YHP Interviews Male R&B group, AHMIR

Entertainments & Art, Interviews - Posted: August 24, 2009

Ahmir is an up and coming male R&B group based in Boston, MA- AHMIR has been titled as The Most Popular R&B Group on YouTube, with over 6 million views with over 45 videos, catalogues of covers featuring hit songs such as Beyonce's Halo, Keri Hilson' Knock you down, chris brown's forever and much more.

The Group have so far dazzled their fans with their amazing voice, melody and creativity of videos on youtube.

Hey Guys, how is it all going?

Hey what’s good Joseph!

I'm super guys,Just finished listening to beyonce's halo, ahmir cover, I am currently listening to your cover of birthday sex, it's hilarioius!!

You guys know that, you’re the most famous male R&B group on YouTube right now?

Yes, we’re so proud and honored. Thank you so much!

How did AHMIR come to existence?

Well, several years ago, Mr. Jones and Big Mike formed a friendship in Boston based on mutual respect for one another's talents. Big Mike made his way to Boston by attending Boston University. Before long Mr. Jones and Big Mike shared a vision of forming a male R&B group. Shortly thereafter, they found KC through auditions and fell in love with his falsetto voice. Sing-Sing was scouted by Big Mike at a show at Berklee College of Music where he was a student. He amazed Big Mike by his performance and Big Mike knew he was the missing piece to the group and brought him in. And the rest is history!

What have you learned about yourselves on the road, especially during your international tours?

We’ve learned that being a successful artist takes a lot of work. You need to rehearse a great deal, not just with your vocals, but with your stage presence and choreography. People expect a great show and we want to deliver it! Probably the greatest thing that we’ve learned about ourselves is that we function really well as a group and as friends. We all really respect one another, have an amazing cohesive work ethic and have lots of fun. We also learned that you don’t get much sleep on the road!

Who is the lead singer? Who does most of the actual writing?

Well, we all sing leads, but Sing-Sing and Big Mike probably do most of the lead vocals. As for the writing, we all write together.

Are there any R&B Groups or artists you all are into at the moment?

Jamie Foxx, Prince, Beyonce, Day 26, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Jonas Brothers, Akon, & T-Pain

Where do you get your inspiration from?

God, life’s experiences, and our fans.

What musical background did you all have before forming the group?

The Boys Choir of Harlem, performing arts programs, and church choirs.

How would you describe the group's style?

The vocals and harmony of Boyz II Men with the style and appeal of Neyo, Akon & T-Pain.

How difficult is it being an Unsigned RNB Group trying to break into the music industry?

It’s very difficult as any type of artist to break into the music industry. The music industry is not what it used to be and they are not signing as many artists as they were before. You really have to have more than just talent to be successful nowadays. With the internet, there are so many artists that are accessible now so you really need to know how to market and promote yourself. You NEED to stand out and create the demand the industry is looking for.

How did the YouTube superstar event start?

Well it basically just started with one video. We decided to record ourselves signing and before we knew we were getting tons of views on the video and received numerous requests to keep doing more. So we basically just delivered what the fans wanted and it just kept growing and growing!

What has been your proudest moment so far?

Well, it’s different for all of us, but here they are:
1) Receiving heartfelt notes from fans saying how our music has changed their life
2) Being the #1 R&B Group on YouTube
3) Going on tour in Europe
4) Appearing in Billboard magazine on the charts as an unsigned act
5) Winning BET's 106 & Park
6) Putting out our debut album "The Gift"

What makes your group special/different from other RNB Group?

We think vocally and the way we harmonize is very special and unique. There really aren’t many R&B groups around anymore and we think we have that special harmony that people have grown to love from groups like Boyz II Men.

What advice will you give to any up and coming artist, especially RNB Groups like yours?

The best advice is to be honest with yourself and if you truly have the talent then do everything you can to make your talent accessible to the world and be professional about it. Utilize the internet to the fullest by using YouTube, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Perform live everywhere you can. Look like a star and dress the part. Image is key. Get great pictures and put together a professional website. If you want to be taken seriously, you need to portray yourself the same way.

What is your favourite cover on YouTube?

Right now, probably Beyonce’s "Halo".

How was your experience being on America's Got Talent and what did you learn from it?

It was AMAZING being on such a huge television show where millions were watching. There were so many talented people on the show and we were truly humbled by the experience. However, we learned that reality shows aren’t always "real" sometimes.

I know you’ve got one album out at the moment called "The Gift", how would you describe its success?
We are VERY happy with it! "The Gift" sold thousands all around the world and was available in almost every major record store. The album is really a great representation of our music and we got to put in everything we wanted and our fans LOVED it!