What Is The Color Of Dru Hill's Hair

Equally soon as I sit downward with members of Dru Loma – the iconic American R&B music group that rose to fame in the late 90s – in Nairobi (Oct 2015), nostalgic memories cloud my mind. How tin can yous accurately describe 90s music era without citing Dru Colina? Is that even possible? In My Bed, Never Brand a Promise and How Deep Is Your Love include their seven Height xl hits. Initially starting off under the name Legacy, the group later decided to go by the name Dru Hill – a move that would forever tie their legacy to the "the area where we used to rehearse," Dru Colina founding member Nokio messages me, calculation, "Nosotros got the name Dru Hill from Drui Park in Baltimore which is nigh where I grew up. We wanted to correspond Baltimore wherever we went with no question." As I am writing this article I realise that it was the one important question that I forgot to inquire Dru Hill during my interview with them so I drop Nokio a message and he responds immediately.

Dru Hill is in Nairobi for their start concert in Kenya. Nokio says, "Nosotros didn't know about all the dearest nosotros had here until we got here. Hopefully we tin spread more love through our music." They are only doing 2 TV interviews while in Kenya including this ane then I have to make information technology count – I tell myself. Sitting at the ebony-coloured Sankara Hotel meeting room with Dru Hill members: Nokio, Sisqó, Tao and Jazz – I quickly notice that all take such unlike personalities. I am surprised that Sisqó the atomic number 82 singer of the group isn't the most song. It is the founder Nokio who talks most and is most believing. He's also protective of Dru Colina, in a caring way. Tao and Jazz hardly speak but their body language says that they support everything the rest say.

Dru Hill's 1996 debut eponymous, and sophomore anthology: Enter the Dru (1998) catapulted them into instant success. Information technology wouldn't be long till the 2000s came with the recession of R&B. Past this time the group had too been afflicted by internal wrangles, tension and an identity crisis leading to temporary separation and some members pursuing solo careers. In 2002 still, Dru Hill decided to reunite and produced the album Dru World Order, which would exist followed past the 2010 release InDRUpendence 24-hour interval. Their 20-year long career has been a roller coaster filled with highs and lows, great memories, tours, travel and breakups to makeups. So what at present? I am curious. Nokio says, "It's a good fourth dimension for us in music as a lot of generations listening to good music are still discovering u.s.a. and those who sang with us when we were younger are yet getting a chance to see us perform."

I always wondered what went on in the minds of the 90s kings of R&B like Dru Colina, Jodeci, Silk, R Kelly and Kenny Lattimore. Was it e'er lovemaking, heartbreaks and songs well-nigh sex? I ask Dru Hill to expound on what actually went down behind the music. Their story goes that they were signed to a label at a young age forcing their initial sound to sound mature even though they were actually not mature equally individuals and as a group.

In My Bed

Written and produced by Daryl Simmons, Ralph Stacy and Raphael Brownish, In My Bed was a song Dru Hill detested yet it would later on become a number i platinum selling unmarried – the 2d off their debut album. It spent 3 weeks at number i on the U.s. R&B chart. Sisqó says, "I never wanted to sing that song initially considering nobody was sleeping in my bed that I knew of and I kind of felt similar a cheat singing about someone sleeping in my bed. I was like this is our 2nd single and now I am looking like a sucker. I really had to figure out how to channel that assailment in the first opening line. The aggression actually worked out to my benefit because it took away the venom of the words I had to sing."

That explains why I remember watching In My Bed back in the day and feeling the pain of someone cheating on me even though I was barely 10 years old and couldn't take known what it really meant to be cheated on. That was the dazzler of the baby making music era – singers sold feelings and tales, more than just sexual practice.

Dru Hill suddenly await at each other and burst out laughing at an inside joke. They are mumbling about having had two or three girls in their beds soon subsequently the song'southward triumph… Men will be men.

Never Make a Hope

The number one single followed In My Bed and was also written and produced past the American R&B singer/songwriter and record producer Daryl Simmons. Daryl went to high school with future legendary R&B music maker Babyface. Their life-long brotherhood would flourish into friendship as they joined and formed several music groups and bands from their teen days. Nokio says, "When Daryl presented to us Never Make a Promise we were like – are you sure? A lot of people never understood Daryl and his history in music – him, Babyface and Fifty.A Reid have been together playing in bands and making music since the 70s and he was just the ane who was doing his own matter when the rest started LaFace."

'How We Plant Ourselves'

When Babyface teamed up with L.A Reid to starting time LaFace Records, Daryl went his split mode yet however maintained his ties with the duo. The trio together discovered, signed and produced artistes as Toni Braxton, Conductor, TLC and Outkast. Dru Hill recalls the glitches and perks of having worked with Daryl at an early stage of their career, "We were fresh out of college with ideas in music. He was the first major producer to come to u.s. with mature music. Nosotros didn't empathize it totally and one time we sat down with him to learn vocal dynamics because before nosotros were just singing."

Sisqo interjects.

He says, "[Before Daryl] our demos did not sell. That was when we learnt at a very immature age at the very starting time of our careers [the secret of] working with other writers and producer—they already accept their money and notoriety and if they bring you a song that they feel people will like – that's when you're artistry comes in. When I was singing in the lead in songs like In My Bed I told myself – Yo! If I can brand this song hot so that means that I get a commodity." From so onwards Dru Hill would always postage their twist in every project. Nokio says, "Brusque of information technology beingness a record that we honey so much, we ever make certain we go in and make a tape totally ours. 112 liked In My Bed simply it ended upward existence ours. Who knows what information technology would take been if someone else did it?"

