Here, at I Love Old School Music, we’ve just about heard everything there is to know about most of our favorite old school music legends. However, every now n’ then we come across a gem of information that surprises us, which is what the legendary, Stephanie Mills, has now done. She spilled a fun fact about her family that made us go, ‘Say what now…come again?!!’

Turns out, the “I Feel Good All Over” hitmaker is the cousin of a few well known R&B singers. For decades, they kept their familial connect on the low…but not anymore. Ms. Mills let the cat outta the bag and made quite a few jaws drop. Before we reveal who her cousins are, we’ll give you a couple hints: (1) They are some SANGIN’ somebodies!; and (2) They had ’90s R&B on lock. Think you guessed who they are, ILOSM fam?’ Well, get your scroll-on👇🏾 to see if you’re right…

Stephanie Mills’ Cousins Are…

The “Secret Lady” songstress’ previously ‘secret’ cousins are brothers, K-Ci (Cedric Hailey) and JoJo (Joel Hailey), of Jodeci. Ain’t that a blip?!! Stephanie Mills revealed this on Twitter a while back, while announcing her then-new duet, featuring her “cousin,” K-Ci. She even reiterated (for the people in the back) that K-Ci is her “real cousin”…which also means that JoJo is (the brothers share the same Mom and Dad):

Stephanie Mills- Get ready for my new single coming “Afraid To Love” a duet with my cousin K-CI of
@realkcijojo and yes, my real cousin 😁 😄

K-Ci and JoJo’s Other Famous Singing Cousins

Most of us Old Schoolers already know who K-Ci and JoJo’s other famous cousins are, but for anyone who’s been sleep for years, or are ‘young’ old schoolers, here they are…

Dave Hollister (of Blackstreet)

As a member of Teddy Riley’s group, Blackstreet, Dave Hollister was killin’ it, singing lead on hits like, “Before I Let You Go” (above video). He later went solo and tapped into the pain of many dads on his ’90s song, “Baby Mama Drama.” And yep…Dave is K-Ci and JoJo’s cousin too…their fathers are brothers.

FYI: In the ’90s, Teddy Riley reportedly offered Dave a spot in Blackstreet after hearing him sing K-Ci’s part on the duet, “Loving You Is All That I Have To Do,” while touring (as a background singer) with Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, Blackstreet and more. Word on the Old School curb is that Dave was singing K-Ci’s part because K-Ci was beefin’ with his then girlfriend, Mary J. Bilge, and didn’t want to perform with her…but that’s a whole ‘notha story for another day. Moving on…

Fantasia

Fantasia needs NO introduction. Like her big cousins, the former American Idol winner is a SANGIN’ somebody! She can sing the phone book and make us all feel something. Fantasia, K-Ci, and JoJo are first cousins. Their Dads are brothers as well.

Old School Fun Fact:

Prior to their R&B fame, by the time they were teenagers, K-Ci and JoJo had already released 3 gospel albums. They did so with the group, Little Cedric and the Hailey Singers, which also consisted of their pops, Cliff Hailey.

As you can see, music in the DNA of this family tree. You know how the saying goes- ‘Some people just have IT’…and Stephanie Mills, K-Ci, JoJo, Dave Hollister, and Fantasia most definitely got ‘it.’

The post Stephanie Mills Confirmed Her Cousins Are ’90s R&B Legends And Fans Were Not Ready appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Former Death Row Records crooner, Danny Boy, is best known for singing on several Death Row hits, such as Tupac’s “I Ain’t Mad At Cha.” However, in more recent years, not only is he still known for his dope singing ability, but also for his straightforward personality, as well as the countless stories he’s been revealing about what he says really went down behind the scenes of the music game with some of our favorite artists back then.

This time around, Danny Boy is putting Jodeci’s, K-Ci; and K-Ci’s ex, Mary J. Blige, in the forefront…and it involves him as well.

Ya’ see, Danny Boy, Jodeci, and Mary J. apparently go way back to when they all used to be cool with each other beginning in the ’90s. Although Danny says “K-Ci and Jo-Jo have always been like a brother to me,” he also feels that when it came to Mary J., K-Ci “got in his feelings” a lil’ bit. Why? Because according to Danny Boy, he, too, had relations with Mary J. Blige supposedly around the same time that she was in an on-again-off-again relationship with K-Ci.

Danny Boy Explains Why K-Ci ‘Fired Him Over Mary J. Blige’

In his Art of Dialogue interview, Danny Boy says the beef over Mary J. Blige was sparked during the time when Danny Boy was singing background for and touring with Jodeci, according to Danny:

“I was out on the road with K-Ci and Jo-Jo probably about 5 or 6 years. … During the good times…during the bad times when people seen the viral videos of them being drunk on stage.”- Danny Boy

Danny said that they were so in-sync during performances that he would be “holdin’ it down” for Jo-Jo at times when Jo-Jo wasn’t feeling well enough to sing his parts.

But Danny explained that while the touring with Jodeci all came to a screeching hault for him unexpectedly. It was during the time when he says everyone on tour began reading his memoir, where he discussed allegedly having a sexual relationship with Mary J. years prior:

D.B.- “While we were on tour with Jodeci, that’s when everybody on the tour bus started reading my book, “Stranded On Death Row.” … Everybody was like, ‘Man…so you was with Mary?!?’ And they’d just be laughing about it. And it really wasn’t on a disrespectful end, but they kinda always just brought it up.”

As time went on Danny Boy said that he could tell this had struck a nerve with K-Ci:

D.B.- “K, you could tell he was kinda in his feelings about it. … And [then] we got to one city and K-Ci just kinda flipped out…and started telling me, ‘Ya know I’m your boss!’ And I said ‘you not my mothaf^^ing boss! …I sing backgrounds, this is a work-for-hire.'”

Then came the firing:

D.B.- “So we kinda exchanged some words. And after my book being out for a while…we were gearing up for some shows…and they never called me back again for any shows. I was kinda like fired third party.”

Danny Boy says after getting fired presumably over his past with Mary J., he’s talked to Jo-Jo “maybe a couple of times,” but as far as K-Ci, he says “I haven’t seen K-Ci, or talked to him since.”

“I Lost A Lot Of Respect For Them”

According to Danny Boy, as a result of being fired for a years-old sexual past with Mary J., he “lost a lot of respect for them.” He says although he and Jo-Jo have always been cool, “they always be doing some funny sh*t…as brothers,” and that he was “disappointed and let down” by the way they handled the situation surrounding their business relationship, over a past he allegedly had with Mary J. well before he’d ever started working with them to that capacity. He also admits that he’s “more let down on the brotherhood side” because they were “like brothers” to him. But he says he’s “thankful for the opportunity”…although he admittedly doesn’t ‘give a f**k if he ever talks to K-Ci again.’

It seems like all of those dudes had – and likely still have – love for each other. So hopefully in due time they’ll be able to dap it up and let bygones be bygones. Now, as far as Danny Boy’s claims regarding his past relations with Mary J. Blige…as far as we know, Mary has never publicly disputed his claims.

Check out what else Danny Boy said about K-Ci’s and Mary J.’s alleged abusive relationship in his Art of Dialogue interview clip up top. You can also cop Danny Boy’s memoir, “Stranded on Death Row,”on Amazon.

The post Death Row Records Singer Danny Boy: ‘K-Ci Fired Me Because I Slept With Mary J Blige’ appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Every now and then we, here at I LOVE OLD SCHOOL MUSIC, still get a little shocked by some of the information we learn around here. We decided to do a lil’ diggin’ on DeVante Swing of Jodeci…and lo and behold, we found a tidbit of shocking info.  Scroll down to check out which pop princess he was reportedly hookin’ up with…all we’ll say is she’s probably who you’d least expect…well, then again, maybe not…

WE DIDN’T SEE THIS COMING

Okay so, remember we said DeVante Swing’s reported ex may, or may not be someone you’d least expect? Welp, here she is — Madonna. Turns out, that back in the day when they were both at the height of their careers, they had a thing going on, according to Rolling Stone Magazine. Here’s an excerpt from a 1995 Rolling Stone article about the two alleged ex lovebirds:

IT’S A SWEATY FRIDAY Afternoon in Los Angeles. DeVante, the lead producer of the singing group Jodeci and to many its main heartthrob, is leaning against a wall in the hallway of a local radio station. A strawberry blonde turns the corner and finds herself just feet away from the 25-year-old tall, brown and handsome star. She playfully gasps like an awestruck fan. He answers with a cool, deep laugh. She walks up to him, says, “Hi, silly rabbit,” gathers herself up on her toes and kisses him noisily on the lips. Later, DeVante describes the woman as “one of the most beautiful people I know.” Her name, by the way, is Madonna.

And for further confirmation of the aforementioned article, reference the photo below…

THEY EACH SEEMINGLY HAVE A TYPE

For the people in the back who haven’t heard by now, Madonna always had a thing for Black men who were more of the ‘rebel, bad boy type.’ DeVante Swing –just like her other past love interests, Tupac, Dennis Rodman, to name a few — fits that description.

Now, another thing to keep in mind, is that Madonna is actually DeVante’s type, at least from a physical standpoint. You see, the mother of his adult daughter is actually white as well, which further confirms the Rolling Stone reporter’s article. Peep the mother of DeVante Swing’s daughter HERE.

Random side note: Wonder if Madonna and DeVante Swing both want that ol’ thang back again…allegedly. They’d definitely go viral in these internet streets if they did.

The post Jodeci’s DeVante Swing Reportedly Dated A Pop Icon…And We Were Not Ready appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Here, at I Love Old School Music, we’ve just about heard everything there is to know about most of our favorite old school music legends. However, every now n’ then we come across a gem of information that surprises us, which is what the legendary, Stephanie Mills, has now done. She spilled a fun fact about her family that made us go, ‘Say what now…come again?!!’

Turns out, the “I Feel Good All Over” hitmaker is the cousin of a few well known R&B singers. For decades, they kept their familial connect on the low…but not anymore. Ms. Mills let the cat outta the bag and made quite a few jaws drop. Before we reveal who her cousins are, we’ll give you a couple hints: (1) They are some SANGIN’ somebodies!; and (2) They had ’90s R&B on lock. Think you guessed who they are, ILOSM fam?’ Well, get your scroll-on👇🏾 to see if you’re right…

Stephanie Mills’ Cousins Are…

The “Secret Lady” songstress’ previously ‘secret’ cousins are brothers, K-Ci (Cedric Hailey, 52) and JoJo (Joel Hailey, 50), of Jodeci. Ain’t that a blip?!! Stephanie Mills revealed this on Twitter a while back, while announcing her then-new duet, featuring her “cousin,” K-Ci. She even reiterated (for the people in the back) that K-Ci is her “real cousin”…which also means that JoJo is (the brothers share the same Mom and Dad):

Stephanie Mills- Get ready for my new single coming “Afraid To Love” a duet with my cousin K-CI of
@realkcijojo and yes, my real cousin 😁 😄

K-Ci and JoJo’s Other Famous Singing Cousins

Most of us Old Schoolers already know who K-Ci and JoJo’s other famous cousins are, but for anyone who’s been sleep for years, or are ‘young’ old schoolers, here they are…

Dave Hollister (of Blackstreet)

As a member of Teddy Riley’s group, Blackstreet, Dave Hollister was killin’ it, singing lead on hits like, “Before I Let You Go” (above video). He later went solo and tapped into the pain of many dads on his ’90s song, “Baby Mama Drama.” And yep…Dave is K-Ci and JoJo’s cousin too…their fathers are brothers.

FYI: In the ’90s, Teddy Riley reportedly offered Dave a spot in Blackstreet after hearing him sing K-Ci’s part on the duet, “Loving You Is All That I Have To Do,” while touring (as a background singer) with Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, Blackstreet and more. Word on the Old School curb is that Dave was singing K-Ci’s part because K-Ci was beefin’ with his then girlfriend, Mary J. Bilge, and didn’t want to perform with her…but that’s a whole ‘notha story for another day. Moving on…

Fantasia

Fantasia (37) needs NO introduction. Like her big cousins, the former American Idol winner is a SANGIN’ somebody! She can sing the phone book and make us all feel something. Fantasia, K-Ci, and JoJo are first cousins. Their Dads are brothers as well.

Old School Fun Fact:

Prior to their R&B fame, by the time they were teenagers, K-Ci and JoJo had already released 3 gospel albums. They did so with the group, Little Cedric and the Hailey Singers, which also consisted of their pops, Cliff Hailey.

As you can see, music in the DNA of this family tree. You know how the saying goes- ‘Some people just have IT’…and Stephanie Mills, K-Ci, JoJo, Dave Hollister and Fantasia most definitely got ‘it.’

The post When Stephanie Mills Confirmed Her Cousins Are ’90s R&B Legend, Fans’ Jaws Dropped appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

DALVIN EXPLAINS WHAT WENT DOWN BETWEEN HIM & K-Ci

Dalvin revealed to SoulCulture, that before he and his brother/Jodeci member, Devante Swing, met brothers, K-Ci and Jojo, they were each doing their own thing in two separate gospel groups in North Carolina. But boy…on the day Dalvin and Devante met K-Ci and JoJo at 14 and 16 years old, it was CHAOS:

Dalvin- “We’re all from Charlotte, North Carolina and we met there […]we met some of the girls from UNITY [a local gospel group] and their names were Barbara Jean and Poo-Poo. […] Poo-Poo was dating K-Ci before we even met. Barbara Jean would always tell us that we need to meet K-Ci and Jojo. We heard about them before, but we hadn’t met them yet…”

THEIR MEET & GREET BLEW UP LIKE A SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION BETWEEN DALVIN AND K-Ci…

DALVIN DETAILS WHY JODECI MEMBER, K-Ci, ALMOST SHOT HIM

Jodeci: [L-R] JoJo Hailey, Dalvin DeGrate, K-Ci Hailey, Devante Swing DeGrate

Dalvin continued:

Dalvin- “Barbara Jean and Poo-Poo took us to meet them [K-Ci and JoJo] one day. They had a little gospel studio joint and next thing I knew K-Ci pulled a gun out on me because he thought I was messing around with Poo-Poo. I told him, ‘Man, are you serious?’ My brother was actually dating her sister, Barbara Jean. So when we got there and this happened I told my brother these dudes are crazy and that I was leaving.”

The visual on this is crazy…and since no one was hurt, it’s actually kind of funny. The thought of K-Ci, who was a gospel singer mind you, being strapped with a 9 milli (or whatever type of gun he pulled) at just 16 years old is wild. Since when have you heard of a ‘teenaged Kirk Franklin type’ pulling a gun on somebody for something so minuscule? It’s a good thing Jodeci decided to switch genres. Moving on…

DEVANTE SWING CONVINCED DALVIN TO WORK WITH K-Ci & JOJO

 

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A post shared by Jodeci (@jodeci)

After the dust settled, the music prevailed and brought Dalvin and K-Ci back together again:

Dalvin- “I left and D [Devante] stayed there with them [at the studio with K-Ci and Jo-Jo]. He would keep on telling me that they were writing songs and he wanted me to come back to start working with them. I ended up coming back and a couple of months later we formed the group.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jodeci (@jodeci)

And the rest is history. SO glad they settled their beef because R&B wouldn’t have been the same without Jodeci!

Source

The post Jodeci’s Mr. Dalvin Detailed How His Heated Altercation With K-Ci Almost Cost Him His Life appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Missy Elliott took a trip “back down memory lane,” like Minnie Riperton, and she did it all online. In a beautiful tweet, she once reminisced about her days as part of hit producer/Jodeci member, Devante Swing’s, record label, Swing Mob, in the 1990’s. While reminiscing about the good ol’ days with her prior mentor, she also confessed about the struggles and insecurities she faced at that time…

Missy Reveals Her Past Insecurities As Part Of Devante Swing’s Group

The “Supa-Dupa Fly” singer/rapper/producer recalled her first big break in the Swing Mob girl group, Sista. Missy was the lead singer of the group, but that title still couldn’t block the physical insecurities Missy says she had, in comparison to her Sista group members.

“…Before I was a solo artist i was in a girl group called SISTA! We were under The LEGENDARY guy group Jodeci we was their girl group! The best Memories from VA 757 this was my early stages as a writer & a singer Nah I cant sing like BEY‍ & I was really insecure because at the time I didn’t see myself as pretty & amazing like my group members nor the size that the industry mostly saw for artist,” wrote Missy in her tweet.

Through it all, she’s still grateful to prominent music industry executive, Sylvia Rhone, for sparking the match that ignited the firestorm of a careers she and her mentors have had:

“I am humbly grateful for @iamSylviarhone for believing in us & Devante & Jodeci…”

She continued with a joke about writing a bunch of weed songs back then, LOL…and about the old school hairstyles they were rockin.’ Check out Missy’s full tweet below:

My 1st beginnings just when u thought u knew ‍♀️ welp in case yall didn’t know before I was a solo artist i was in a girl group called SISTA! We were under The LEGENDARY guy group Jodeci we was their girl group! The best Memoriesfrom VA 757 this was my early stages as a writer & a singer Nah I cant sing like BEY‍♀️& believe it or not I was really insecure because at the time I didn’t see myself as pretty & amazing like my group members nor the size that the industry mostly saw for artist but I am humbly grateful for @iamSylviarhone for believing in us & Devante & Jodeci & funfact we had our pants legs up because we had a Dope SISTA tattoo on our leg that I still have til this day& Oh & i remember wanting to write a love song since I used to always sing bout weed‍♀️‍♀️ I figured I’d switch it upbut lastly can y’all imagine how much BLACK GEL WE USED IN THESE PONYTAILS Them old school hair styles CLASSIC! Styled by @misahylton song name “ Brand New”

A post shared by Missy Elliott (@missymisdemeanorelliott) on Apr 18, 2018 at 9:18am PDT

Stevie J. & K-Ci Had BRUTAL FIGHT After HORRIFIC Thing Was Done To Missy Elliott

Although things are cool between Missy Elliott and Devante’ Swing these days, according to what hit producer/”Love & Hip Hop” star, Stevie J., revealed…it was NOT always that way.

Stevie J. dropped some massive bombshells about his time working with Devante Swing’s then Swing Mob artists, Missy Elliot, Jodeci, Ginuwine, Tweet, Timbaland, and others in the 90’s. Stevie was working with Devante on production, but he says their killer producer-combo came to a screeching halt one day in a Rochester, NY studio. In his interview with Drink Champs, Stevie said that one day they were all in the studio- himself, Missy Elliot, Timbaland, Ginuwine, Jodeci, and others- when Devante Swing walked in with his cousin, bodyguards, and two pitbulls on a leash – like some straight ‘Nino Brown’ type of stuff. What reportedly happened next shocked the hell outta him.

According to Stevie, Devante walked up to each of his artists and started smacking them. Stevie said he watched Devante smack Missy Elliott really hard in the face, then Ginuwine, Timbaland, and so on! Then he said Devante’s cousin went behind him and smacked them again, while they all stood there and did nothing!

Stevie J. also said that Devante knew not to try that with him, but apparently Devante’s cousin didn’t get that memo. So according to Stevie, the cousin walked up to him like he wanted to deliver a smack down and Stevie was like ‘You better not put your hands on me potna’…

Stevie says he and Devante’s cousin started arguing and that’s when K-Ci (of Jodeci) jumped in. According to Stevie, he then started trading blows with K-Ci, Devante’s cousin, and Devante’s bodyguard all at the same damn time! The fight got so vicious, that Stevie said somebody hit him over the head with a bottle and that he still has the scar over his eye to prove it.

Missy, Ginuwine & Timbaland Left Devante’s Label, Thanks To Stevie J.

As soon as the fight was over, Stevie recalled telling Ginuwine, Missy, Timbaland that they were stupid if they stayed with Devante’s label and continue to let Devante treat them like that. Stevie’s words must have affected them, because he said soon after he told them that, they all left Devante’s label and started their own thing. See what else Stevie J. said about that fiasco in the video up top (graphic language).

The post Missy Bravely Tells Why She Never ‘Felt Pretty’ In Devante Swing’s ’90s Girl Group appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Stevie J. dropped some massive bombshells about his time working with producer/singer, Devante Swing’s (of Jodeci), then Swing Mob artists: Missy Elliot, Jodeci, Ginuwine, Tweet, Timbaland, and others. In case y’all haven’t heard by now, Stevie J. is a dope producer, one of the best in the game. Throughout his career, his work has contributed to the sales of 100 million records sold and 5 Grammys.

In the ’90s, before Missy Elliot and the rest of Devante’s artists went solo, Stevie J was working with Devante on production. But he says their killer producer-combo came to a screeching halt one day in a Rochester, NY studio. In a 2017 interview with Drink Champs, Stevie J detailed what went down that day, and why he says he ended up having a brutal fist fight with three dudes, stating “I had a fight with Jodeci.”

Word on the Old School curb is that only one Jodeci member –reportedly K-Ci Hailey– threw hands during the fight. And according to Stevie J, the other 2 brawlers were Devante’s cousin and bodyguard. However, Stevie’s not sure if Devante actually took a swing at him during the brawl, because he said it was mayhem and that punches were coming from every direction.

According to Stevie J.- or as his baby momma, Joseline Hernandez, refers to him, ‘Steebie’- Devante Swing was a close friend to Suge Knight when Death Row was poppin.’ But apparently, Devante tried to mimic Suge Knight’s known style of ‘managing’ his artists…at least that’s what Stevie described. [Watch his full interview at bottom of page]

Stevie J. On What He Saw Devante’ Swing Do To Missy, Ginuwine, & Timbaland

Stevie said that one day they were all in the N.Y. based studio –himself, Missy Elliot, Timbaland, Ginuwine, Jodeci, and others– when Devante Swing walked in with his cousin, bodyguards, and two pitbulls on a leash, like some straight “Nino Brown” type of stuff. At that point, Stevie said what happened next shocked the hell outta him…

According to Stevie, Devante walked up to each of his artists and started aggressively smacking them, one by one. Stevie said he watched Devante smack Missy Elliott really hard in the face, then Ginuwine, Timbaland, and so on! Then he said Devante’s cousin went behind him and smacked them again, while they each stood there and did nothing.

What in the “New Jack City” hell was happening there?!! Anyways, Stevie had more to say…here is where the mayhem broke out…

Fight Erupts…

Stevie J. also said that Devante knew not to try that with him, but apparently Devante’s cousin didn’t get that memo. So according to Stevie, the cousin walked up to him like he wanted to deliver a smack down and Stevie was like, ‘You better not put your hands on me potna’…

Stevie and Devante’s cousin started arguing…that’s when the two others (allegedly K-Ci and Devante’s bodyguard) jumped in. Stevie says he started trading blows with all three of them at the same damn time! The fight got so vicious that Stevie said someone hit him over the head with a bottle, and that he still has the scar over his eye to prove it. There’s more…

Missy, Ginuwine, Timbaland & Others Left Devante’s Label Thanks To Stevie J.

As soon as the fight was over, Stevie J told Ginuwine, Missy, and Timbaland that they were ‘stupid’ if they stayed with Devante’s label and continued to let him mistreat them like that. Stevie’s words must have affected them, because he said soon after that talk, they all left Devante’s label and started their own thing.

Well I’ll be damned! It sure would be interesting to hear Devante’s side, or at least his former artists’ version of the story. That was some foul stuff right there!

See What Else Stevie J. Revealed About His Fight With Devante’s Crew Below (he starts at the 39:50 mark) *graphic language*

The post Stevie J Says Jodeci’s Devante Swing ‘Abused’ Missy Elliott & Details Brutal Altercation appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Here, at I Love Old School Music, we’ve just about heard everything there is to know about most of our favorite old school music legends. However, every now n’ then we come across a gem of information that surprises us, which is what the legendary, Stephanie Mills, has now done. She spilled a fun fact about her family that made us go, ‘Say what now…come again?!!’

Turns out, the “I Feel Good All Over” hitmaker is the cousin of a few well known R&B singers. For decades, they kept their familial connect on the low…but not anymore. Ms. Mills let the cat outta the bag and made quite a few jaws drop. Before we reveal who her cousins are, we’ll give you a couple hints: (1) They are some SANGIN’ somebodies!; and (2) They had ’90s R&B on lock. Think you guessed who they are, ILOSM fam?’ Well, get your scroll-on👇🏾 to see if you’re right…

Stephanie Mills’ Cousins Are…

The “Secret Lady” songstress’ previously ‘secret’ cousins are brothers, K-Ci (Cedric Hailey, 52) and JoJo (Joel Hailey, 50), of Jodeci. Ain’t that a blip?!! Stephanie Mills revealed this on Twitter a while back, while announcing her then-new duet, featuring her “cousin,” K-Ci. She even reiterated (for the people in the back) that K-Ci is her “real cousin”…which also means that JoJo is (the brothers share the same Mom and Dad):

