Source: Brian Stukes / Getty
If you’ve seen a picture of the legendary R&B group Dru Hill recently, you might have noticed that quite a few things have changed. For years now, Dru Hill has been known for their substitutions, subtractions and additions of group members. In promotion of their upcoming episode of “Unsung” on TV ONE, we spoke to Sisqó and new members Black and Smoke about the changes, the group’s history and more. See what they had to say below.
MN: I saw the “Unsung” episode and I think it was songwriter and record producer Daryl Simmons who said he believed that as a group you didn’t get everything that you were supposed to get out of your careers. He said that you were supposed to do more and have more success than you did. What do you think about that statement? Do you agree?
Sisqó: Hmm…Well, considering that ever commercial release has gone either platinum or multi- platinum. We are somewhere different around the world at sold out shows every week. I don’t know if I agree with him. A couple of days ago, we were at a sold out show here in L.A. at The Forum. Just got back from Dubai. Thirty thousand people in Australia. Then next week, we going to Jordan. Not Michael Jordan but the Jesus Jordan so we’re known all over the world. Then we got our show coming on “Unsung.” We own our own masters. If that ain’t success I don’t know what is.
MN: Can you speak to me about the process of owning your masters because so many artists are not in that position?
Sisqó: It’s not really the easiest thing to have happen. But me personally, I had a first-hand lesson with Dru Hill when we found out what we were supposed to get paid. You’ll see it on the show so I don’t want to give it away. That was what prompted me to renegotiate when I did my solo project. A lot of people don’t know that “Thong Song” and “Incomplete,” my album was on my label. So today, any time they sing my music—like the other day they sang my song on the Oscars. Then the Backstreet Boys sang it on Jimmy Fallon. It’s really been good for me.
It was because I had bargaining chips. When I did my solo album, I recorded the album myself. I had borrowed some money from our manager Kevin Peck and then I went and recorded all of the music and then basically sold it back to the label. A lot of times, it’s difficult to really own stuff when the label is getting writers and producers to write you hits. That’s when they own it so they’re not really prone to come up off that.
MN: I went to one of you guys’ shows in Indianapolis and I believe Jazz wasn’t there and I think you guys had his brother sing for him that day. So I just wanted to know what’s going on with Jazz? Is he doing well? Is him stepping away from the group temporary?
Sisqó: Well this is Dru Hill season 5. It’s a whole different group today. But regardless of what members come in or out of the group, y’all can always be sure that Sisqó’s not going anywhere and the soul of Dru Hill is still here. And you can tell that from when we first came out we said, “Tell Me What You Want” and now, we gon give you “What You Need.” And that’s our new single.
MN: So for the people who don’t know, who are the new members in the group?
What’s up this is Black!
And this is Smoke.
MN: So what parts are you singing? What roles do you guys fulfill in the group, would you say?
Black: We sing but I think we’re just continuing to add to the excellence of Dru Hill. Dru Hill has always been an iconic group. We been rockin with Dru Hill for over 20 years. We went on our first tours together. We were signed to the same label Def Jam together. So we were able to, back then, forge a real brotherhood. We like to say we first cousins. It’s still the super impact energy show. We’re still reaching excellence as far as singing. So much of what Dru Hill was and is about the singing and you’re going to always get that when you come to a Dru Hill show.
Sisqó: Smoke and Black are originally from a multi-platinum group Playa. That’s them. So they’ve already had platinum success. They’re accomplished writers and producers. They’ve written for everybody from Aaliyah, Ginuwine. Remember when Jodeci was sounding different on the third album? That was Playa. So it kind of worked out because people said that we sounded a little bit like Jodeci. So bam, best of both worlds.
Black: The influences are super similar so it was an easy transition. Plus Dru’s one of my favorite groups.
Sisqó: Well Playa was one of my favorite groups so boom.
Black: There it is.
Smoke: Y’all getting ready to make me cry again.
Source: Brian Stukes / Getty
MN: So what has been the audience response to the new members? I don’t know if you guys are able to tell from the stage but are people surprised with these new faces? Is the reception and the energy still the same with these new voices?
Sisqó: When we come out on stage, I keep it 1000. We talk to the crowd straight up. ‘This ain’t the same members you used to. But let me introduce you to ‘em.’ And then we sing and everything’s all good.
Black: It’s funny when we were back on Def Jam, we would be opening up for rappers. So we’re used to having to win people over. I like that. I like for a person to give me a dead stare because by the second or third song, they’re smiling and talking back to me. So it’s our job to win them over and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s Dru Hill. Our fans follow us well. So I like having to prove that I was a good choice.
