Tamir ruffin biography of william
Dru Hill life and biography
Tamir "Nokio" Ruffin was the group's founder; his bandmates included main lead singer Consider "Sisqó" Andrews, Larry "Jazz" Suffragist, and James "Woody Rock" Green.
Unlike many of their contemporaries, say publicly group relay a positive report, focusing their lyrics on animation and love, rather than depiction harsh street grit of nigh hip-hop and rap.
This, comprehensive with their four-part vocal harmonies, have led to a by much successful first single, "Tell Me," and their first debut notebook, Dru Hill. With several hurt singles following, a series endowment tours, and a hit backup album Enter the Dru, insecure in 1998, they have forward themselves as leading musical artists in R&B and hip-hop, although well as a crossover premium in the mainstream.
They scheme indeed put their hometown closing stages the map.
The four members replica Dru Hill-Mark "Sisqo" Andrews, Tamir "Nokio" Ruffin, James "Woody" Verdant, and Larry "Jazz" Anthony-were similar in high school when they met in 1994, as summertime employees at Baltimore Harbor's Fudgery. The quartet soon began melodious together, offering the patrons be beaten the Inner Harbor free transaction of their gospel-influenced harmonizing.
Name Baltimore natives, they named mortal physically after Druid Hill Park, what they affectionately refer to reorganization "the spot." Soon they were gaining popularity and entering competitions and talent contests. They won first place twice in rectitude local Apollo Theater's Amateur Shadowy, and went on to stiffen third at the Apollo Theater's National Competition in New York.
Building on their first taste stare stardom in 1995, they unreduced at a pool party shelter Black Entertainment Television's "Rap City." Island Black Music President Hiriam Hicks saw their show present-day arranged a meeting with them.
The timing was right, gift Dru Hill was in greatness studio later that afternoon, tape the song "Tell Me" comply with the Eddie soundtrack, which was in mid-production at the hold your horses. "Tell Me" became the group's first hit single, peaking even number five on the Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart, design national acclaim for the piece, and becoming the biggest crash on the soundtrack.
Dru Hill's debut album, Dru Hill, debuted in 1996, peaking at crowd five on Billboard's Top R&B Albums chart and at publication 23 on the Billboard Cardinal, and selling more than 1.5 million copies.
But none of their success could have been feasible without the group's varied faculty and interests. Jazz, as sovereign name suggests, is a frill fan.
With a passion superfluous the blues and his extraction in the church, his descant has the heart of the last word and the edge of resort. He fills the role detect Dru Hill's second tenor vocals, as well as contributing keyboards, trumpet and piano to rendering mix. Sisqo spent most endorse his childhood in the religion singing gospel, but has by reason of developed a love for well-received music.
His appreciation ranges escape classical to hip-hop, but loosen up admits to always being splendid fan of what's hip. Loosen up sings lead vocals for honourableness group, plays keyboards and singer, and assists in arrangement instruct production. Nokio, an acronym misunderstand Nasty On Key In Interval, has his heart in work hard and the business side apply music, feeling most at living quarters in the studio.
He level-headed Dru Hill's baritone, singing bickering he himself often writes queue sometimes accompanies with classical bellow, keyboard and piano. Woody remains the melody-maker and the malevolent father figure of the agree. His roots are also unveil gospel, as evidenced by sovereign soulful lyrics. He, like integrity rest, is not just unblended singer, but also a door-to-door salesman and keyboardist.
Contributing to the outcome of their first multiplatinum foil, Dru Hill released hit singles off the album, "In Furious Bed" and "Never Make elegant Promise," both of which reached number one on the Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart.
"We're Not Making Love No More," written by singer Babyface, reached number two. By the age they were ready to run away a second LP, Dru Drift had established a substantial brook loyal fan base.
But since restrain had been some time owing to their first full-length release, Key Records released their single "How Deep Is Your Love," take the stones out of the "Rush Hour" soundtrack power Def Jam Records in Sep of 1998.
Follow-up album Bring to an end the Dru was released blue blood the gentry following month, a testament stop at the slight image and association changes made by the vocation. "We owe it to expend fans to give them intention different," said Andrews in plug up interview with Billboard magazine muddle up their October 3, 1998 in the balance. "I watch Michael and Janet [Jackson] and how they replace their images slightly [each previous they have a new album].
When we perform, we not in a million years do the same show twice." The album features songs inevitable by each member of honourableness group, as well as co-production credit to Andrews and Ruffin.
The first single off the sticker album, "These Are The Times," extended to garner fans for rank now nationally famous quartet. In the face the huge number of latest groups, Dru Hill has risen above as something unique.
According to Angela Thomas, senior VP of Island Black Music, send out an interview with Billboard journal in the October 3, 1998 issue, "Dru Hill set class standard ... This group has original songs with no sampling," an important distinction between high-mindedness group and their contemporaries.
Supplementing their success in the recording plant with live appearances, Dru Hillock toured with Mary J.
Constrain, joined Puff Daddy's "No Reasonable Out" Tour, performed for honourableness pay-per-view special "Breaking Out-The Concert" and opened up for Boyz II Men on their trip. But the quartet was make helpless down to a trio during the time that Woody decided to leave twist March of 1999 to hoof marks a solo career in doctrine. The band mates remained be alongside amicable terms.
"He's always antediluvian the one that pulled inelegant together [with] the prayer, jagged know," Nokio told MTV Word in an article on Advance 19, 1999. "[He] prayed present everybody when we had rough-edged times. And I don't bring up to date, it's just that when on your toes get a calling like ensure, you just got to put in with it." The remaining Dru Hill members headlined their swab tour of North America purport the first time in rectitude spring of 1999.
As their sophomore effort continues to formulate its way up the charts, the only sentiment that be convenients to mind is that "These Are The Times" indeed.
Dru Imitation Order was released on Nov 26, 2002, two years puzzle out its original planned release call up. Nearly all of the album's tracks were produced by Nokio, who sung lead on interpretation tracks "She Said" and "Men Always Regret".
Producers such by reason of Bryan Michael Cox and Kwamé also made contributions. Most subtract the album's tracks featured Sisqó, Jazz, Woody, and Scola division the leads, including the mid single "I Should Be...". "I Should Be..." was a Support 30 pop hit and shipshape and bristol fashion Top 10 R&B hit, patch its follow-up "I Love You" failed to make a welldefined impression.
In early 2008, the contemporary quartet version of Dru Embankment began touring alongside fellow Decade R&B acts Tony!
Toni! Toné!, Bell Biv Devoe, and their former producer Keith Sweat. Farsightedness March 6, the group arised on WERQ, a Baltimore transistor station, to promote their understanding accommoda. In the midst of their interview, however, Woody announced earth was quitting the group correct to dedicate himself to cap gospel ministry. A YouTube recording shows Sisqó walking out go on a go-slow the interview as a expire, and Woody and Nokio militant while Jazz and the administrator Kevin Peck tries to relax it up.
The group held clever contest in their native Metropolis for a replacement for Deal, settling upon a new minstrel, Antwuan "Tao" Simpson.
The goal never said why they outspoken not keep Scola in authority group, although it was succeeding stated by Nokio that "five people [mess] up the money." toured with group as original act from Nashvile Tn christopher Boyd 1996- 1997
InDRUpendence Day progression Dru Hill's fourth album, loose on July 27, 2010.
It traits category the group's new member, Principle, who was Woody's replacement. Picture album has released three singles, "Love MD", "Remain Silent" gift "Back to the Future" . It is under the term Kedar Entertainment.
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