Tryad

A Boston-based R&B/rap group formed in early 1998. The founding members, Josiah Tyler (b. March 20, 1984) Ezechiel Perry, (b. October 27, 1988) Ranon Jones (b. December 26, 1986) and Benjamin Williams (b. April 19, 1988) all met while Tyler and Jones were in high school, and Perry and Williams were in middle school. The quartet sang at talent shows and such, but with the exception of Jones, they rapped at underground battles. By mid-1998, Tryad, known as Fourtet at the time, auditioned for a record company. They were turned down both times in 1998 and again in early 1999. It wasn't until they sang for the producers in December of that year that Fourtet was offered a record contract.

Days later, Benjamin Williams was charged and pleaded guilty to four counts of larceny. The remaining members, who were already having problems with Williams, changed the name to Tryad and began working on their first album. Their first single, "Waxing and Waning," received extreme attention from the public, and the highest it reached on the Billboard Charts was #11. It remained for two months, and Tryad's second single, "Crushing" was at its peak at #8. The difference between the two singles was the trio sang for "Waxing and Waning," but rapped on "Crushing." This feat had hardly ever been done before.

During the summer of 1999, with "Crushing" fading from public, Ranon Jones got a major part in a movie, so he left the group to film his scenes. Another rap song, "Say Yo" was released by Josiah and Ezechiel. After the video was played, fans began to believe Ranon had quit the group. Rumors began that he had left due to the sexual content of "Say Yo." After reaching to #7, Josiah and Ezechiel made "What Ever Happened To" as a joke for their "departing" member. The rumors and scandalous stories grew even more, although the rap song (featuring rapper Dyce) was about a young man being shot and killed.

After the movie production wrapped up, Ranon returned to Tryad. During the fall of 1999, the fifth single from the incomplete and untitled album was released. Titled, "What's Going On," their first singing song since "Waxing and Waning", reached #5. the song's lyrics focused on a bad dating relationship. The members admitted the idea was born from the stories of Ranon leaving, but articles were still being printed about him being fired. By the winter, "Whatever They Say" a chart-topper at #4, was released. This song was the first song that Ranon rapped on. At end of November of 1999, "Meddling Kids," (#4 at its zenith) a comical rap song about the media hit the airwaves and the charts. Finally, the public began to accept that Ranon was never fired.

As the new millennium approached, Tryad began to feel under pressure about their first album. Still incomplete, they began recording tracks for it. In the meantime, "Cut it Up" made its first debut as another all-rap song. For some reason, it fared as only the #14 song on the charts. The members of the group, afraid of becoming stale and repetitive, created the song "The Resolution," (inspired by the New Year's term) which hit #2 on the charts by early January, 2000. It was the first time Ranon rapped while Ezechiel and Josiah sang. The video received massive play, and the completion of the highly-anticipated first album finally began coming to a close.

With Tryad climbing the musical charts, they embarked on their very first tour. Although not headliners, the group composed the song, "Lost Without You," an R&B ballad tribute to family and friends they desperately missed while touring the country. The song shot to #2, just like "The Resolution," and the album's final track had finally been recorded. On March 2, 2000, while still on tour, Tryad's album "Part One" hit the shelves. Intentionally, on the same exact day, "Outrageous," yet another R&B song, was released as the group's final single for their first album. It was complete with trumpets, drums and whistles, the perfect dance song. Although Tryad were still touring, they shot the video and were ecstatic to learn that "Outrageous" was the number #1 song in the entire country. It remained at the spot for four straight weeks, being beaten only by a new Tryad single.

High record sales meant that Tryad was in high demand. "Part One" was the #1 album in the United States, and the trio immediately began composing their second album, which was to be called "Part Two." During this time, they finally got a taste of the big leagues. Being photographed for magazine covers, hundreds of interviews, screaming fans, and major publicity was something they only dreamed of back in 1998. Two years later, the dream had come true.

During one interview, a radio DJ in Los Angeles commented that the members of Tryad had the perfect life. Not everybody to know that their lives weren't all luxury and easy-going, the first single released was "I Feel," a slow inspirational R&B ballad. This was the only song to knock "Outrageous" to the #2 spot. As the tour came to a close in mid-April, Tryad produced another slow R&B song titled "We Can Coast." The video was shot in the Florida Keys and, not surprisingly, it was the only single to hit "I Feel" to #2 as "Outrageous" began to fizzle.

