John "J-Ski" Powe and his brother Shawn grew up singing together in Lansing, MI. They added John "J.C." Clay and Demetrius Peete (aka Peete) in high school and college; the quartet formed and began to write songs and rehearse. Moving to Detroit to record their contemporary R&B-based a cappella compositions, U.N.V. soon found "Something's Goin' On" receiving airplay on local station WJLB. The song became a local hit, prompting Maverick Records to sign the band and release the single. It topped the R&B charts, forcing U.N.V. to quickly record an album. Something's Goin' On was released in 1993; Universal Nubian Voices followed two years later. ~ John Bush