More than a decade ago, the members of Jodeci reunited onstage at the 2001 BET Awards and promised fans that, sooner rather than later, they’d be back with a fourth album. Despite the fact that each of them looked like life dropkicked the hell out of them, those of us who grew up on their music were hopeful, if not purposely in denial. The album never came. Nine years later, K-Ci and Jo Jo Hailey starred in K-Ci & JoJo Come Clean, a TV One reality series chronicling their struggle with addiction.
That same year DeVante Swing was arrested at a Subway in Burbank, California . It was said that he was so drunk that he couldn’t stand up on his own. I assume that had more to do with him taking a nap underneath the table than a five-dollar foot long.
Who knows where Mr. Dalvin had been hiding, though last year he told the site You Know I Got Soul that, while he wouldn’t promise anything, they were probably going to go on tour and had “200 songs recorded already.” He added, “We got hot songs that we never released or nobody ever heard.”
We still haven’t heard any of those songs and while the Jodeci reunion tour hasn’t hit stateside, the band did recently regroup in London for a show – kind of anyway.
Jodeci getting booed last night was embarrassing man!
Mar 24, 2013| Source: Keek.com
The group was booked to share a bill with SWV, Dru Hill, and Blackstreet for a concert at London’s Wembley Stadium over the weekend. In hindsight, maybe promoters should’ve reached out to Hi-Five, Portrait, or The Boys. Hell, the one member of Soul IV Real who didn’t get arrested for identity theft might’ve sufficed.
DeVante didn’t bother to show up for the performance and apparently Mr. Dalvin, like Humpty Dumpty, had a great fall and couldn’t manage to crawl his way back to the stage. As for K-Ci and JoJo – who always did most of the singing anyway – they sounded like they gargled with Newport cigarette ash and Hennessy.
According to a fan , Dru Hill had to step in and finish singing Jodeci’s songs for Jodeci. If memory serves, Dru Hill is used to doing Jodeci after Jodeci became incapable of doing so even in the 1990s.
JoJo took to Twitter to thank the fans and said of the problems with the group’s performance: “Ask wembley why we couldn't rehearse nor proper equipment was ther”
I want to believe that, but that video won’t let me.
As someone who used to pretend to be Mr. Dalvin back in elementary, and, only a year ago, for a second thought to pull over and stand by a big desert rock in Arizona ala Diary of a Mad Band, this is extremely depressing. DeVante should be like Timbaland. K-Ci and JoJo should be respected R&B singers who can still put on a great show. As for Mr. Dalvin, he should, I don’t know, at least have a hit reality show. Instead they are in need of Amber Alerts, medics, and 12 steps.
As much as I’d love a comeback, let’s not try this again until you’re good and ready – and sober, if that remains an issue for anyone.
