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 Got It
Jodeci Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm Wendy Williams
So we have $98 in Kiss Cash and the new CD by Jodeci
Let's go to the phones and see who's gonna win tonight's countdown
Hello, (Hello) ha ha ha, who is this, (Shaunita Laquan)
What's goin' on girl, (Nothin' much what's goin' on)
Nothin' where you callin' from, (New Jersey)
OK, I got the loop for you, go ahead and do your shout-out
(OK, I'd like to make a shout-out to Boo-Boo and to Marquesha)
(And to my homegirl Tasha) OK one simple question for the countdown
The money and the CD
What was song number 1, (Come and Talk to Me) Ah Jodeci
Ha, he uh oh damn girl, oh shit, ha ha oh shit
(OK come on guys let's get back to this interview)
Yeah, yeah alright what's up
(OK I have another question) Yeah
(I wanna know what you guys think about these groups dissing Jodeci?)
We don't think, now why don't you get out those pants
(No, people are saying that you guys cannot make it again)
You know what, maybe we can't, why don't you take it off
(No they are saying you cannot do it)
Take that shit off, lipstick and all girl
(Well let's talk about the album) Get naked baby damn ha ha ha
Baby take it off for Jo-Jo
Baby take it off for Mr. Dal (Baby you got it)
Baby take it off for K-Ci (Baby you got it)
Now baby take it off for me (Baby you got it)
So baby take it off take it off (Baby you got it)
Can you make me hard cause I'm soft (Baby you got it)
So baby take it off take it off (Baby you got it)
Your body make me pull off the trigger, Redman
Here comes the stick up, pick up pick up
Comin' from Jersey my brain was spliffed up
Before that cha' picked up
The Funkadelic 2-01 super pandama
Is there another (NO!)
I make condoms run for cover
Hey yo, who wanna have an orgy y'all
Let's see y'all
I slap so many punans you would think I'm made of bee-ba
Stop if ya guard extra-large
Better keep my guns tight
For my jimi in case my bullets have to take flight
I'm cooler than gang
When I rock hits, kick raps in vain
Place boxed up so keep ya glocks up
Ya damn skippy, I rap on Jodeci tracks
Their records platinum, so next year my records sell like that then
I don't wanna be rude babe, but you really turn me on
I don't wanna be cool baby, as if I told ya what I want
They way you groove is so fly, and I won't front
If yout take off your clothes babe that's really all I want
Let me see it
Give it up, give it up you got it
Show we what you got, you got it
Give it up, give it up you got it
Take it off, take it off you got it
Give it up, give it up you got it
Show we what you got, you got it
Give it up, give it up you got it
Take it off, take it off you got it
Got more than what it take baby to make a N-I-double G-A drop
So when you wanna take it off, please girl don't you stop
36-24, your waist like a hydraulic car
When ya wanna drop it girl, we can go very far, ooh
Give it up, give it up you got it
Show we what you got, you got it
Give it up, give it up you got it
Take it off, take it off you got it
Keep it goin' baby, like that like that
Keep it goin', like that
Keep it goin' baby, like that like that
Keep it goin', like that
Keep it goin' baby, like that like that
Keep it goin', like that
The rap Funkadelic, yo Redman
When I tear the frame out, I feel OK now
My style is way out, spaced out
Ya wanna taste now, because my name out
Who's the Funkadelic
Hey yo, G it's me smell it, inhale it
And drop ya draws for the cause if ya felt it
Now do you feel good honey dip then drop ya draws quick
I see you, there's that tatoo I G'd you
A small world, I fucked a bunch a black, fat and tall girls
Smoke a Marlboro when shack tales like Erick Bell
Now pardon my French I ain't with that bull they pulled on Tyson
I got my ghetto license and I'm drivin'
The homies dive in when the girl take off her size tens
Whoomp there it is, that's what I mean with the tag team
Then jest like 95 South when ya look out
And then maybe next year maybe I show her that ya played out
Redman from the 94' from the hood drop
Got mad skills that cop feels
Plus my crew still good
Give it up, give it up you got it
Show we what you got, you got it
Give it up, give it up you got it
Take it off, take it off you got it
Give it up, give it up you got it
Show we what you got, you got it
Give it up, give it up you got it
Take it off, take it off you got it
The song "You Got It" by Jodeci features a radio interview with Wendy Williams in the beginning where she tells the audience the radio station's dial number and announces the availability of $98 in Kiss cash and a Jodeci CD for the winner of the countdown. A caller from New Jersey is then introduced, who makes a shout-out and is asked a question for the countdown. The band's hit song "Come and Talk to Me" is the correct answer, and the mood shifts as the band members become flirty and suggestive. Redman makes a cameo appearance and contributes a rap verse to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Hot 98.7 Kiss FM, it's the world famous dial to pay countdown
The radio show hosted by Wendy Williams is hosting a countdown of popular songs.
So we have $98 in Kiss Cash and the new CD by Jodeci
The show has a small prize attached for the lucky winner - Kiss Cash and the new CD by Jodeci.
Hello, (Hello) ha ha ha, who is this, (Shaunita Laquan)
Wendy Williams takes a call from a listener named Shaunita Laquan.
