“One of the biggest things that happens with us as artists and Black people in general is that we don’t ever learn about money as a concept,” he said. He said he hopes to build new schools in Baltimore at which students will learn about finances and managing money just as much as they learn about other subjects. The singer explained that he believes having “neighborhood cops” who are familiar with their assigned area and its citizens could be a move in the right direction.īut ultimately, he said he believes it all goes back to the kids. Your first thought of seeing a police officer should be ‘you are here to protect me,’ not ‘you are here to throw me away.’ As Black men, we will sit there and think about if we did something just at the sight of the cops pulling up.” “Within the laws of the land and the lessons that we are taught of right and wrong, what happened shouldn’t have happened. “The whole issue of police brutality isn’t something new,” he said. And now, with all of the recent drama that has unfolded in his city, he believes that this is perfect time to bring about change-especially in African Americans’ relationship with law enforcement. While he’s resided in different places over the span of his career, Nokio said that homesickness drew him back. Subsequently, the group went on to have a string of successful hits such as “In My Bed,” Never Make a Promise,” and “How Deep is Your Love.” They finally got their big break in 1995 when they were signed to Universal Music Group’s Island Records. The group’s humble beginnings started right on the streets of Charm City, where they performed at local talent shows as teens. That method is something that Nokio and the other members of Dru Hill know all too well. “That’s not me telling them to forget Baltimore, but I want to tell them that you can get out and learn something and bring it back.” “I want to be a voice to the kids who are here and I want to try to help them understand that you can get out of here,” he said. The singer explained that he’s also used this time to try to connect to the youth and speak at local schools. The ball’s been rolling on that and it will be coming out soon.” “From that conversation, I basically wrote a song in 15 minutes. “At first we were like, we should do a concert, but then we decided to do a song,” he said. So he and the group turned to their first instinct. Nokio, born Tamir Ruffin, knew that he had to do his part to aid in his city’s recovery. “I was out of town and to see parts of my old neighborhood on fire and to see the rioting and the protesting and everything that was going on, I couldn’t take it anymore,” he told the AFRO during a recent interview. That’s why he said he was devastated as he watched the Baltimore uprisings unfold following the death of Freddie Gray. Nokio has been all around the world in the two decades the 36-year-old has performed, written and recorded music as one-fourth of the R&B powerhouse group Dru Hill.īut while he’s seen it all, his hometown has stayed in his heart. In 2009, the group signed to Kedar Entertainment Group and released their fourth album, InDRUpendence Day, the following year, with new member Tao taking the place of the again departed Woody.Dru Hill member Nokio said he penned a song dedicated to Baltimore in 15 minutes. In 2002, by then part of the Def Soul record label, the group reunited and added fifth member Rufus "Scola" Waller to the lineup for their third album, Dru World Order, whose underperformance led to the group being dropped from Def Soul. Sisqó's second album, Return of Dragon, did not sell as well. While Woody's Soul Music LP was a moderate success in the gospel music industry, Sisqó's debut album, Unleash the Dragon, and its hit single, "Thong Song", were major pop successes, and established Sisqó as a household name outside of Dru Hill. Tamir "Nokio" Ruffin was the group's founder his bandmates included lead singer Mark "Sisqó" Andrews, Larry "Jazz" Anthony, and James "Woody Rock" Green.Signing to Island Records through Haqq Islam's University Records imprint, the group released two successful albums, Dru Hill and Enter the Dru, before separating for a period from late 1999 to 2002, during which time Sisqó and Woody released solo albums. Founded in Baltimore, Maryland, and active since 1992, Dru Hill recorded seven Top 40 hits, and is best known for the R&B #1 hits "In My Bed", "Never Make a Promise", and "How Deep Is Your Love". Dru Hill Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Dru Hill is an American singing group, most popular during the late 1990s, whose repertoire included R&B, soul, and gospel music.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |