PHYNE BALLERZ. Most people have difficulties just pronouncing their name! For the uninitiated, Phyne Ballerz is simply pronounced as 'fine bollerz'. So, what does it mean and who are the four dashing lads behind the group?

Phyne Ballerz comprises of Meor Zulkarnain Mohd Zamhuri - Nine (24 years old), Sheikh Ahmad Rabily Sheikh Abdul Rahman - Billy (29), Abdul Munir Hj Awang - Munir (32) and Mohd Aszerul Nizam - Beego (26) who got together for the love of music. They were initially doing their own things - studying, working and even dabbled in acting.

It happened waaaay back in 1999 when Nine & Munir got to know each other and started jamming together. Billy was roped in soon after and they started to perform at various gigs with fellow underground acts like Ruffedge and VE at clubs around Kuala Lumpur. Beego was the last to join and thus completes the Phyne Ballerz we now know.

Things started to take off after the boys joined a singing competition organized by a local entertainment program - Bakat Baru MCities - Muzik TV. It was held on late 2000, and as luck would have it, Phyne Ballerz clinched first prize and they even bagged home the Best Performance award for their soulful rendition of Belaian Jiwa.

An acquaintance of KRU happened to be watching the competition and was clearly impressed by the group's vocal abilities. He recommended them to KRU and Phyne Ballerz went to their audition twice before KRU Music Group (KMG) finally offered them a recording contract on March 2001.

That was a decision that was never regretted by any of them. Phyne Ballerz is extremely proud to be a part of KMG.

"The promotions team is great and all the staff there treats us very well. And most importantly, KMG has all the facilities and they gave us full creative control and freedom of recording," said Nine.

Now back to the original question: what does Phyne Ballerz mean? Phyne is basically just a funkier way to spell the word 'fine', while ballerz used to mean 'brats' in street lingo. By late '90s, however, the word simply means that they are the 'playas' in the music industry and besides, it sounds real good.

Phyne Ballerz arrived with their own brand of 'Latin soul' music to offer something new to attract fans in Malaysia (and beyond!). Their first single Kawan Makan Kawan introduced them to the Malaysian music listeners. The song, featured in the Ideologi 2 KRU album, proved to be a hit among fans and it even reached the coveted Number One spot on RED 104.9's own chart show, Carta 21.

Phyne Ballerz then unleashed their second single, simply titled Vida - which is the Malay version of Son By Four's Purest of Pain. The idea was initially conceived by renowned composer Ajai and Norman of KRU. The guys in Phyne Ballerz liked the idea and were glad to do a remake of the song, but at the same time they were also anxious on the people's reaction, as they would inevitably compare it to the original version. However, music listeners loved Vida and looks like the song served as a great warm-up for Phyne Ballerz as it started to stir excitement over their album release.

Monte Carlo is the eagerly awaited debut album by Phyne Ballerz and it was released on 22 July 2002. Naturally, the lads are extremely excited and happy about the album, and they are very grateful that they can finally share their music with listeners and music lovers in the region.

The album features 10 tracks like Kawan Makan Kawan, Vida, Hancur, Keep It To Yourself, Kau Dan Aku, Bersamamu, 7 Pintu and the title track, Monte Carlo. Billy & Nine have even contributed a song entitled Gadis Impian in the album, which is a song that was written after an impromptu jamming session.

After the huge success of Vida, the boys then released their subsequent singles, Monte Carlo & Hasrat - which stayed at Carta ERA for weeks and weeks! Hasrat even peaked at the Number 2 spot on MTV Boom Top 10. The video clip for Hasrat is also nominated in the Best Music Video category in AIM 2003. Apart from that, they were also nominated in the Best Vocal Performance (Group) & Best New Artiste for the same AIM.

Phyne Ballerz believes in sticking to their own style & concept to differentiate them from other existing male vocal groups in Malaysia. With their unique Latin Soul concept, they can do no wrong in the originality department. Their music has Latin influences, topped with soulful singing styles.

Billy stresses that they are not an R&B group, as the local market is already saturated with all sorts of derivations of R&B music. They complement each other - vocally, that is. Billy and Nine provide the lead vocals while Munir and Beego complete everything with their tight harmonies.

Their self-titled second album was released on 16 September 2003 and the single off it, Jangan Pisahkan filled up the airwaves around the region. Phyne Ballerz has, without a doubt, created a name for themselves.