Warning! SPOILERS for Bel-Air episode 9.
The original Fresh Prince’s Boyz II Men obsession was paid off in relation to Nicky Banks – however, even without the character in the reboot, Bel-Air is reviving the show’s love for the ‘90s group. While Bel-Air’s dramatic tone has meant that the majority of Fresh Prince’s iconic gags, such as the Carlton Dance, won’t find their way into the reboot, some of the larger cultural quirks have still been included. In particular, Bel-Air season 1’s songs, musical components, and cultural appreciation for musical artists have been one of the most direct translations from the original show.
While Fresh Prince’s six seasons included a variety of iconic celebrity cameos, one of the most notable appearances was by the members of Boyz II Men in the season 4 episode “’Twas the Night Before Christening.” The episode begins with Phil and Nicky in 1998, as he tells Nicky the story of his christening and the source of his middle names. In Fresh Prince’s present-day timeline, Will and the Banks family are planning for baby Nicky’s christening, with Will claiming he’s getting Boyz II Men to sing at the event. The episode then sees Will barge in on Boyz II Men’s recording studio and incite a feud with them along the way, only for the four singers to miraculously appear at Nicky’s christening to sing “Silent Night,” with James Avery’s Uncle Phil honoring the singers by giving Nicky the middle names “Michael Shawn Nathan Wanya.”
The Boyz II Men cameo in Fresh Prince became one of the most iconic cameos of the entire show and continued to have an impact as the family’s favorite musical group and as the namesake for Nicky. As such, it’s not surprising Bel-Air season 1 has already given Boyz II Men a spotlight when referencing Carlton’s singing talents. Before Carlton gives a solo at church, Bel-Air’s Will tries to gauge his singing style by asking which member of Boyz II Men he would be if he were in the group. Will then goes on to name Michael McCrary, Shawn Stockman, Nathan Morris, and Wanya Morris, which gives the Grammy-winning R&B group an extra shoutout on the reboot.
Sadly, it doesn’t seem the reboot will repeat the iconic christening connection to Boyz II Men, as it’s been hinted that Nicky may not exist in Bel-Air. Nicky, Aunt Viv, and Uncle Phil’s youngest child, was born at the end of Fresh Prince season 3, but was only written into the series because the original Aunt Viv actress Janet Hubert became pregnant in real life. With Aunt Viv’s career as an artist taking the center stage as Bel-Air season 1 ends, it doesn’t seem likely that the series would complicate her return to painting with an unplanned pregnancy. That said, she could very well still paint and be a new mom, but it would make this plan for Aunt Viv more difficult, especially considering Nicky was never integral to Fresh Prince’s story.
Even without Nicky being the catalyst for Bel-Air’s Boyz II Men inclusion, the reboot’s reference to the group is a perfect continuation of the show’s admiration for Philadelphia-based artists. Part of the motivation for Boyz II Men appearing on Fresh Prince was their friendship with the real Will Smith, as the R&B group and the rapper-turned-actor were connected by growing up in similar neighborhoods of Philadelphia before achieving fame. With Will Smith still serving as an executive producer on Bel-Air, he was able to once again showcase his friends in Boyz II Men while fittingly reviving their importance from Fresh Prince.