With the 3-month tour over, Tryad received word that they were to hit the road again in July major performers, rather than opening acts. Around this time, word had gotten out about a grudge one artist, Iryce, had against Tryad. According to reports, he was upset because they had upstaged him the tour that had just been completed. Ircye denied the stories, but Tryad never commented.

By early June, another single, "Guy," (first rap song since "Cut it Up) from their sophomore album hit the public. It fared to the #3 spot at its highest, and the video was highly acclaimed. the lyrical content was very sexual, and it was the first song ever that Tryad released to be so. Some fans were shocked, but disappointing record sales could not be blamed.

As Tryad prepared to go on tour once again with two other new signed artists, the tour was dubbed "New Celebs. "New Celebs" dominated the #1 spot for a long time. Just as before, Tryad wrote and recorded tracks for their album while touring. The following song, July's "Am Misbehaving," yet another #1 R&B song, (and Tryad's first single to hit #1 in the UK) was shot while on tour. Reports began to surface that Tryad was having internal problems, and that one of the members may be getting fired soon. Of course, the allegations were denied.

Because of the stress of touring and interviews and photo shoots, the next rap single, "This and That," (highest point #3) did not hit the airwaves until September, when the New Celebs tour ended. Between the time of July to September, the rumors of Tryad disbanding re-surfaced, for the group had never gone three months without releasing a song. Unknown to the public, the R&B/rap sensation in fact was facing internal problems. "This and That" was delayed due a hectic schedule, but Ranon felt as if the group's image was being portrayed as cocky. He argued the song "New Celebs," was saying the group was becoming conceited. Also, with the sexy song and "Am Misbehaving," he believed that it was inappropriate for the trio's representation.

In mid-October of 2000, Tryad decided to release a much more modest song. The production of "Part Two" was now coming to a close, and the anticipation level was rising. "Beauteous," a ballad, was the next song. Also, the members of the group shocked everyone by shooting the video without any make-up. The highest position the song held was #5, and Ranon's argument about appearing more modest was blamed on by Ezechiel, who had changed his name to Zeke. To reach the #1 spot again, he and Josiah wrote "You May Call," a song similar in lyrical content to "Am Misbehaving." To their relief, it gained the #1 position, and was the second song to hit #1 in Britain. Ranon was not only angry with his bandmates, but he was also angry with the idea that sex sells.

"Part Two" hit stores on November 28, 2000. Like its predecessor, the album went platinum in its first week, a very difficult task to accomplish. Also, a new rap single, "The Kick-Off" (#1 for 5 weeks) hit the public the same day. Yet again, Tryad received much recognition and publicity for their sophomore album, despite the secret internal conflicts. In the first days of January, the group did a surprise live televised performance for a Boston High School. Their performance included every single song on "Part One" and "Part Two," plus the brand new R&B single "Envy Us," which landed at #3 on the charts, the lowest rating since "Cut it Up." Later, it would even named as one of the worst love songs of 2001 by a popular magazine.

After the concert, the members of Tryad were extremely exhausted. Due to this, they had to cancel four radio interviews the next day, with one being in England. This act unintentionally fueled the flames of reports stating that the members were fighting among one another. Although Ranon was still upset about the image, he never showed it in public. People close to Tryad were spilling gossip, which ended up in Tryad's manager firing quite a few associates. It was then realized that the lyrics of "Envy Us" applied to people talking about Tryad's relationship. When asked if this was intentional, Josiah, Zeke and Ranon denied it. They declared that it was simply a song about people gossiping about two people in love.

On the afternoon of February 11, 2001, just two hours after the video was shot for "Is it You," in Boston, Josiah and Zeke landed by a private charter plane in New York City to do a live interview on a popular television show. They waited backstage for Ranon, for he could not be on the same plane with them, since he had just done a radio interview for a Boston radio station. The movie he had shot back in the summer of 1999 was having its premiere the following week, and he had been invited to the radio station months ago for a live interview. After Ranon was complete, he boarded a small ship, along with 134 crew members and passengers, that was headed for New York City, where his two bandmates had just arrived. After calling them to make sure they had arrived safely and to assure that he was on his way, Josiah and Zeke had no idea it was the last time they would ever speak to him.

A TV camera crew was filming Tryad for their television show throughout the whole day. Filming began at 5:00am that morning as the three members flew to Boston from St. Louis to shoot the final scenes for the video "Is it You." The shoot was complete by noon, and Tryad took a break before Josiah and Zeke were flown to New York City. Ranon remained in Boston with the TV camera crew, who filmed his radio interview. Afterwards, he gave them a tour of the ship in which he would be traveling in, and production ended. The crew flew out to Los Angeles to shoot a few more celebrities in their daily lives, and Ranon's ship departed for New York City.

