The '90s brought a wave of Black male R&B groups into our collective consciousness that many acts of today attempt to emulate but lack that It Factor. One of these groups who had It and will forever be remembered, revered and recycled is Jodeci. The four-man band, consisting of the Hailey brothers, K-Ci and JoJo, and the DeGrate siblings, Devante Swing and Mr. Dalvin, were the bad boys of R&B. Whereas Boyz II Men was all about squeaky clean pop posturing, Jodeci was more street, more sexy and had way more swagger. They came out of the gate with their debut album Forever My Lady in 1991 looking like around the way fellas who just so happened to sing. And sing they did on the triple platinum Forever My Lady, which counted the single of the same name as one of its biggest hits. Sandwiched nicely in the middle of a quintet of slow jams that set the album off, "Forever My Lady" was a tender love song from a man to the mother of his child. Showcasing some of the tightest harmonies this side of the Five Heartbeats, K-Ci and JoJo handled the lead vocals on the Al B. Sure! and Devante penned track. It was refreshing to hear a group of Black men sing about loving and living responsibly. The pregnant woman was more than a "baby mama," but she was forever his lady. This was Jodeci at their most vulnerable and a timeless love song for a new generation.
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