R&B Group Wanmore, Sons of B2M's Wanya Morris, Signs Record Deal With Mary J. Blige

Photo Courtesy 300 Entertainment 

Traditional R&B has had a hard time over the past couple of years compared to its hip-hop brethren rap, which continues to dominate the charts.

The falling revenues and lack of new breakout stars were enough for music mastermind Diddy to recently declare the art form dead —a bold, if premature, statement coming from a guy who just signed a deal with Motown to head an imprint, Love Records, dedicated to it.

It appears there may be hope on the horizon, however, for those looking for R&Bs' next big thing and it comes with a pedigree that makes it worth watching.

WanMor, the scions of R&B royalty, Wanya Morris, announced a new record deal on Monday with Mary J. Blige's Beautiful Life Productions and 300 Entertainment.

The quartet — made up of brothers Wanya Morris II “Big Boy,” Wanya III “Chulo,” Wanya IV “Tyvas” and Wanya V “Rocco" — ranges in age from 12-18, and has a musical style inspired by their dad's group Boyz II Men.

“There’s been so much conversation about the state of R&B and the next generation of R&B artists,” said Blige of the signing in a statement. “This generation has been giving us great R&B, and that feeling, that soul, and that sound remains in our DNA. When we heard WanMor sing, we knew we could stop looking. They are IT!"

Kevin Liles, chairman & CEO of 300 Entertainment and Elektra Music Group, added that the group is what has been missing in music.

"Every Little Girl in the City" Cover Art

"There’s no one out like them,” Liles said. “It all comes down to their voices, songs, and fans. WanMor is bringing the superstar R&B group back. R&B is not dead."

Whether or not the group can mimic the success of their pop's iconic R&B group, which topped Billboard's list of the 10 Biggest Boy Bands (1987-2012), sold millions of records and collected four Grammy Awards —remains to be seen.

WanMor, however, is off to a quick start. The group's latest single, “Every Pretty Girl in the City,” was released on Friday (Sept. 16) ahead of the announcement, with a visual showcasing their singing and dancing abilities.

Watch the full video below: