How B5 Is Defining Their New Era (Exclusive)
B5 is ready to usher in their new era.
The group of Breeding brothers, consisting of Patrick, Dustin, Carnell, Bryan, and Kelly, began their musical journey in the early 2000s. Back when you could see up-and-coming singers while you shopped at the mall, the brothers reflected on their experience in how they were able to rise to the success of their careers.
“I think when we just kept doing like 106 & Park all the time and the tours, it's just basically when we started going into these malls and like every mall we went to, we would just get flooded by fans,” Patrick said in an exclusive interview with Lowkey R&B and Beyond The Record. “That's when I knew I was like, okay, yeah, this is working. It definitely felt like the dream was coming to life. I remember we were heading out, I think to a show or a tour, right guys? And then like, ‘All I Do’ pops up on 106 & Park for the first time. I remember we were all kind of just stopped and were like, ‘Oh shit, like this is actually happening.”
Their 2005 self-titled debut album resonated with fans and reached chart success after earning #19 on the Billboard 200 and #7 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The group was featured on the High School Musical soundtrack and later signed to Motown Records in 2010, where they released their hit “Say Yes.”
After creating their fan base and getting exposure on national television and collaborations, they joined Bow Wow on his Scream Tour IV, which also featuredOmarion, Marques Houston, and more.The moment for them marked the realization “we’re finally on our way.”
B5 on their new era
B5 just wrapped up on B2K’s Boys 4 Life tour, where they had a set performing hits such as “All I Do,” “Hydrolics,” and “U Got Me.” The brothers showed thanks again to Bow Wow for advocating for them to be a part of the tour.
Photo Credit: Amanee Muhammad
“I gotta give a big shout out to Bow for one, you know, because without him making that post, I don't think it would have happened,” Dustin said. “So the fact that he did that and put it out there, you know, and when we responded, it just went viral. So shout out to Bow Wow, man, for, you know, doing what he had to do. When I say one thing about Bow Wow, he don't like to lose. He like to collect the dubs. So he's like, I know, he knew what he was doing.”
Patrick responded in agreement, “Yeah, and Bow Wow has always been the homie. Ever since we met him, when we did the first stream tour to hydraulics, you know, literally, he was like, ‘I'm the sixth member.’”
While their day one fans are still dialed into their previous work that soundtracked their childhood, the group is “very thankful” for new fans joining along for the ride.
“As far as the new fans that we're gaining from like new records and just even seeing us like on the Boyz 4 Life tour right now, I'm appreciative of the old fans or the day ones, but I'm just really thankful that we have all these new fans that are coming to light and recognizing B5 now so we can give them the newer stuff,” Dustin explained.
The group has been continuing to feed their fans with new offerings such as “Drill,” “ETA,” and their EP Stay, which dropped last year. B5 shared how special it is to be connected with new fans and those who have been there since day one, while on the tour.
“Well, it hasn't really been hard right now because right now the tour that we're on, it's like a more nostalgic feeling that the fans particularly want with that tour given the, you know, the artist layout and lineup,” Patrick said. “But so, you know, it's definitely entertaining that tour is for mainly like the OG fans, day one fans. But as far as the new fans, like that we're gaining from like new records and just even seeing us like on the Boyz 4 Life tour right now, like the new fans are, I'm appreciative of the old fans or the day ones. I'm just really thankful that we have all these new fans that are coming to light and recognizing B5 now and stuff like that, so we can give them the newer stuff.”
The brothers explained how they will be utilizing social media to let fans know who they are outside of their music and get an inside look on their business, brotherhood, and everything in between.
“I think one of the main things that I feel like is going to be a really key player in what we're doing,” Patrick explained about using social media as a tool. “Like I said, we are doing the music and the videos and stuff but I think this time around with the social media being a key part in the music industry, just everywhere in general, I think utilizing that aspect so that people can actually get to know who each person is individually. Everyone doesn't know who's the funny guy, who's more serious, who's business, who's this, like what do they do outside of that, like what's the family dynamic. I welt like this would be the perfect time to really let people really, really know like who B5, who B5 is off the stage. I think it's gonna be a real surprise, a big shock.'“
However, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what B5 is ready to deliver to its loyal fanbase.
“Trust me, we got more videos, more singles, more projects. We have a vertical reality series we're working on,” Patrick teased. “Nothing's off the table right now for B5.”