Day 26 speaks on their second album, proving themselves, and Diddy’s reputation…

The release of Forever in a Day, the sophomore album from Brian “Angel” Andrews, Mike "Butta" McCluney, Qwanell "Q" Mosley, Robert Curry and Willie Taylor, signified a new beginning for the Bad Boy recording artists, collectively known as Day 26. Gone were the days when the guys felt they had something to prove.

“I don’t think people expected to hear what they heard on the first album,” said Brian. It felt kind of good, you know, being around our peers, people like Usher, Ne-Yo, and so on and so forth, give us the respect that they gave us,” he continued. “Because I got approached by a whole lot of people, and they’re like, ‘Yo, ya’ll album is ridiculous; I wasn’t expecting that.’ So yeah, we did have a whole lot to prove, but I’m kind of pleased at how the first album came out.”

Although the group was put together using the oft-scrutinized method of a reality show, the individual journeys of the members of Day 26 to successful singing careers started long before Making the Band. “A lot of people don’t know that the grind just didn’t start when the cameras cut on; the grind started many, many, many years before this,” said Brian.

Taking it a step further, Willie spent 10 years as a member of Kwiet Storm, whose video, “Leave Me Alone,” made the rounds at BET, appearing on Midnight Love, Hits from the Streets, and 106 & Park. After breaking from the group to pursue a solo career, Willie worked with established artists such as Ginuwine, Joe, and Avant.

Not to be outdone by the prolific past of his bandmate, Robert was a member of the Biv 10 Pee Wee All Stars during his early teens, a group put together by Michael Bivins of the legendary R&B group New Edition. Years later, Curry formed D.A.T. (Definition of a True Group), eventually catching the attention of Wyclef Jean who signed them to his label in 2002. After D.A.T. disbanded a few years later, Curry remained under Wyclef’s wing working for his label as a writer. Other members of Day 26 boast similar stories, but nevertheless, it was the Diddy helmed television show that ultimately thrust them into the realm of R & B superstardom.

Brian, Robert, Michael, Willie, and Q set off on the road to reality show infamy by attending a casting call for Making the Band 4. As with any other reality show, drama and angst ensued with Diddy handpicking the guys for the group during the season finale on August 26, 2007, the date from which they took their name. The comparisons to their Bad Boy predecessors, 112, began almost immediately, but were embraced by the group. “Off top, we knew we were going to get that because of course, you know, Bad Boy,” said Brian. “But to be compared to a group like 112, that’s flattering; it’s almost an honor because 112 was an amazing group.”

Along with Day 26, Diddy offered a solo deal to blue-eyed soul crooner Donnie Klang, with whom the guys are rumored to have since fallen out with. And although those rumors were most likely triggered by a recent interview during which Michael said “f*** him” in reference to Donnie, the guys are quick to downplay any talk of friction with their labelmate and fellow Making the Band alum. “I can speak for myself and actually for Willie when I say we never had beef with Donnie,” said Brian.