K-Ci & JoJo

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K-Ci & JoJo
Origin Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
Genres
Years active1996–present
Labels
Spinoff of
Members

K-Ci & JoJo is an American R&B duo, consisting of brothers Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey (born September 2, 1969 [1] ) and Joel "JoJo" Hailey (born June 10, 1971 [1] ). Natives of Charlotte, North Carolina, they are also the lead singers of the chart-topping R&B group Jodeci with the DeGrate brothers—Donald (better known as DeVante Swing) and Mr. Dalvin. They are best known for their 1998 single "All My Life" which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks and received three Grammy Award nominations. They also guest appeared on the well-known Tupac Shakur 1996 again no.1 multi-platinum song "How Do U Want It", which was nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1997. [2] K-Ci & JoJo also achieved mainstream success with the 1999 hit "Tell Me It's Real", which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Their 2001 song, "Crazy", was included on the Save the Last Dance soundtrack and peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Contents

K-Ci & JoJo have released five albums. Their debut studio album, Love Always (1997), has been certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and their subsequent albums It's Real and X were both certified platinum.

History

1983–1996: Music beginnings and early work as duo

K-Ci & JoJo first gained recognition as members of a family gospel quartet, Little Cedric and the Hailey Singers. The group released 3 albums on the AIR (Atlanta International Records) label: I'm Alright Now in 1983, Jesus Saves which hit number 4 on the Billboard Gospel chart in 1984 and God's Blessings which hit number 22 in 1985. They joined brothers Donald "DeVanté Swing" DeGrate and Dalvin "Mr. Dalvin" DeGrate to form the R&B group Jodeci in 1988. K-Ci & JoJo's first sign of independence came in 1992 when K-Ci recorded the duet "I Don’t Want to Do Anything" with Mary J. Blige on her debut album What's the 411? . K-Ci also covered Bobby Womack's "If You Think You're Lonely Now" for the movie Jason's Lyric in 1994. Early in 1996, K-Ci & JoJo teamed up for the song "How Could You" for the movie Bulletproof starring Damon Wayans and Adam Sandler. [3] By July 1996, K-Ci & JoJo were featured guest artists in 2Pac's number-one R&B and Billboard Hot 100 hit "How Do U Want It". [3] They are also featured in the 1996 2Pac song "Toss It Up".

1997–1998: Love Always

The brothers made their side projects into a full album, Love Always . [3] Released on June 17, 1997, the album spawned two top-ten R&B hits: "You Bring Me Up" (Pop #26) and "Last Night's Letter" (Pop #46). The minor success of those singles, however, paled in comparison to the success of the album's third single, "All My Life" (which was dedicated to JoJo's daughter). [3] A supple, lush ballad far removed from the Jodeci material of the early 1990s, "All My Life" was the number-one song on the Hot 100 for three weeks, a feat that K-Ci & JoJo had never achieved with Jodeci. [3] While future singles and albums would be crafted in the vein of "All My Life", it remains the duo's only number-one hit and by far the song they are most widely known for, even amongst non-fans due to its frequent use in film and television. Love Always went on to sell four million copies, and the success of the album put Jodeci's reunion on hold indefinitely. During the recording of Love Always they also appeared in the song "I Care 'Bout You" as a member of the R&B supergroup Milestone, along with After 7, which appeared on the soundtrack for the movie Soul Food that was written and produced by Babyface, who is also part of the track and the group.

In 1998, K-Ci & JoJo recorded the song "Money Can't Buy You Love," which was produced for the film The Players Club. [4]

In 1999, K-Ci & JoJo recorded "Life", which was written and produced by R. Kelly, for the soundtrack to the Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence movie Life .

1999: It's Real

K-Ci & JoJo's second studio album, It's Real was released on June 22, 1999. [3] It peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200, [5] peaked at number two on the R&B/Hip Hop Albums, [5] and was certified platinum by the RIAA. Outside of the US, the album reached top 20 on the Dutch Mega Album Top 100, the Canadian Albums Chart, and appeared on the New Zealand Top 40 Albums and the ARIA Charts. The album spawned four singles, including "Tell Me It's Real", which peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was a smash hit. [3]

It's Real received a three star rating from AllMusic. [6]

2000: X

K-Ci & JoJo returned with X on December 5, 2000. X , the Roman numeral for ten, was picked as the album title to celebrate the Haileys' tenth anniversary in the music business. They made a strong return to the Billboard Hot 100 early in 2001 with the song "Crazy", also included on the Save the Last Dance soundtrack. "Crazy" peaked at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100. The album also features a hidden Jodeci track entitled "Slip And Fall". Other tracks included "Honest Lover," "One Last Time," and "All the Things I Should Have Known" which Vibe magazine considered "convey a similar mix of hip hop collective that launched Del the Funky Homosapien." [7]

2002–2008: Emotional and other projects

The fourth K-Ci & JoJo album, Emotional, was released on November 26, 2002, but did not find commercial success. The CD consisted of two singles, "This Very Moment." and the Rodney "Dark Child" Jerkins produced "It's Me". The album contained their personal favorite "How Long" written by Steve Vaughn and Jojo Hailey.

In late 2006, K-Ci released his debut solo album entitled My Book. K-Ci & JoJo released a greatest hits album on February 8, 2005. On February 6, 2008, they released their fifth compilation album called Love , which was released only in Japan.

2013–present: My Brother's Keeper

In 2010, they signed an exclusive deal with R&B crooner Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds' upstart Soda Pop Records, distributed through E1 Music. On June 25, 2013, they released their new single, "Knock It Off" via iTunes through E1 Music. On September 30, 2013, My Brother's Keeper , was released.

Media

In 2010, TV One aired the reality docu-series, K-Ci & JoJo... Come Clean, which featured Cedric "K-Ci" and Joel "JoJo" Hailey, lead singers of Jodeci. The series showcased the brothers current struggles with alcohol, as they work to rebuild their relationship and make a comeback. K-Ci & JoJo... Come Clean, was produced by John Doe Media, with Carl Craig and D. Renard Young serving as executive producers. The series only aired for one season, but still runs several times a year.

In 2001, K-Ci pleaded no contest to four charges of lewd conduct. He had been charged with 24 counts of lewd conduct and indecent exposure following an incident during the December 16, 2000, Jingle Ball concert at L.A.'s Shrine Auditorium during which the singer exposed his genitals twice to the crowd while performing. [8]

Discography

Studio albums

Awards and nominations

American Music Awards

YearNominee / workAwardResult
1999K-Ci & JoJoFavorite R&B Band/Duo/GroupWon
2000K-Ci & JoJoFavorite R&B Band/Duo/GroupNominated [9]

Blockbuster Awards

YearNominee / workAwardResult
1999K-Ci & JoJoBest Group – R&BWon

Grammy Awards

YearNominee / workAwardResult
1997"How Do U Want It"Best Rap Performance by a Duo or GroupNominated
1999"All My Life"Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with VocalsNominated
1999"All My Life"Best R&B SongNominated

MTV Video Music Awards

YearNominee / workAwardResult
1998"All My Life"Best R&B VideoNominated
2001"Crazy"Best Video from a FilmNominated

NAACP Awards

YearNominee / workAwardResult
1999K-Ci & JoJoOutstanding Duo or GroupNominated

Soul Train Awards

YearNominee / workAwardResult
1999"All My Life"Best R&B/Soul Single, Group, Band or DuoNominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jodeci</span> American R&B Band

Jodeci is an American R&B quartet consisting of members DeVanté Swing, Mr. Dalvin, K-Ci, and JoJo. Formed in 1988 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jodeci began as a duo of DeVanté Swing and JoJo but later each added their brothers. After signing with Uptown Records in 1990, the group finished work on their debut album, Forever My Lady (1991), which brought them mainstream success with three straight Billboard R&B No. 1 hit singles: the album's titular track, "Stay" and "Come and Talk to Me".

<i>Diary of a Mad Band</i> 1993 studio album by Jodeci

Diary of a Mad Band is the second studio album from American R&B group Jodeci, released December 21, 1993, on Uptown Records and distributed through MCA Records. The album also featured the first-ever album appearances from Timbaland & Magoo, S.B.I, Missy Elliott and Sista, two years before the latter group became known in the music industry. New Jersey rapper Redman also makes a guest appearance on the album. It was Jodeci's second album to reach number one on the R&B album chart, where it stayed for two weeks. It spawned the number 1 R&B hit "Cry for You"; the number 2 R&B hit "Feenin'", and the Top 15 R&B hit "What About Us". Despite not being released as a single, the album's opening track, "My Heart Belongs To U", was also an urban radio hit with it peaking at #55 & charting for 20 weeks on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. To date, the album has sold over four million copies in the United States and six million worldwide.

Dalvin Ertimus DeGrate, better known by his stage name Mr. Dalvin, is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and rapper. He is one-quarter of the R&B group Jodeci, and the younger brother of Jodeci member DeVante Swing.

"Forever My Lady" is a song by American R&B group Jodeci from their debut album of the same name (1991). The song was the second single released in promotion for the album in August 1991. "Forever My Lady" was the first of five number one R&B hits for the group, spending two weeks at number one on the US R&B chart and also peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was written and produced by member DeVante Swing and singer/producer Al B. Sure!. The song was dedicated to Al B. Sure!'s then girlfriend Kim Porter, as well as their newborn son Quincy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All My Life (K-Ci & JoJo song)</span> 1998 single by K-Ci & JoJo

"All My Life" is a song recorded by American R&B duo K-Ci & JoJo. The song was written by Joel "JoJo" Hailey and Rory Bennett and produced by K-Ci & JoJo for the duo’s debut studio album, Love Always (1997). The song was released to airplay in January 1998 and was released physically on March 17, 1998, as the third single from the album through MCA Records. "All My Life" is an R&B and soul song. Music critics have claimed this as the duo's most successful song of their career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cry for You (Jodeci song)</span> 1993 single by Jodeci

"Cry for You" is a song by American R&B group Jodeci recorded for their second album, Diary of a Mad Band (1993). The song was released as the album's lead single in November 1993 by Uptown/MCA. It peaked at numbers fifteen and nineteen on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100. The song also spent four weeks at number one on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart, and number one on the Billboard Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop airplay chart. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales in excess of 500,000 units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come and Talk to Me</span> 1992 single by Jodeci

"Come and Talk to Me" is a song by American R&B group Jodeci from their debut album Forever My Lady (1991). The song was the fourth single released in promotion for the album in March 1992. As the third number one R&B hit for Jodeci, "Come and Talk to Me" spent two weeks at the number 1 spot on the R&B chart for and peaked at 11 on the Hot 100. The song also topped the R&B year-end chart for 1992.

"Stay" is a song by American group Jodeci from their debut album Forever My Lady (1991). The song was the third single released in promotion for the album in December 1991. "Stay" was the group's second number one R&B hit, spending two weeks at number-one on the US R&B chart and peaked at number forty-one on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>Love Always</i> 1997 studio album by K-Ci & JoJo

Love Always is the debut album of American R&B duo K-Ci & JoJo, released on June 17, 1997, by MCA Records. It was recorded at various studios in New York and the Los Angeles area in 1996 and 1997. It was produced by JoJo and several others, including DeVante Swing, Jon-John Robinson, James Mtume, and Jeff Redd. The duo were originally a part of Jodeci before this album.

<i>Its Real</i> (K-Ci & JoJo album) 1999 studio album by K-Ci & JoJo

It's Real is the second studio album by American R&B duo and brothers K-Ci & JoJo, released on June 22, 1999, on MCA Records. Recording sessions took place from 1998 to 1999. The album peaked within the top 10 on the US Billboard 200 as well as Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. On July 26, 1999, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of 1,000,000 copies in the United States. It also appeared on international charts, and was certified gold by Music Canada. Upon release, It's Real received average reviews. The album would spawn four singles including the number-two hit single "Tell Me It's Real".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feenin'</span> 1994 single by Jodeci

"Feenin'" is a song by American R&B group Jodeci, recorded for their second album, Diary of a Mad Band (1993). It was released as the second single from the album in March 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gotta Love</span> 1991 single by Jodeci

"Gotta Love" is the debut single by American R&B group Jodeci. It is from their debut album Forever My Lady. The song was released on February 24, 1991. The music video uses the "New R&B Edit" version of the song instead of the album version.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let's Go Through the Motions</span> 1993 single by Jodeci

"Let's Go Through the Motions" is a song written and produced by DeVante Swing and performed by American R&B group Jodeci. It was released on April 6, 1993 through Uptown/MCA Records as the lead single off the original motion picture soundtrack of Ted Demme's film Who's the Man?

"What About Us" is a song by American R&B group Jodeci recorded for their second album Diary of a Mad Band (1993). The song was released as the third and final single for the album in August 1994.

"Freek'n You" is a song by American R&B group Jodeci recorded for their third album, The Show, the After Party, the Hotel (1995). The song, released as the album's first single, peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1995. Listed by Billboard magazine as one of the best selling singles of 1995, it was certified gold by the RIAA for sales in excess of 500,000 units.

"Love U 4 Life" is a song by American R&B group Jodeci recorded for their third album, The Show, the After Party, the Hotel (1995). The song was released as the second single for the album on Halloween 1995, and peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Get on Up" is a song by American R&B group Jodeci recorded for their third album, The Show, the After Party, the Hotel (1995). The song was released as the third and final single for the album in 1996. "Get on Up" contains the sample of the 1981 song from Quincy Jones featuring Toots Thielemans' "Velas". Produced by Mr. Dalvin and written by Mr. Dalvin and K-Ci & JoJo, it is the only Jodeci single to date that was not produced or written by group leader DeVante Swing. It was also the last Jodeci single released in 18 years before the group returned in 2014 with the single "Nobody Wins". The group performed the song when they guest starred in a season one episode of the UPN sitcom Moesha.

The discography of K-Ci & JoJo, an American R&B duo made up of Cedric and Joel Hailey, consists of five studio albums, five compilation albums, fifteen singles, and fifteen music videos. K-Ci & JoJo were originally the lead singers of the R&B group Jodeci before signing a record deal with MCA Records. In 1997, they released their debut album, Love Always. In the United States, Love Always peaked at number five on the Billboard 200, and number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and was certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Internationally, the album reached the top 50 on the Swiss, Canadian, and Australian Charts, and appeared on the UK and Swedish Albums Chart. The album produced four singles, including the multi-national number-one song, "All My Life".

<i>The Past, the Present, the Future</i> (Jodeci album) 2015 studio album by Jodeci

The Past, the Present, the Future is the fourth studio album from American R&B group Jodeci, released on March 31, 2015 on Sphinx Music Entertainment and distributed through Epic Records. It is the group's first studio album in 20 years.

Cedric Renard Hailey, known professionally as K-Ci, is an American singer, songwriter and member of K-Ci & JoJo and Jodeci.

References

  1. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits (8th ed.). New York: Billboard Books. p. 339. ISBN   0-8230-7499-4.
  2. 39th Grammy Awards - 1997. Rock on the Net. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Colin Larkin, ed. (2000). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 212. ISBN   0-7535-0427-8.
  4. "The Players Club (1998)". IMDb.com. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  5. 1 2 "It's Real – K-Ci & JoJo > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". AllMusic . Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  6. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "It's Real – K-Ci & JoJo > Review". AllMusic . Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  7. Vibe -Jan 2001 – Page 140 "The first single, "Crazy," is a tender plea for a lover's forgiveness, while "Honest Lover," "One Last Time," and "All the Things I Should Have Known" convey a similar mix of hip hop collective that launched Del the Funky Homosapien.
  8. "K-Ci Pleads No Contest To Exposure Charges". Billboard . May 7, 2001.
  9. "27th American Music Awards (presented in 2000)". Rock On The Net. January 17, 2000. Retrieved November 16, 2011.