Voices of Theory

by Alex HendersonHeavily influenced by fellow Philadelphians Boyz II Men, Voices of Theory is an urban contemporary group that combines R&B/pop crooning with hip-hop production. All five members of the group -- Mechi, James, Hector, David, and Mike G -- are Latino men who grew up in North Philly, a tough area of the city that has often been compared to the South Bronx. Formed in the early 1990s, Voices got its first major break in 1993, when the quintet opened for Mariah Carey on a 12-city American tour. It was also in 1993 that Voices recorded a cover of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" for the soundtrack to the film Calendar Girl. Not long after that, Voices suffered a major setback when their manager and mentor, Melvin Wallace, was murdered. But the quintet found new management and continued, and in 1997, was signed to producer Jellybean Benitez's H.O.L.A. Recordings (H.O.L.A. stands for Home of Latino Artists). Voices' self-titled debut album was released in 1998.