As the father of the modern boy band, Maurice “The General” Starr gets a lot of hate. He created two mega-successful pop groups—New Edition and New Kids On The Block—and laid the blueprint for later rip-offs like the N*SYNC and B2K. Unfortunately, this cheesy, pre-fab pop legacy overshadows the fact that Maurice Starr was a skilled songwriter and producer.
Critics may be surprised to learn that Starr was actually a key member of seminal ’80s electro group Jonzun Crew, and that he released a few soulful solo albums himself. In addition to bubblegum pop, he wrote and produced for a wide variety of ’80s artists in everything from jazz to hip-hop. I compiled this compilation of my favorite Maurice Starr-related tracks so everyone can see his well-known boy band material in the context of his greater career.
