K-Ci and JoJo
interviewsofrecordingartists.com
Joel "JoJo" Hailey, half of the R&B/hip-hop duo K-Ci and JoJo, says fans should not expect a circuslike stage show when the two brothers from Charlotte, N.C., come to Detroit's Fox Theatre on Thursday.
"We're trying to re-introduce real singing and performing with our band" on our current tour, Hailey says. "Fans won't leave saying 'Man, we saw 50,000 explosions, K-Ci jumped out of a tiger's mouth, then the stage blew up!' No way is that going to happen. We're not about that."
Hailey, 29, along with brother Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey, 31, were previously members of Jodeci, a successful mid-'90s hip-hop group. Jodeci disbanded in 1996 and has been on what JoJo calls an "extended hiatus."
Some of material released by Jodeci was viewed by many as raw and at times even raunchy. And the Hailey brothers knew it was time to change things.
K-Ci and JoJo's debut album, Love Always (1997), began the duo's transformation, featuring a softer side "focusing on soul music that's coming from the heart," JoJo says.
The brother's latest album, X, continues to shed the bad-boy image in favor of a more crafted, polished entity.
"We don't want to take that old image around with us anymore," JoJo Hailey says, "because with that comes preconceived notions of who we are. We've been in the game for over 10 years now. So we've made the decision to make records that are not just about having sex with somebody. We made a conscious decision to make a record that everybody can listen to.
"I want to make records that are going to be classics. Ten years from now, you can pull our current record out of your collection and play the songs for your kids. This is about love songs for not only our generation, but for their generation. That's where we're coming from at this stage in our careers."
The Hailey's began singing together as children, joining gospel singers in southern Pentecostal churches. JoJo says singing with his brother is second nature.
"We've been performing together for so long, that if he swings his hand at me, I'm going to know when to duck," JoJo Hailey says. "We just know what each other is going to do whenever we're on stage. And when we come to town, people understand that from seeing and hearing us sing. No doubt about it."
Hailey says the duo's next project might even be in the form of a Jodeci reunion album. "We never left each other," Hailey says. "We actually never split up. We just took a break."
But for the time being the duo is working to attract as broad an audience as possible.
"Everything is now coming from the heart. We're coming from the standpoint that our vocals and music come first. And I believe that attitude will come out in our live shows. We're not cats who are just studio singers. Everything in our show is live, it's real. Just solid singing and music. Straight forward."
End.
interviewsofrecordingartists.com
Joel "JoJo" Hailey, half of the R&B/hip-hop duo K-Ci and JoJo, says fans should not expect a circuslike stage show when the two brothers from Charlotte, N.C., come to Detroit's Fox Theatre on Thursday. "We're trying to re-introduce real singing and performing with our band" on our current tour, Hailey says. "Fans won't leave saying 'Man, we saw 50,000 explosions, K-Ci jumped out of a tiger's mouth, then the stage blew up!' No way is that going to happen. We're not about that." Hailey, 29, along with brother Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey, 31, were previously members of Jodeci, a successful mid-'90s hip-hop group. Jodeci disbanded in 1996 and has been on what JoJo calls an "extended hiatus." Some of material released by Jodeci was viewed by many as raw and at times even raunchy. And the Hailey brothers knew it was time to change things. K-Ci and JoJo's debut album, Love Always (1997), began the duo's transformation, featuring a softer side "focusing on soul music that's coming from the heart," JoJo says. The brother's latest album, X, continues to shed the bad-boy image in favor of a more crafted, polished entity. "We don't want to take that old image around with us anymore," JoJo Hailey says, "because with that comes preconceived notions of who we are. We've been in the game for over 10 years now. So we've made the decision to make records that are not just about having sex with somebody. We made a conscious decision to make a record that everybody can listen to. "I want to make records that are going to be classics. Ten years from now, you can pull our current record out of your collection and play the songs for your kids. This is about love songs for not only our generation, but for their generation. That's where we're coming from at this stage in our careers." The Hailey's began singing together as children, joining gospel singers in southern Pentecostal churches. JoJo says singing with his brother is second nature. "We've been performing together for so long, that if he swings his hand at me, I'm going to know when to duck," JoJo Hailey says. "We just know what each other is going to do whenever we're on stage. And when we come to town, people understand that from seeing and hearing us sing. No doubt about it." Hailey says the duo's next project might even be in the form of a Jodeci reunion album. "We never left each other," Hailey says. "We actually never split up. We just took a break." But for the time being the duo is working to attract as broad an audience as possible. "Everything is now coming from the heart. We're coming from the standpoint that our vocals and music come first. And I believe that attitude will come out in our live shows. We're not cats who are just studio singers. Everything in our show is live, it's real. Just solid singing and music. Straight forward."
End.
