Motown wanted 98 Degrees to emulate Jodeci’s R&B style, against the band’s wishes.
98 DePLEASE!
Nick Lachey and Jeff Timmons, former members of the ’90s boy band 98 Degrees, recently revealed some shocking behind-the-scenes details about their early years, including that Motown Records allegedly wanted them to be the caucasian crooner version of Jodeci “every freakin night and every freakin day.”
Nick Lachey claims Motown tried to turn 98 Degrees into a “white Jodeci.”
The revelation came from the upcoming four-part documentary Boy Band Confidential: A Hollywood Demons Event (premiering April 13 & 14 on ID and streaming on HBO Max).
In a viral moment from the upcoming doc, Nick Lachey recalls how Motown tried to mold 98 Degrees into something they weren’t: specifically, a “white” version of the hit R&B group Jodeci.
“The president of Motown, he wanted us to be the white Jodeci. So he was trying to give us that in a crash course,” Lachey shared in the forthcoming documentary, according to PEOPLE.
98 Degrees originally consisted of Nick Lachey, Jeff Timmons, Drew Lachey, and Justin Jeffre. They gained significant commercial success with hit songs like “Because of You,” “I Do (Cherish You),” and “The Hardest Thing.” The band was known for their tight-knit vocal arrangements and for standing out in the boy band era by offering a slightly more mature, soulful sound compared to their peers. But their success came with a few uncomfortable experiences.
Lachey recalled the label sending them to “Black churches in Harlem on Sunday” to absorb the soulful sounds of the church, hoping they would emulate that style. He also recounted an unsettling encounter while working with DeVanté from Jodeci for a brief mentorship that made him rethink his music career.
“I remember going on a train to Rochester, New York, to work with DeVanté from Jodeci and we show up and DeVanté is being fitted for a bulletproof vest in the studio. And I’m looking around like, ‘Do we need a bulletproof vest? What did we just walk into?’” Lachey said.
Reflecting on the experience, Lachey questioned the label’s intentions.
“It does make you question, ‘Well, why did you sign us if you didn’t want us to be who we are? You’re trying to make us into something else.’”
Social media reacts to Nick Lachey’s claims in Boy Band Confidential.
Fans on social media reacted strongly to Lachey’s comments. Many expressed disbelief, with one user mocking, “They were never gonna be Jodeci,” and another writing, “Absolutely the F not. I like 98 Degrees, but they were no White Jodeci.”
One user offered a more nuanced perspective, commenting:
“Nick don’t know no better. He meant the label wanted them white boys to have [a] Black man’s swag and sing like the Black man, instead of them just employing a group of Black men for the job. That’s been a common theme in the music industry. They take our sh–t and repackage it on white artists.”
Another added:
”Labels have intentionally shaped white artists to appropriate Black culture for eons. I hate that they went through that.”
Jeff Timmons says he struggled with depression during the group’s early stages.
That wasn’t the only revelation to come out of the doc. Jeff Timmons and Lachey also discussed how the pressure to live up to the expectations of being Jodeci took a toll on their mental health. Timmons recalled feeling like he had no choice but to go along with it.
“We were a new act. We’re not making any money. We don’t know what the plan is and this is our shot,” he said.
Lachey admitted, “What was asked of us really starts to mess with you mentally,” adding, “We’ll do whatever we have to do. But then you go home and you’re like, ‘What am I? Who am I?’”
Timmons shared how he struggled with severe depression during this period and even contemplated suicide.
“I just didn’t feel good about myself. I couldn’t sleep, and my head wasn’t right,” he explained. “I felt so worthless… that I was like, ‘Just end it.’”
However, he found the strength to keep going, saying, “I thought, ‘No screw that. Just push one more time. Just try this last thing.’” Eventually, Timmons reached out to the group’s manager for help, leading him to a psychiatrist and a new treatment plan.
“Within three months, I felt better than ever,” he said. “It doesn’t make this any easier, but at least I felt better that I didn’t want to die.”
Boy Band Confidential: A Hollywood Demons Event, executive-produced by NSYNC’s Joey Fatone, airs Monday, April 13, and Tuesday, April 14, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ID, with both episodes available for streaming on HBO Max. The documentary promises to reveal how the music industry shaped young performers into marketable commodities, exposing the abuse, addiction, and financial manipulation that came with manufactured superstardom. The second season of Hollywood Demons premieres April 20, according to PEOPLE.
Will you be watching?
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