Minutes after he made the fateful call to Josiah and Zeke, the ship disappeared from radar. It sent out numerous SOS distress signals, but they were never received for an unknown reason. In the meantime, Josiah and Zeke, who were not scheduled to go on for another three hours, waited patiently for their friend. An hour went by, and an assistant told them about the ship disappearing from radar. Minutes later, officials received that the ship was quickly sinking. Rescuers went to work to save the crew and passengers, but by the time they arrived, it was too late. There had been no survivors. Mysteriously, no life boats or jackets were out of place, meaning nobody on board had attempted to flee. The reasoning is still a mystery to why everyone remained on board.

Seconds before Tryad was scheduled to make their appearance, Josiah and Zeke were told that Ranon was dead. Had had died just a few hours after shooting the "Is it You" a video, and just one hour after his Boston interview. The airwaves were filled with the tragic loss. After his body was recovered, it was flown back to Boston for both private and public funeral services. Tryad was in the midst of recording "Part Three," their third album, and Josiah and Zeke opted to release it as is. One track is unfinished, and they admit that some of the songs were going to be taken off before released, something the group has never done before, and did not get the chance. "Part Three" hit the shelves the day after Ranon's death, and went platinum in its first couple of days. The video, "Is it You," was released, and so was the footage of Ranon's last hours of life. Also, the song bolted from #6 to #1 in a matter of days.

After the catastrophic night, Josiah and Zeke thought about ending the group or continuing with a replacement. The two of them filmed the video for a song on "Part Three" called "Vibes." The song was recorded before Ranon's death, and it features his vocals on it. The slow R&B song, which was dedicated to his memory, was yet another #1 chart topper and remained on the Top Ten for four months. It was then knocked out by another Tryad song recorded before Ranon's death called, "Man's Best Friend." Unlike "Vibes," it was a rap song and the lyrical content was of jewelry. Although Ranon's vocals were on the song, Josiah and Zeke decided not alter the song for the music video.

A two-year hiatus was announced, and after much consideration, the two surviving members came up with the decision for a replacement, after deciding that Ranon would not want them to end their dream and that he'd want them to help make somebody else's dream come true. When the auditions ended (Washington DC, Honolulu, Anchorage, Los Angeles, New York City, St. Louis, and Seattle) Lewi C. Roper (b. January 2, 1986) was chosen in mid-August of 2004, which quelled the rumors of Benjamin Williams, who was still incarcerated, taking Ranon's place. Tryad received mixed comments of the decision, but had little time to reply to the supportive or angry criticisms. The new group instantly went to work on the next album, "Part Four."

The following month in late October 2004, "Keep your Secrets" was the first track released after "Man's Best Friend" three years prior. Also, was the only song that the new Tryad recorded at the time. The song truly focused on keeping Josiah and Zeke attempting to keep Ranon's life out of the media from everyone. They went as far to vow to never perform any song from their first three albums, out of respect for him. This meant that any song Tryad would perform, it would be from their fourth album and any future albums.

"Keep your Secrets" reached the Number One spot briefly. Lewi had a short vocal solo for the song, but it was not enough for the media and fans to critique. Just about everyone was waiting to see how he sang and rapped and danced compared to Ranon. Since "Keep your Secrets" was a slow ballad, their was no rapping or dancing involved. Still being shot for articles and still in the public eye, Tryad continued to write and recorded for "Part Four."

By mid-November, with the anniversary of "Part Two" approaching, which Josiah and Zeke felt was the group's best work so far, the next single, ____________, was released from "Part Four." Tryad has been booked to perform on live television as an opening act. It was the first time since Ranon's death two years ago that Tryad was performing. With millions of viewers, they took the stage and performed their newest song_______which is a fast song. The production was complete with the fast-pace of the song and back-up dancers. Plus, it was the first time Lewi sang and danced.

At once, the media drowned itself in articles that compared Lewi and Ranon. Josiah and Zeke felt insulted and asked for people to no longer speak of the two singers as if they were in competition. One day, while in Indianapolis, Tryad actually walked out of a live radio interview after the were asked, "Which group do you like better? This Tryad or the one with Ranon?"

In the meantime___________was steadily gaining more airplay and climbing up the charts.