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Jodeci music biography continued...

"DeVante Swing" DeGrate, the group founder/leader, and Dalvin DeGrate) and the Haileys (main lead singer Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey and second lead singer Joel "Jo-Jo" Hailey). DeVante traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota when he was sixteen to audition for Prince's band, but was turned down. The brothers next headed to New York City to shop their demo tapes in hopes of getting signed. Eventually, hip hop artist and record producer Heavy D heard one of the tapes and loved it. He talked Uptown Records CEO Andre Harrell into listening to the tape, who was impressed enough to sign the group and assigned Uptown executive Sean "Puffy" Combs to develop their sound. In 1991, they recorded Forever My Lady, which featured the gold single "Come and Talk to Me" and went on to sell over three million copies. Although Jodeci thought of leaving their label, they remained for the next album, Diary of Mad Band, which also went platinum. They followed in 1995 with The Show, The After Party, The Hotel. The group disbanded in 1998, but the Hailey brothers continued to perform together under the name K-Ci and Jo-Jo, and had success on the pop charts beyond that of the original band.