Jodeci’s vocals were enticingly rhythmic with “K-Ci” leading their sound his remarkable voice always retained its gospel influence and its smoothness eased listeners into their method of seduction. On the surface, it lyrically encompassed sexuality and sensuality in an intriguing manner. The album was almost exclusively written and produced by “DeVante Swing” and Al B. It eventually became certified multiplatinum, selling millions of copies both in the U.S. And our thing is: Can you feel us? Can you feel us?”įorever My Lady debuted at #1 on the Top R&B Albums and reached #18 on the U.S. I can flip tracks and make a Babyface-type song, but we’re not trying to make pop songs. We ain’t trying to be hard, we just don’t give a fuck. A song could be mediocre, but by what we do to it, we add what it needs. I think of us as a Black rock ‘n’ roll band. “I don’t think of Jodeci as no boy group or no harmonizing group. In a 1995 interview with VIBE, “DeVante Swing” plainly expressed this sentiment: They would eventually become known as “bad boys of R&B.” Their sound, much like their aesthetic, was also considerably distinct.
He incorporated hip-hop fashion into their signature look, which included dark sunglasses, baseball caps, baggy jeans, leather jackets, and Timberland boots. UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1992: Photo of Jodeci (Photo by Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) When they signed with Uptown Records in 1989 after impressing its founder Andre Harrell (with an introduction from the one and only Heavy D), Jodeci’s development was under the guidance of intern Sean “Puffy” Combs. All of the members grew up in religious families and performed in gospel groups. In a 1991 Entertainment Weekly album review, critic Arion Berger described the project as “sophisticated beyond the band members’ years,” “lush,” and “propelled by a brash energy.” The Charlotte, North Carolina quartet consisted of two pairs of brothers: Cedric “K-Ci” Hailey, Joel “JoJo” Hailey, Donald “DeVante Swing” DeGrate and Dalvin “Mr. What Jodeci brought to the table was a brand of R&B that was unapologetically sexual, brazen and groundbreaking.
By this time, there was plenty of room at the table for different music stylings to prosper. As they transitioned into adulthood, Bobby Brown was infamously pegged as the band’s bad boy and his subsequent solo career capitalized on his trademark raunchiness.
However, their youthfulness-along with the pressure Black artists face to appease societal and industry expectations-meant that pushing the envelope came with restrictions. This disc collects all the band's hits along with frenetic remixes in a satisfying package.The ultimate prototype for Black male music groups, New Edition, set the tone for what it meant to have dimensionality both artistically and lyrically. They could exude an air of vulnerability on "Come & Talk To Me," or pledge eternity with "Forever My Love." While Jodeci exuded an air of sex, there was an instinctive subtlety about them that made them the perfect counterpoint to Boyz II Men's G-rated soul. The group could seduce overtly with a straight-forward grab like "Freek 'N You" or move smoothly as they did with a reinterpretation of Stevie Wonder's "Lately" that somehow managed to add to the love and longing of the original. The two sets of brothers who comprised Jodeci earned an exalted rank in early-'90s soul via sensual torch songs bathed in funk with firm roots in the unforgettable melodies of Motown. Following close on the heels of a name-check on Twista's "Slow Jamz," and half of the group (K-CI & JoJo) releasing their own "best of" collection, bedroom-soul icons Jodeci came out with their own greatest-hits album, BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE VERY BEST OF JODECI.
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