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
You And 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
In Jodeci's song "You and I", the singer is expressing his undying love for his significant other. The song is about the strength of their love and how it is unbreakable. The singer suggests that if he had the right words to express his feelings, he would make his lover understand how much he loves and cares for them. He emphasizes that their love story is unique and could last forever. The singer is confident in the strength of their love to overcome any obstacles, and he reassures his lover that they will never stop loving each other.
Throughout the song, the singer makes several declarations of love for his significant other. He believes that their love could reach the top and be so strong that they could make love all night long. He urges his lover to understand that their love is meant to last forever, and no one can come between them. The singer also admits that the story about their love is too long to share, but he is confident that he has conveyed his true feelings.
Overall, "You and I" is a beautiful love song that expresses the depth of the singer's love for his significant other. The lyrics are sensual and emotional, conveying the message that their love is strong and unbreakable.
Line by Line Meaning
If i could tell you
If I had the words to express my feelings to you, accurately and with clarity.
In words how i feel
Describing how I feel with simple, yet elegant language.
And if i could stop
If only I could halt time or emotions, to express my feelings completely in the moment.
I could make you hear
Ensuring that my words cross into your heart and soul, and are deeply understood.
I would tell you about
I would explain to you in no uncertain terms the emotions I have for you.
You and I
This is a conversation just between us, and it is special and unique to only our bond together.
A story that could live
Our love is a myth, a legend that we might pass down through history, because of its timeless nature.
And never die,oh
Our love will last forever, and never fade away or be extinguished.
Could be one after all
We could become one entity, fully realizing and celebrating the connection between us.
Our love
The emotional connection we share between us.
I said it would be so strong
I had remarked that our love would be powerful, beyond anything we've ever known.
Would never stop (oh no)
Our love cannot be stopped by any external force, and is an unbreakable bond that cannot be broken.
Could reach the top
Our love can reach the highest possible levels, and we can achieve greatness together.
Do you understand
Do you comprehend the depth of what I'm trying to say, the emotions I'm expressing?
Its gotta be me and you
We are meant to be together, nothing else can come between us.
You know how i feel
You understand my emotions and my love for you.
I guess you feel the same too
I believe that you share the same intense feelings of love that I have for you.
I could go on and on
I have a lot to say, and there are many different ways to express my emotions for you.
To tell you how i feel
Our love is profound and encompassing, it's not a simple expression of words but a true feeling from my heart.
The story is too long
Our journey together has been extensive, filled with twists and turns, influencing our bond now.
I guess i've said the real deal
I believe that I've been honest with you, and have said everything there is to say.
Before you take it in
Before you fully understand and comprehend what I'm saying.
We could make love all night
Our love for each other is so powerful, it brings us together in deep passion and desire for one another.
You know i love you baby
I want to remind you and reiterate to you that I truly love you.
It would be so strong baby
Our love is so intense and powerful, and we can achieve greatness together through it.
Now let me tell you how i feel
I want to tell you again how much I love you, and how our connection is unique and special.
I LOVE YOU
The ultimate expression of my emotions and love for you, an unbreakable bond that cannot be ignored.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DONALD DEGRATE, DONALD EARLE DE GRATE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@raybanks6145
"U & I"If i could tell you
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,ohYou 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 topDo 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 dealYou 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 topYou 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 IYou 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 feelI LOVE YOU
I LOVE YOU
@kashmckinney1750
My boo Jo-Jo could sing his ass off and he definitely put some hurting on this one. My Baby DeVante had such a lot of love in him at such a young age to write songs like this and I thank him for all the masterpieces he put together for Jodeci!
@angelagreen5654
Luv this comment. I agree
@darlenehackett9988
Jodeci sung the hell outta this song but i especially love love loveee every time the group sing the part: "Before you take it in" 😍😍😍
@deonnadyson
That's my favorite part of this song too...
@joannjackson4232
YASSSSSS GIRL….I don’t think I’ll EVER get tired of this song….EVER!!
@nevante
I agree 💯 that's my favorite part
@user-jr2gb9ou8b
Yesssss
@meekmozart5216
My favorite part 👍🏾🗣🎶
@spottieottiedopalisciousan3333
That effortless “I LOOOOVVVEEEEE YOU” at 3:51 will forever melt my heart. Perfect ending. 🥰
@carlosmosesjr6613
SpottieOttieDopaliscious Angel unmatched vibe