How Deep is Your Love

Any music lover knows besides well that every generation comes with its movers and shakers. Dru Hill says that the new skool cats they are digging include Trey Songz, Chris Chocolate-brown, NE-YO, The Weeknd, Bryson Tiller and Fetty Wap – "the foundation of new R&B" – they describe the collective. Nokio tells me of Dru Loma's golden years, "To pioneer a genre and set the foundation and nonetheless be able to be around at present for the younger generation to get united states of america is a blessing," before digressing thanks to my puzzled star-struck face, "Wait she'southward sitting looking at y'all like – what?"

The rest kickoff to express joy at me.

At this moment I am here only I am not. I can't help merely call back of my growing up in a small town (Molo). Watching MTV was such a luxury so nosotros would tape MTV shows with our favourite artists (and Dru Hill would never miss) then we would play information technology over and over. One of my best Dru Hill jams was How Deep is Your Love.

"Come across y'all are talking but I can't believe you lot're here," I tell them.

"I am not though," jests Nokio.

We all burst into laugher.

"I gotta keep pinching myself; you tin can see my expression. I am here wondering were these guys in the video of How Deep is Your Love? On top of that building?"

Nokio jumps off his seat and pinches me every bit we laugh more. He says, "You know how crazy information technology is that you lot mention that. We left South Africa at a Nelson Mandela Celebration consequence and got a phone call that the director of [the 1998 pic] Rush Hour was finishing to motion picture and wants to shoot the video of How Deep is Your Love with us and nosotros were like – Okay! We went to shoot the video in Hong Kong [only events leading to it brand us call back] great memories from Africa."

Solo Careers | Dru's New Order

At sure times the group decided to take breaks for members to pursue their solo careers. It has been reported that Dru Hill had made an agreement with the mother of Woody, ane of the original members of Dru Colina, that they would let him pursue a solo career in gospel music later their success. Woody recorded a solo anthology nether Kirk Franklin's label before reuniting with Dru Hill for their 3rd and last album with him as member. By the time Dru Hill released their last album, InDRUpendence, Woody had been replaced by new member Tao.

It always seemed like lead vocalist Sisqó was as well head of Dru Hill or e'er wanted to pursue a solo career. He responds, "It was a misconception. Initially I never wanted to be a solo creative person merely I ended up exploring that out of necessity because of different things that we had to piece of work out every bit a group. I always wanted to be the all-time group member that I could exist." Sisqó'southward debut album, Unleash the Dragon (1999), birthed the hit unmarried Thong Song marking the onset of his successful solo career that also saw him release the album, Return of Dragon in 2001. Little is known about his 2015 released, Last Dragon, anthology.

Nokio on the other hand says that he would never have been at the forefront of Dru Hill or even sang at all if he had his manner from the start. "I sang because that's the just mode I knew how to go into the business organisation. In the beginning I didn't fifty-fifty want to be an creative person. I wanted to be a tape man or a producer but I couldn't figure out that at fourteen. Ane of my mother'due south friends had a friend who was in the music industry. They came to our house one day and I sang Babe Concur On To Me and they were like, we're gonna take you out to of school and move yous to Philly. Afterward I started Dru Hill and and so I but never left," adding "Once I saw Jodeci I thought I could be that cool, write and produce. All I wanted was to exist the sexiest background vocalizer there ever was."

I don't even know what he is talking most – he made it! 🙂

Sisqó says that he'southward worked with Nokio on most of his solo projects. Nokio besides sings in a rock band called Black Affections Downward. Both Jaaz and Tao accept their solo music likewise. Having this in-depth chat with Dru Hill leaves off a feeling of eternal camaraderie between them, whatsoever the case. I wonder if Dru Loma still has their synergy during the live performances of their songs like in the video of We're Not Making Honey No More than. "We've got the classic moves and a couple of new ones," says Sisqó – who has a hood over his head. He refuses to show his hair till testify fourth dimension.

Their concert has a Dru Hill and Sisqó set. Information technology'south not what I expected but it'south however memorable. "Music is never gonna be the aforementioned from generation to generation. Even earlier we came out people were trying to get deals simply couldn't but we just kept going. At that place is no residual so you either get all of information technology or nothing," says Nokio. I wonder if this is his way of accepting the different facets of their career's circle. However, I really love their trip the light fantastic toe moves and different renditions of most of their songs at the concert.

Nokio dishes new plans, "Correct now nosotros are working on our twentieth ceremony projection. It's not going to exist just music but we accept a lot of different components that we are putting together collectively, and individually. Thank you for all the dear." I one time read a great detailed Dru Hill feature story (simply can't remember where) and told myself that one mean solar day I would practice the same myself – so grateful to catch up with Dru Colina correct when the  dragon is planning to awaken xx years later.

BONUS: Thanks Della, HBR, Mainland china LTD and Dru Hill. Another cherry on top of my already awesome cake of a year

Source: https://anyiko.blog/2015/11/06/breakups-to-makeups-dru-hill-20-years-later-exclusive/

Posted by: nashofigaill.blogspot.com

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