Stephanie Mills- Get ready for my new single coming “Afraid To Love” a duet with my cousin K-CI of
@realkcijojo and yes, my real cousin 😁 😄

K-Ci and JoJo’s Other Famous Singing Cousins

Most of us Old Schoolers already know who K-Ci and JoJo’s other famous cousins are, but for anyone who’s been sleep for years, or are ‘young’ old schoolers, here they are…

Dave Hollister (of Blackstreet)

As a member of Teddy Riley’s group, Blackstreet, Dave Hollister (53) was killin’ it, singing lead on hits like, “Before I Let You Go” (above video). He later went solo and tapped into the pain of many dads on his ’90s song, “Baby Mama Drama.” And yep…Dave is K-Ci and JoJo’s cousin too…their fathers are brothers.

FYI: In the ’90s, Teddy Riley reportedly offered Dave a spot in Blackstreet after hearing him sing K-Ci’s part on the duet, “Loving You Is All That I Have To Do,” while touring (as a background singer) with Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, Blackstreet and more. Word on the Old School curb is that Dave was singing K-Ci’s part because K-Ci was beefin’ with his then girlfriend, Mary J. Bilge, and didn’t want to perform with her…but that’s a whole ‘notha story for another day. Moving on…

Fantasia

Fantasia (37) needs NO introduction. Like her big cousins, the former American Idol winner is a SANGIN’ somebody! She can sing the phone book and make us all feel something. Fantasia, K-Ci, and JoJo are first cousins. Their Dads are brothers as well.

Old School Fun Fact:

Prior to their R&B fame, by the time they were teenagers, K-Ci and JoJo had already released 3 gospel albums. They did so with the group, Little Cedric and the Hailey Singers, which also consisted of their pops, Cliff Hailey.

As you can see, music in the DNA of this family tree. You know how the saying goes- ‘Some people just have IT’…and Stephanie Mills, K-Ci, JoJo, Dave Hollister and Fantasia most definitely got ‘it.’

The post Stephanie Mills Confirmed Her Cousins Are ’90s R&B Legend…We Were Not Ready appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

We’ve all heard the many wild stories about members of Jodeci, who were dubbed ‘the bad boys of R&B’ back in the day. Mr. Dalvin, his brother/hit producer Devante Swing, and their group members, brothers K-Ci and Jo-Jo, have each had their individual battles to fight. There was one battle that Devante Swing once had to fight all by his lonesome though and it was a matter of life or death…literally. In a recent interview, Dalvin broke down the scary details of what actually happened the night that Devante was robbed inside his home, and came this close to death within minutes.

Mr. Dalvin’s Recalls The Day Devante Swing Was Nearly Killed

Many of y’all may remember when news spread like wildfire, that Devante Swing had been robbed at his New Jersey home. The year was 1993, and what wasn’t reported at that time, were the intricate details of what went down that night.

In an interview with VladTV, Dalvin revealed that his brother, Devante, was robbed on the night of his (Dalvin’s) birthday party. Dalvin explained how his friends had thrown him a surprise party at a recording studio on the night of July 23, 1993 and everyone was there, including his Jodeci group members, except Devante. They continued partying it up that night, but after some time passed by, Dalvin, Jo-Jo, and K-Ci started getting worried, suspecting something had happened to Dalvin, who had never showed up to the party. During that time, not only was Devante Swing a cat who loved to party, but he would have never missed his brother’s party for anything in the world. So that’s what made Dalvin, Jo-Jo and K-ci repeatedly call Devante to no avail and they soon hurried over to Devante’s crib to check on him. What they found once they got their shocked and scared them half to death.

The “Come And Talk To Me” crooners found a bloodied and severely beaten Devante Swing tied up inside his home, which had clearly been ransacked. Dalvin said Devante was beaten so badly by the robbers, that his skull was split wide open. However, he said Devante didn’t go down without a fight and that during the fight for his life, Devante ended up biting one of the robbers fingers completely off! Yep, ‘off,’ as in completely detached from the robber’s hand. Geesh!

Dalvin: “They broke in his [Devante’s] house, tried to kill him…they split his skull open, tied him up. […] He was fighting back, he bit one of the guy’s fingers off.”

What Happened To Robbers After The Attack

It was reported by several news outlets at that time, that the robbers got away with approximately $20,000 worth of Devante’s jewelry.  According to Dalvin there was speculation that the robbers were cousins of each other. One of them ended up killing the other and the surviving robber is currently in prison. Damn, stars are stars, but they also have scars just like us regular folks. This just goes to show that we never know what celebs are dealing with behind closed doors. You can see what else Mr. Dalvin said about this in the video clip below…

The post Jodeci’s Mr. Dalvin Details Heated Incident When Devante Swing ‘Bit Off’ A Man’s Finger appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

For years, Al B. Sure has always been a humble dude, who’s also remained one of the most underrated songwriters and producers in music game. Sure, we all know him as the ’80s/’90s R&B legend, who sold millions of albums of his own (most of which he wrote and produced by the way). What many don’t know is that Al B. is responsible for the careers of many of our favorite artists, yet he gets very little credit for his musical contributions and generosity. Welp, apparently in recent years, ALL of that is changing and he’s now spoken out to get his just due.

Al B. Sure Calls Out Jodeci & Others With “Selective Amnesia”

A few days prior to his 50th b-day on June 4, 2018, Al B. Sure celebrated the 27th anniversary for a debut album of the group he’s hugely responsible for bringing to the limelight- Jodeci. For decades, most of us knew that Jodeci’s Devante Swing produced the group. However, many never knew Al B. Sure co-executive produced Jodeci (with DeVante) and also co-wrote one of their biggest breakthrough hits, “Forever My Lady.”

Al B. also helped shape the sound of Jodeci and all of this is why he’s understandably bothered by the fact that he’s being ignored for an upcoming Jodeci biopic that’s reportedly in the works. Below is what Al B. said to his fans on Instagram a while back. He included the following caption, as well as the video below (press play and swipe left on his IG post):

 

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A post shared by Al B. Sure! (@officialalbsure)

“Thank you for the Love & Light you’ve all shown this week RE the 27th Anniversary release of the Multi-Platinum group #JODECI’s 1991 debut album #ForeverMyLady which populated FIVE (5) No.1 R&B @Billboard Songs thanks to YOU! The @Uptown_Records_ Album Written & Produced by #DeVanteSwing & Al B. Sure!… Exec Producers @OfficialAlBSure @AndreHarrell & Diddy. Note 📝 to self. It’s amazing when I hear👂🏼in the wind that there is a JODECI “Life Story” slated to be produced for a major network (i.e. the brilliantly produced #TheNewEditionStory @BET prod by @jessecollinsent) I haven’t heard a peep from the writers or producers to date. Note 📝 You will NOT have the accurate story or history if you don’t speak with yours truly. If you’ve rocked w/ me over the years you know I stay silent and let the work speak for itself. I only mention this after being quietly silent for so long and seeing so many inaccurate TV Docs or Film productions when mentioning the group JODECI & how it all came to fruition… 📝 This is my new “I’m turning 50” purging correcting all of this #SelectiveAmnesia people seem to have in the entertainment industry as time passes Lol…”

Other Artists Most Never Knew Al B. Sure Helped

In addition to Jodeci, Al B. was Quincy Jones’ protege.’ That opportunity allowed him to go on to either write hit songs for, produce, or discover other major artists, including, Timbaland, Usher, Dave Hollister, Tevin Campbell, Case, Faith Evans and more.

Old School fun fact: Faith Evans attended church with Al B.’s mother back in the day and that’s how he met her. So, before Faith Evans was on Diddy’s Bad Boy Records, it was actually Al B. Sure who gave her a start in the music game. After becoming THE Al B. Sure, he used to pay Faith a “significant” amount of money everyday to sing the demo versions of the songs he wrote and/or produced for other artists. The opportunity Al B. granted her, combined with his connections and popularity in the music game, is what introduced Faith and her beautiful voice to the heavyweights in the industry…and the rest is history.

Hopefully, they’ll add Al B. Sure to that reported Jodeci biopic though…that’s only right.

The post Al B. Sure Called Out Jodeci For Doing Him Dirty And Exposed Unknown Facts appeared first on I Love Old School Music.