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Artist

Jodeci

   
Number of songs: 2 | Total weeks on charts: 12
Appearing in a total number of: 2 charts | Total period running: 71 days
Biography

Jodeci (sometimes stylized as JoDeCi) is an American band, whose repertoire includes R&B, soul music, and new jack swing. The group consists of two pairs of brothers from Charlotte, North Carolina: Cedric & Joel Hailey and Donald & Dalvin DeGrate, all respectively known by their stage names: K-Ci & JoJo, DeVante Swing and Mr. Dalvin. The group's name is a combination of the names from all four members: Jo-Jo, DeGrate, and K-Ci. 

The group had a successful string of hit singles and platinum albums until the members went on indefinite hiatus after 1996. The Hailey brothers continued to perform together under the pseudonym K-Ci & JoJo, and had success on the pop charts beyond that of the original band. In 2009, the group rebanded for H-Town's song, "Knockin' Da Boots". 

Both from a Pentecostal background, the Haileys and DeGrates originally performed and recorded with both appearing on the locally produced "Charlotte's Furious Black Family Gospel Songs" compilation. They would eventually meet each other through their respective girlfriends. 

DeVante traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota when he was sixteen to audition for Prince's band, but was turned down. He then returned to Charlotte, North Carolina to record a song JoJo was performing. The two went to New York City to shop their demo tapes in hopes of getting signed. K-Ci and Dalvin both decided to tag along, and joined their respective brothers for the trip. Eventually, hip hop artist and record producer Heavy D heard one of the tapes and loved it. He talked Uptown Records CEO Andre Harrell into listening to the tape, who was impressed enough to sign the group. 

The group was assigned to Uptown executive Sean "Puffy" Combs, who took on the task of developing the new act. He helped the group create its rough hip-hop-based image. Jodeci were exposed to the public by singing background vocals on a number of singles by Father MC. K-Ci also contributed background vocals (alongside Uptown labelmates Terri Robinson and Tabitha Brace) on some tracks for Ralph Tresvant, produced by Kyle West, and Jasmine Guy's solo debut album, produced by D.J Eddie F of Heavy D and The Boyz. Jodeci made their live performance debut on the June 11, 1991 episode of Soul Train, while their first television interview was on BET's Video Soul a few months earlier. 

In February 2014, Timbaland revealed that he's in the process of working with Jodeci on a comeback album. 

On November 7, 2014, Jodeci reunited and performed a medley of their classic songs, at the 2014 Soul Train Awards. The performance also included a snippet of a brand-new single titled "Nobody Wins", which was released in December 22, 2014. The song is the 1st single released by Jodeci in over 18 years. The last song released by the group was "Get On Up", in 1996. Prior to the performance, the group has not taken the stage together in the U.S. since 2006. 

On January 28, 2015, a 2nd single titled "Every Moment" was released. Also in that same month, it was announced by Epic Records that Jodeci had been signed to the label to release their new album. Timbaland, who recently brought his Mosley Music Group over to Epic, will work on the album. 
Most of the elements that were eventually combined to form what became known as the "Jodeci style" originated with the work of new jack swing pioneers Keith Sweat and Teddy Riley, with an important influence being the work of Riley's three-man group Guy. Other influences which, while less obvious, were instrumental to their style, included the works of Bobby Womack, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Bobby Brown, and New Edition. 
Artists and producers heavily influenced by Jodeci were those were directly or indirectly associated with them, including Mary J. Blige, Dru Hill and a number of the members of DeVante's Swing Mob collective who he discovered and nurtured: Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Nealante, Magoo, Ginuwine, Playa (who R&B singer & producer Static Major was a part of with Smoke E. Digglera, Suga (who R&B act Tweet was a part of), and Darryl Pearson. 

The R&B group II D Extreme's demo deal which led them to getting signed was in part responsible by DeVante, who was a friend of band member D'Extra Wiley. While hanging out in a hotel after a Jodeci show in Washington D.C., D'Extra asked DeVante' to check out his new group, outfitted with Johnny Gill's brother Randy. That impromptu audition for DeVante led them to New York and meeting with Devante's consultants and business partners who owned Savage records, and imprint on RCA records, then on to Gasoline Alley/MCA records. 

Mariah Carey repeatedly mentions Jodeci in her song 'The Impossible' from her album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, in which she sampled 'Forever My Lady'. She also samples Jodeci's 'Freek 'n You' in her song 'Makin' It Last All Night' featuring JD. Additionally, she sampled a line in 'Bring On Da Funk' in her song 'Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)' in her album Glitter. 

Drake and J Cole released a freestyle in June 2013 entitled 'Jodeci', paying tribute to the group and citing them as a direct influence. The song was released online via the OVO Blog. Drake released a song titled "How About Now" on October 19th which samples the popular Jodeci song "My Heart Belongs To U". 

Jodeci's last manager was Damon "Smooth" Hart from Newark, New Jersey who is associated with their former manager Bert Padell. 
Jodeci was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame on October 11, 2012. 

Discography: 
Forever My Lady (1991) 
Diary of a Mad Band (1993) 
The Show, the After Party, the Hotel (1995) 
TBA (2015)
Sources: Wikipedia, Top40-Charts.com Editorial team




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