Jodeci

If Boyz Ii Men are portrayed as a clean-cut, wholesome R&B vocal group, then Jodeci's wild, sexual, bad-boy image represents the other side of the coin. Made up of two sets of brothers, the group's name is a consolidation of three members' aliases: "JoJo" Hailey, Donald "devante Swing" Degrate, and Cedric "k-ci" Hailey; the group also includes Dalvin Degrate. Natives of Charlotte, NC, all four members toured the South as young boys singing gospel music, even recording albums; both families belonged to the Pentecostal church, and the DeGrates' father was a minister. The boys were able to hear each other's gospel songs played on the radio, and eventually were introduced through girlfriends as teenagers. However, when they did meet, K-ci was with a girl Dalvin had been dating, and a fight nearly broke out. The Hailey brothers and Devante started hanging out together, partying and talking about making R&B records together, coming up with the name Jodeci at this time.

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