MN: So Sisqó you said you’ll never leave the group, why is that? You easily could have. You did have solo success, you could still have solo success. Why are you still committed to the group?
Sisqó: I still do my solo stuff. And then the Dru Hill show is like a completely different beast. There have been times when I thought about maybe leaving the group but I didn’t think that was fair to the fans. They’ve stuck with us through all of the changes and all of the many, many different group members. They stayed with us through all of that. A lot of times there’s some behind the scenes stuff that people don’t really know is going on. If somebody is putting you in a position where you can’t keep the brand moving then it’s like, ‘Am I supposed to quit?’ Nah. Cuz then they win. I’m not going to give up on the brand that we’ve all worked really, really hard to get to this place. I don’t think it’s fair.
MN: I saw you mentioned on “Unsung” that you didn’t like “Sleeping In My Bed,” initially. Were there any other songs in your catalog you really weren’t feeling when they were first presented to you?
Sisqó: Yeah. “Never Make a Promise.” That’s why I’m not singing lead. But it all worked out. I told you, I keep it 1000. Good, bad or ugly I’ma keep it 1000 with you. I didn’t want to sing “In My Bed” because nobody was creeping in my bed that I knew of. And I was like ‘I don’t want to sing this song.’ So I just took that energy and channeled it into the song and it ended up working. But that’s a testament to me being a team player. Just because I didn’t want to do it, that didn’t mean that the group, the label didn’t think it was a good song. So I was like okay, despite what my personal feelings are, squad first.
MN: Do you still feel that way about it or do you have a new appreciation for it now?
Sisqó: What? “In My Bed”
MN: Never Make a Promise
Sisqó: Jazz really sings it well so I like it now. Initially I didn’t.
Smoke: That trips me out because I done told Sisqo so many times, that’s my favorite Dru Hill song. I’m like, ‘Man, what are you talking about?’
MN: In the origin story of Dru Hill, you guys were friends first, specifically you and Woody. And so I wanted to know that even though you two are not in a group together any more, do you still have a personal relationship or friendship with Woody outside of performing?
Sisqó: Yeah. Woody and I speak every once in a while. And I’ve tried to coerce him back into the group but he said he don’t want to do it. And I’m like ‘Aight.’ I can’t force you to pick up this bag of money.
MN: Do you feel like there were things you guys weren’t prepared for in terms of getting into the music industry and your success? Because kind of happened pretty fast. Do you think not having anticipated certain things was the reason certain people felt like they needed to leave?
Sisqó: You know what, probably. I couldn’t tell you because it’s difficult for me to wrap my mind around why anybody wouldn’t want to be a part of something that we all put our blood, sweat and tears into. When we were overseas, it was this crazy thing that happened when we were on tour. I think that was the thing that made Woody say, ‘You know what, I’m cool’ But I don’t know for real. Maybe it was a series of things. I couldn’t’ really tell you. It’s clearly something personal. And plus I can’t speak on whoever’s not here. Let those guys speak for themselves.
MN: You mentioned other projects in addition to the “Unsung” episode…
Sisqó: “Unsung” is coming on the 23rd and then the biopic that we just signed on for is going to be shown the following year, around the same time. “Unsung” is basically like part one of the story. We signed it with BET. They’re really known for the biopic. The last one they did with New Edition was really good. I was told by the writer, the person that was interviewing me, they’re probably going to have to get somebody really young to play me because I still look the same.
MN: You do.
Sisqó: Thank you. I was like 17 back then. I said you know what, I’ll take that.
MN: I did want to ask you because “Unsung” skipped over this but can you talk about the decision you made to dye your hair blond and all of the different colors you had. Coming from church and coming from Baltimore, and in the Black community that’s not something we really see but you always embraced the eclectic side of yourself. And people don’t really question it…
Sisqó: Oh no, they questioned it. They totally questioned it. People was thinking I was gay. And the label didn’t even want my hair that color. That’s why if you look on the first cover, you’ll see they got a hat on me. But I don’t want to tell too much of that story. You got to tune in for that one.
MN: What’s coming up next for you guys?
Black: Make sure you get that new single, “What You Need,” it’s available on all digital platforms. Album coming soon. Just know that Dru Hill is here forever. We’re going to continue to raise the bar on R&B, real singing and real performing.
Sisqó: And the album is called Dru Hill: The Second Coming.
You can follow Dru Hill @druhill4real and DruHillOnline.com. You can catch the group’s episode of “Unsung” on Sunday, February 23, 2020 at 10 P.M. ET/9C on TV ONE.
