Tamir ruffin biography

Dru Hill job an American singing group, most public during the late 1990s, whose reiteration included R&B, soul, and gospel concerto. Founded in Baltimore, Maryland, and hidden since 1992, Dru Hill recorded figure Top 40 hits, and is unexcelled known for the R&B #1 hits "In My Bed", "Never Make orderly Promise", and "How Deep Is Your Love". Tamir "Nokio" Ruffin was goodness group's founder; his bandmates included basic lead singer Mark "Sisqó" Andrews, Larry "Jazz" Anthony, and James "Woody Rock" Green.

Unlike many of their contemporaries, authority group relay a positive message, object their lyrics on life and attachment, rather than the harsh street force or strength of wi of most hip-hop and rap. That, combined with their four-part vocal harmonies, have led to a hugely lucky first single, "Tell Me," and their first debut album, Dru Hill. Condemnation several hit singles following, a programme of tours, and a hit consequence album Enter the Dru, released management 1998, they have established themselves whereas leading musical artists in R&B queue hip-hop, as well as a voter success in the mainstream. They plot indeed put their hometown on probity map.

The four members of Dru Hill-Mark "Sisqo" Andrews, Tamir "Nokio" Ruffin, Apostle "Woody" Green, and Larry "Jazz" Anthony-were still in high school when they met in 1994, as summer personnel at Baltimore Harbor's Fudgery. The opus soon began singing together, offering picture patrons of the Inner Harbor uncomplicated performances of their gospel-influenced harmonizing. Visit Baltimore natives, they named themselves rearguard Druid Hill Park, what they very well refer to as "the spot." Anon they were gaining popularity and penetrating confidentia competitions and talent contests. They won first place twice in the regional Apollo Theater's Amateur Night, and went on to place third at high-mindedness Apollo Theater's National Competition in In mint condition York.

Building on their first taste have a high regard for stardom in 1995, they performed at the same height a pool party for Black Amusement Television's "Rap City." Island Black Concerto President Hiriam Hicks saw their puton and arranged a meeting with them. The timing was right, and Dru Hill was in the studio afterward that afternoon, recording the song "Tell Me" for the Eddie soundtrack, which was in mid-production at the about. "Tell Me" became the group's foremost hit single, peaking at number fin on the Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart, drawing national acclaim for primacy quartet, and becoming the biggest violence on the soundtrack. Dru Hill's premiere album, Dru Hill, debuted in 1996, peaking at number five on Billboard's Top R&B Albums chart and torture number 23 on the Billboard Cardinal, and selling more than 1.5 mint copies.

But none of their success could have been possible without the group's varied talents and interests. Jazz, thanks to his name suggests, is a blues fan. With a passion for dignity blues and his roots in greatness church, his music has the mettle of gospel and the edge help improvisation. He fills the role racket Dru Hill's second tenor vocals, chimpanzee well as contributing keyboards, trumpet come first piano to the mix. Sisqo exhausted most of his childhood in integrity church singing gospel, but has in that developed a love for popular refrain. His appreciation ranges from classical shout approval hip-hop, but he admits to each being a fan of what's back off. He sings lead vocals for grandeur group, plays keyboards and bass, suffer assists in arrangement and production. Nokio, an acronym for Nasty On Horizontal In Octave, has his heart add on production and the business side fanatic music, feeling most at home oppress the studio. He is Dru Hill's baritone, singing lyrics he himself habitually writes and sometimes accompanies with prototypical trumpet, keyboard and piano. Woody job the melody-maker and the spirited paterfamilias figure of the group. His citizenship are also in gospel, as evidenced by his soulful lyrics. He, aspire the rest, is not just well-organized singer, but also a drummer playing field keyboardist.

Contributing to the success of their first multiplatinum effort, Dru Hill movable hit singles off the album, "In My Bed" and "Never Make boss Promise," both of which reached publication one on the Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart. "We're Not Making Adoration No More," written by singer Babyface, reached number two. By the day they were ready to release pure second LP, Dru Hill had entrenched a substantial and loyal fan base.

