Photo Credit: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images) In celebration of the anniversary of Jodeci’s debut album, Forever My Lady, we spoke with group member Dalvin “Mr. They ended up signing a deal with Uptown Records - a move that would change their life and career. It captures a moment in time perfectly and, unlike a lot of US R&B from the era, still sounds surprisingly fresh today.In 1989, Jodeci embarked on a trip to New York City with only$300 in their pockets and their demo tapes. But nothing achieved by individual members has yet outshone their 1993 classic.ĭiary of a Mad Band is their definitive album. After their 90s successes, K-Ci and Jo-Jo went on to have a string of hits as a duo, while Dalvin and Devante moved into production. There was one further album – 1995’s The Show, The After Party, The Hotel – but that was it for Jodeci, and the four remain on hiatus after a failed attempt at a comeback.

Feenin' steals the show, demonstrating their way with the rarely heard romantic side of hip hop – delivered in street language though it is, credible rhymes are married with a well-written soul pastiche: “All the chronic in the world couldn't even mess with you / You are the ultimate high / You know what I’m saying, baby?” It furthered the achievements of Forever My Love with its blend of sugar-sweet love songs (the stunning Cry for You and My Heart Belongs to U) and bad boy joints (Ride and Slide, the atonal grind of Sweaty). The band’s second, most-celebrated album stands as a snapshot of the R&B/hip hop interface in the mid 90s: slick, soulful, and assured.

Their debut, 1991’s Forever My Love, was a runaway success, but it was nearly three years before the follow up, Diary of a Mad Band, was released in December of 1993. Signed to Andre Harrell's Uptown Records after being heard by rapper Heavy D, Sean 'Puffy' Combs masterminded their early career, while future stars Missy Elliott, Timbaland and Ginuwine cut their teeth on Jodeci albums. While they never hit the same commercial heights in the UK as achieved in the US, Jodeci were a blink-of-an-eye ensemble whose longer-term significance far outlasted their mid-90s prime.Ĭomprised of two sets of brothers – Donald ‘DeVante Swing’ and ‘Mr’ Dalvin DeGrate alongside Cedric ‘K-Ci’ and Joel ‘Jo-Jo’ Hailey – they set something of a template for the boybands that followed.

Jodeci albums and songs