: The Boys

Taj, Bilal, Hakeem and Khiry Abdulsamad formed the quartet known as ‘The Boys’. In 1988, their first single (produced by L.A. & Babyface) “Dial My Heart” became an instant smash on both pop and R&B radio. The sound of the boys was pure New Jack Swing, with a dash of the bubblegum 80s sounds of New Edition. They released three albums during their run: Messages From The Boys, The Boys, and The Saga Continues.

During the commercial peak of their careers, the Boys were able to share the stage with the New Kids On The Block when they opened for them on the 'Hangin Tough' tour in the summer 1989. They had also taped a sitcom pilot for ABC, which never evolved into a series.*

Other notable songs from their run included “Happy,” “A Little Romance” (from Messages), “Crazy,” “This Thing Called Love,” “Thank You,” (from The Boys), “The Saga Must Continue,” “I’m Yours” (from The Saga Continues). By the beginning of 1993 (the end of the New Jack Era), we never heard any more from the Boys, except a guest vocal by Taj on Classic Example’s “Alright” (South Central soundtrack), and production credits by Hakeem on Bobby Brown’s Remixes in The Key of B.

The Boys have now become the "Suns of Light" and currently reside in Gambia, West Africa.

*Additional reporting courtesy of Jabar Robbins.

The Boys: Messages From The Boys
The Boys: The Boys
The Boys: The Saga Continues