K-Ci and JoJo

Brothers K-Ci and Jojo Haley were one half of the immensely popular 90s vocal group Jodeci. When that act split, the Haley brothers formed a duo, seeking to create a sound slightly sweeter and less lurid than their work with Jodeci.

Their debut album was the kind of crossover success they could hardly have imagined. 1997’s Love Always featured the across-the-board smash “All My Life,” the template for much of what the duo would create over the next few years: Extremely melodic songs made more engaging by the contrasting, alternating sweet and gruff vocals of the two brothers. The album was uniformly acclaimed and went multi-platinum.

The duo wasted no time working on the follow-up disc, It’s Real, an album that wasn’t quite as strong as its predecessor, but which landed another monster hit with “Tell Me It’s Real.” A year later they were back again with X and the top five hit “Crazy.” While X was a success, the formula the brothers had used on their first three albums was clearly wearing this, and they paid the price commercially with their relatively unsuccessful fourth album, Emotional.

Following Emotional, most of the press about K-Ci and JoJo surrounded rumors (often created by the brothers) of an impending Jodeci reunion. In the meantime, K-Ci quietly released My Book in 2006, an album that received virtually no promotion and which was ignored by the public. The duo then released a new disc in Japan called Love.

In 2010, K-Ci and Jojo reportedly signed with Babyface’s Soda Pop Records to begin working on a new album. They also appeared in a reality show on TV One that chronicled their struggles with addictions that damaged their careers. Here is hoping that this talented duo can make a successful return.

By Chris Rizik

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