What's goin' on girl, (Nothin' much what's goin' on)
Wendy asks Shaunita Laquan how she is doing. Shaunita responds that everything is fine and asks what is going on with Wendy.
Nothin' where you callin' from, (New Jersey)
Shaunita Laquan tells Wendy Williams where she is calling from - New Jersey.
OK, I got the loop for you, go ahead and do your shout-out
Wendy Williams invites Shaunita Laquan to give a shout-out to her friends and family on air.
And then we'll get to the countin'
Wendy Williams will take the caller's shout-out and then continue with the countdown.
(OK, I'd like to make a shout-out to Boo-Boo and to Marquesha)
(And to my homegirl Tasha) OK one simple question for the countdown
The money and the CD
What was song number 1, (Come and Talk to Me)
Shaunita Laquan gives a shoutout to her friends and then wins the prize by correctly guessing Jodeci's number 1 song in the countdown as 'Come and Talk to Me.'
Ha, he uh oh damn girl, oh shit, ha ha oh shit
The Jodeci members are amused and excited at Shaunita Laquan's enthusiasm for the prize.
We don't think, now why don't you get out those pants
Jodeci brushes off the question about rivals dissing them and attempts to flirt with Wendy by asking her to take her pants off.
(No, people are saying that you guys cannot make it again)
Wendy Williams tries to ask a serious question about Jodeci's future prospects, but they are not interested in engaging with her.
Take that shit off, lipstick and all girl
Jodeci members continue to objectify Wendy by asking her to take off her lipstick and pants.
(Well let's talk about the album) Get naked baby damn ha ha ha
Wendy Williams tries to steer the conversation to talk about Jodeci's new album, but they continue to make inappropriate remarks about her appearance.
Baby take it off for Jo-Jo
Baby take it off for Mr. Dal (Baby you got it)
Baby take it off for K-Ci (Baby you got it)
Now baby take it off for me (Baby you got it)
Jodeci members repeatedly ask Wendy Williams to take her clothes off for their three band members and eventually for the interviewer himself.
Got more than what it take baby to make a N-I-double G-A drop
So when you wanna take it off, please girl don't you stop
36-24, your waist like a hydraulic car
When ya wanna drop it girl, we can go very far, ooh
Jodeci members continue to objectify Wendy Williams by commenting on her body and asking her to strip for them.
Redman
Here comes the stick up, pick up pick up
Comin' from Jersey my brain was spliffed up
Before that cha' picked up
The Funkadelic 2-01 super pandama
Is there another (NO!)
I make condoms run for cover
Hey yo, who wanna have an orgy y'all
A guest artist named Redman starts rapping about his experiences in New Jersey and his sexual prowess.
Let's see y'all
I slap so many punans you would think I'm made of bee-ba
Stop if ya guard extra-large
Better keep my guns tight
For my jimi in case my bullets have to take flight
I'm cooler than gang
When I rock hits, kick raps in vain
Place boxed up so keep ya glocks up
Ya damn skippy, I rap on Jodeci tracks
Their records platinum, so next year my records sell like that then
Redman continues to rap about his sexual conquests and his 'cool'ness. He also mentions that he has worked on some Jodeci tracks and anticipates his own success in the next year.
I don't wanna be rude babe, but you really turn me on
I don't wanna be cool baby, as if I told ya what I want
A member of Jodeci tries to flirt with Wendy Williams and tells her she turns him on. He implies that he wants to sleep with her but plays it off as trying to be cool.
They way you groove is so fly, and I won't front
If yout take off your clothes babe that's really all I want
Jodeci members continue to objectify Wendy Williams and comment on her appearance and suggest that they want her to take her clothes off.
Take it off, take it off you got it
Can you make me hard cause I'm soft (Baby you got it)
Jodeci members continue to objectify and harass Wendy Williams by pressuring her to take her clothes off. They also ask if she can make one of the members sexually aroused.
Keep it goin', like that
The rap Funkadelic, yo Redman
When I tear the frame out, I feel OK now
My style is way out, spaced out
Ya wanna taste now, because my name out
Who's the Funkadelic
Hey yo, G it's me smell it, inhale it
And drop ya draws for the cause if ya felt it
Now do you feel good honey dip then drop ya draws quick
Redman continues to rap about his sexual prowess and tries to persuade women to have sex with him.
I see you, there's that tatoo I G'd you
A small world, I fucked a bunch a black, fat and tall girls
Smoke a Marlboro when shack tales like Erick Bell
Now pardon my French I ain't with that bull they pulled on Tyson
I got my ghetto license and I'm drivin'
The homies dive in when the girl take off her size tens
Whoomp there it is, that's what I mean with the tag team
Then jest like 95 South when ya look out
And then maybe next year maybe I show her that ya played out
Redman from the 94' from the hood drop
Got mad skills that cop feels
Plus my crew still good
Redman continues to rap about his experiences, including sleeping with 'black, fat, and tall' women and following in the footsteps of tag team 95 South. He also boasts about his skills and those of his crew.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DONALD DEGRATE, DONALD EARLE DE GRATE, JOEL LAMONTE HAILEY, REGGIE NOBLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind