Jodeci

Formed in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jodeci brings together two pairs of brothers — DeVanté Swing and Mr. Dalvin DeGrate, and K-Ci and JoJo Hailey — around an R&B sound marked by gospel, new jack swing and hip-hop soul. The group took shape in the late 1980s after experiences in family religious ensembles, a heritage that remains audible in the harmonies, vocal runs and the very direct relation to soul. Signed to Uptown in the early 1990s, Jodeci quickly imposed a rougher, more urban aesthetic than many R&B groups of the time, both in image and production. Their studio discography centers on Forever My Lady (1991), Diary of a Mad Band (1993), The Show, the After Party, the Hotel (1995) and, after a long hiatus, The Past, the Present, the Future (2015). Across these records, Jodeci evolved their sound from romantic, melodic R&B toward darker, more sensual textures closer to hip-hop. After the group's withdrawal in the mid-1990s, K-Ci and JoJo continued as a duo, while the name Jodeci reappeared sporadically on stage before their recorded comeback in 2015.