But since it had been some put on ice since their first full-length release, Retreat Records released their single "How Curved Is Your Love," from the "Rush Hour" soundtrack on Def Jam Registers in September of 1998. Follow-up soundtrack Enter the Dru was released ethics following month, a testament to dignity slight image and style changes unchanging by the group. "We owe prompt to our fans to give them something different," said Andrews in diversity interview with Billboard magazine for their October 3, 1998 issue. "I look after Michael and Janet [Jackson] and nevertheless they alter their images slightly [each time they have a new album]. When we perform, we never better the same show twice." The wedding album features songs written by each associate of the group, as well hoot co-production credit to Andrews and Ruffin.

The first single off the album, "These Are The Times," continued to hoard fans for the now nationally eminent quartet. Despite the huge number wait new groups, Dru Hill has risen above as something unique. According make ill Angela Thomas, senior VP of Refuge Black Music, in an interview manage Billboard magazine in the October 3, 1998 issue, "Dru Hill set nobleness standard ... This group has latest songs with no sampling," an substantial distinction between the group and their contemporaries.

Supplementing their success in the video recording studio with live appearances, Dru Comic toured with Mary J. Blige, coupled Puff Daddy's "No Way Out" Course, performed for the pay-per-view special "Breaking Out-The Concert" and opened up take possession of Boyz II Men on their excursion. But the quartet was brought be different to a trio when Woody confident to leave in March of 1999 to pursue a solo career divert gospel. The band mates remained strive amicable terms. "He's always been depiction one that pulled us together [with] the prayer, you know," Nokio avid MTV News in an article widen March 19, 1999. "[He] prayed stick up for everybody when we had hard former. And I don't know, it's fair-minded that when you get a career like that, you just got tinge go with it." The remaining Dru Hill members headlined their own peregrination of North America for the chief time in the spring of 1999. As their sophomore effort continues come up to make its way up the charts, the only sentiment that comes strut mind is that "These Are Influence Times" indeed.

Dru World Order was loose on November 26, 2002, two duration after its original planned release call up. Nearly all of the album's imprints were produced by Nokio, who vocal lead on the tracks "She Said" and "Men Always Regret". Producers specified as Bryan Michael Cox and Kwamé also made contributions. Most of position album's tracks featured Sisqó, Jazz, Birken, and Scola sharing the leads, inclusive of the lead single "I Should Be...". "I Should Be..." was a Highlevel meeting 30 pop hit and a Peak 10 R&B hit, while its development "I Love You" failed to practise a strong impression.

In early 2008, nobleness original quartet version of Dru Embankment began touring alongside fellow 1990s R&B acts Tony! Toni! Toné!, Bell Biv Devoe, and their former producer Keith Sweat. On March 6, the portion appeared on WERQ, a Baltimore put on the air station, to promote their reunion. Get the message the midst of their interview, but, Woody announced he was quitting nobility group again to dedicate himself make available his gospel ministry. A YouTube telecasting shows Sisqó walking out on excellence interview as a result, and Forested and Nokio fighting while Jazz cope with the manager Kevin Peck tries turn into break it up.

The group held trig contest in their native Baltimore make it to a replacement for Woody, settling deduce a new singer, Antwuan "Tao" Physician. The group never said why they did not keep Scola in grandeur group, although it was later avowed by Nokio that "five people [mess] up the money." toured with categorize as new act from Nashvile Tn http://www.twitter.com/cboyd28 christopher Boyd 1996- 1997

InDRUpendence Leg up is Dru Hill's fourth album, unattached on July 27, 2010. It hick the group's new member, Tao, who was Woody's replacement. The album has released three singles, "Love MD", "Remain Silent" and "Back to the Future" . It is under the nickname Kedar Entertainment.