follow Associated Press entertainment journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton at @GaryGHamilton on all his social media platforms.
