Dru Hill: Baltimore's teen quartet razzles and dazzles with grown-up R&B style

Ebony, Feb, 1998 by Lynn Norment

They honed their talent singing in churches, at neighborhood talent contests, and by entertaining customers at a restaurant. Bit the talented young quartet known as Dru Hill has moved beyond the church circuit and out of the kitchen. Today, the group scales music charts, sells millions of records and wins new fans with soulful, romantic crooning.

The four recording artists, who took their name from a favorite hangout, Druid Hill Park, in their hometown of Baltimore, are essentially teenagers, with the oldest having recently turned 20. But their sudden fame has made these Baltimore homeboys grow up fast in order to deal with their good fortune and take advantage of the opportunities that are sprouting up like daffodils in spring.

Two of Dru Hill's members, Sisqo (Mark Andrews) and Nobody (James Green), have known each other since middle school. By the time the were in high school at Baltimore City Community College Prep School, they had met Jazz (Larry Anthony Jr.) and Nokio (Tamir Ruffin), and the four were making sweet music together throughout the Baltimore area.

The group's platinum, self-titled debut album has given life to three gold and platinum No. 1 hit singles, including the sultry, harmonious "Tell Me," which first appeared on the 1995 Eddie movie soundtrack, and the sensuous "In My Bed," accompanied by a sizzling, controversial video, as well as the "In My Bed" remix. In addition, the group's "We're Not Making Love No More" from the Soul Food soundtrack is popular with fans and radio jocks, as is the gospel-flavored "Five Steps," though it has not been released as a single. To top a successful debut, the quartet recently won four Billboard Music Awards.

While Dru Hill has a sound that reminds fans of Boyz II Men's soulful delivery, what sets the group apart, among other things, is the fact that this quartet does not seek the "goody-goody" image of the other famous quartet. There also have been comparisons to Jodeci, but Dru Hill is quite distinct from that popular male group as well.

"We think of ourselves as a cross between Boyz II Men and Jodeci," acknowledges Sisqo, who is noted for his short blond cut and emotionally invasive vocalizing, as demonstrated on "In My Bed." "Boyz II Men are more to the right, and Jodeci more to the left. We are right in the middle of the two. We've got sex appeal, but we don't overdo it. We're nice guys, but we're not goody-goody. We're wild on stage, but not offensive.

"The hardest thing is trying to come out from under the shadow of Jodeci and Boyz II Men," says Sisqo, also a pianist. "We grew up listening to them, and we can't help but be similar in sound. When you sing in church, everybody sounds the same. We didn't try to sound like Jodeci. Our sound just happens to be soulful, just as theirs is."

The members of Dru Hill all were reared in working-class or low-income neighborhoods, and all grew up in the church. That's why it was quite natural for them to start out singing gospel in churches throughout the Baltimore area. As their popularity grew, they ventured into secular music, then back to gospel. One summer, all four teens worked at The Fudgery, located in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. "We bad a whole act worked out where we would sing and dance while making the fudge," says Sisqo. The quartet's act attracted such large crowds that the shop generated the highest sales in the chain during that time.

Dru Hill won local talent shows and went on to win third place at the Apollo Theater's national competition in New York City. In 1995, after performing at a pool party, they caught the attention of Hiriam Hicks, now president of Island Records Black Music Division. Hicks later invited the youngsters to meet him at a recording studio, where they dazzled him and his staff with their soulful song "Five Steps." At the time, Hicks was mastering the music for the Eddie soundtrack. He played the track for the song "Tell Me" and was impressed with the way the quartet sang it back to him. Though he originally had planned for another artist to record the song, Hicks asked Dru Hill if the group wanted to give it a shot. The only drawback was that it had to be recorded that evening.

With lyric sheets in hand, the four young men sang their hearts out and their version of "Tell Me" ended up on the Eddie soundtrack and became the recording's biggest hit. They signed a recording deal with Island Records and immediately launched into an intense concert schedule.

"I was attracted to their youth and substance," says Hicks. "I saw they had the ability to grow and have a great future. I see Dru Hill as young, positive role models. They use no derogatory language or degrading lyrics. There's no profanity in their songs. They are rooted in R&B, and they sing real songs while offering an alternative to what's out now."

Well-known for energetic stage performances and a sexy-soulful persona, each member of Dru Hill also sings lead vocals as well as plays several musical instruments. The quartet finally took a break and hurriedly recorded their 1996 debut album, for which they also had a hand in writing five of the 13 tracks. Because of collaborations with some great producers (including Daryl Simmons and Keith Sweat), "We were able to produce some really great music in a short amount of time," says Nokio.