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.
At age 16, DeVante ran away to Minneapolis to get a job in Prince's organization, but was refused. He returned to Charlotte, where he wrote a song and recorded JoJo singing it. The two planned on going to New York to shop the demo around by themselves, but both K-Ci and Dalvin decided to tag along at the last minute. By the time they got to New York, they had demo recordings of 29 songs, which they brought to the offices of Uptown Entertainment. They were almost rejected, but rapper Heavy D overheard the tape and talked Uptown president Andre Harrell into hearing the group. Harrell was impressed, and just like that, Jodeci signed a recording contract. In 1991, they recorded Forever My Lady, which featured the gold single "Come and Talk to Me" and went on to sell over three million copies. A minor feud resulted over the band's follow-up album, Diary of a Mad Band; Jodeci, unhappy with their treatment by Uptown, flirted with the idea of leaving for Dr. Dre's Death Row Records, which resulted in almost zero promotion for their new album. It didn't matter much, as Diary went platinum. The group's troubles got worse in 1993; DeVante and K-Ci were involved in an incident with a woman K-Ci met at a club and brought back to DeVante's apartment. The woman filed charges against the two, saying that K-Ci had threatened her and fondled her breast, while DeVante pointed a gun at her. Both pleaded guilty, but that wasn't all; shortly afterwards, DeVante's house was robbed of over 160,000 dollars in jewelry and clothes as the singer was held with guns in his mouth and at the back of his head.
Jodeci's third album, The Show, the After Party, the Hotel, was released in the summer of 1995. DeVante also was afforded the opportunity to work with Al Green, one of his idols, writing and producing the song "Could This Be the Love." ~ Steve Huey, Rovi
Jodeci Albums:
* 1991: Forever My Lady #18 US (3x platinum)
* 1993: Diary of a Mad Band #3 US (2x platinum)
* 1995: The Show, The After Party, The Hotel #2 US (platinum)
* 2005: Back to The Future: The Very Best of Jodeci (300,000)
Jodeci Singles:
* 1991: "Gotta Love"
* 1991: "Stay" (US #41, R&B #1)
* 1991: "Forever My Lady" (US #25, R&B #1)
* 1991: "Come and Talk to Me" (US #11, R&B #1)
* 1993: "Cry For You" (US #15, R&B #1)
* 1993: "Feenin'" (US #25, R&B #2)
* 1993: "Lately" (US #4, R&B #1)
* 1993: "Let's Go Through the Motions" (US #65)
* 1994: "What About Us" (R&B #14)
* 1995: "Freek'n You" (US #14, R&B #3)
* 1995: "Love U 4 Life"
* 1996: "Get on Up" (US #22, R&B #4)
Jodeci Side-Projects:
(K-Ci & JoJo)
* 1997: Love Always
* 1999: It's Real
* 2000: X
* 2002: Emotional
* 2005: All My Life "Their Greatest Hits"
(Dalvin Degrate)
* 2000: Met.A.Mor.Phic
(K-Ci Solo)
* 2006: My Book
U&I
Jodeci Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In words how i feel
And if i could stop
I could make you hear
I would tell you about
You and I
A story that could live
And never die,oh
You and I
Could be one after all
Our love
Could be so strong
(i said it would be so strong)
You and I
Would never stop (oh no)
You and I
Could reach the top
Do you understand
Its gotta be me and you
you know how i feel
I guess you feel the same too
I could go on and on
To tell you how i feel
The story is too long
I guess i've said the real deal
You and I (You and I)
Could be one after all
Our love
Could be so strong
(do you know what im talking bout baby)
You and I
Would never stop (we would never stop)
You and I
Could reach the top
You know i love you baby
Before you take it in
This story never ends,baby
Before you take it in
You and I,You and I
You and I
Could be one after all
(before you take it in)
Our love (you see)
Could be so strong
We could make love all night (before you take it in)
You and I
Would never stop (we would never stop)
You and I
Could reach the top
You and Me,Me and You
You and Me
We could make love all night long
It would be so strong baby
It would be so strong
Now let me tell you how i feel
I LOVE YOU
I LOVE YOU
The lyrics to Jodeci's song "U&I" describe the deep feelings of love that the singer has for their partner. The singer states that if they could express their emotions in words, they would tell the story of "You and I," a love that could last forever. The singer hopes that their love will be strong enough to reach the top and never stop. They believe that they and their partner are meant to be together and that their love will never end.
Throughout the song, the singer emphasizes the importance of their partner in their life, stating that they love them and that their story is too long to be told in words. The singer hopes that their partner feels the same way and understands how much they mean to them. The song ends on a passionate note with the singer declaring their love for their partner.
Overall, the lyrics to "U&I" express the desire for a deep, meaningful, and lasting love that is strong enough to withstand any obstacle. The singer's emotions are strong and heartfelt, making the song a beautiful declaration of love.
Line by Line Meaning
If i could tell you
If I had the ability to articulate my feelings to you clearly and effectively
In words how i feel
To express my emotions into written or spoken language
And if i could stop
If I had the capability to halt my thoughts, and in this case, my feelings toward you
I could make you hear
I could make you understand and acknowledge what I am trying to convey
I would tell you about
I would like to inform you about a matter
You and I
The relationship or dynamic between us
A story that could live
A narrative that has immense significance or importance
And never die,oh
One that will continue and endure for an extended period
Could be one after all
We could become united and function as a team
Our love
The affection and devotion shared between us
Could be so strong
Has the potential to become incredibly sturdy and enduring
(i said it would be so strong)
Would never stop (oh no)
Our emotional attachment will never cease to exist or diminish
Could reach the top
We could excel and become prosperous in our relationship
Do you understand
Are you aware or comprehend what I am saying
Its gotta be me and you
Our relationship must involve both of us to be successful
you know how i feel
You know my emotions and thoughts regarding our relationship
I guess you feel the same too
I assume that you share the same sentiments
I could go on and on
I could talk about this subject repeatedly
To tell you how i feel
To convey and articulate my emotions and thoughts
The story is too long
The story I could tell you would be extensive
I guess i've said the real deal
I believe I have revealed my emotions forthrightly and honestly
(You and I)
The relationship or dynamic between us
Do you know what im talking bout baby
Do you understand the subject matter that I am referring to, my dear
Would never stop (we would never stop)
Our emotional attachment will never cease to exist or diminish
You know i love you baby
You are aware of the depth of my affection towards you, my dear
Before you take it in
Before you comprehend the full extent of what I am saying
This story never ends,baby
Our relationship and the love between us will last indefinitely
You and Me,Me and You
Our connection and relationship
We could make love all night long
We could enjoy each other's intimacy for an extended period
It would be so strong baby
The bond we would share would be sturdy and enduring
Now let me tell you how i feel
I want to share my true emotions regarding our relationship
I LOVE YOU
I have intense affections and love towards you, my dear
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DONALD DEGRATE, DONALD EARLE DE GRATE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind