{"id":1206,"date":"2018-08-12T09:45:08","date_gmt":"2018-08-12T13:45:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lovepeacenslander.com\/?p=1206"},"modified":"2018-08-12T09:45:08","modified_gmt":"2018-08-12T13:45:08","slug":"dru-hill-add-new-members-announce-new-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lovepeacenslander.com\/index.php\/2018\/08\/12\/dru-hill-add-new-members-announce-new-music\/","title":{"rendered":"Dru Hill Add New Members, Announce New Music!"},"content":{"rendered":"

via\u00a0VIBE<\/a><\/p>\n

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R&B mainstays Dru Hill are extending its roster in a major way with the addition of fellow soul group Playa just in time for their forthcoming album,\u00a0The Second Coming<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Jawann \u201cSmoke\u201d Peacock and Benjamin \u201cBlack\u201d Bush have joined the group on the heels of the departure of Larry \u201cJazz\u201d Anthony. The group, still sharing the stage name of Dru Hill will now be comprised of Smoke, Black, Tamir \u201cNokio\u201d Ruffin, Mark \u201cSisqo\u201d Andrews and Antwuan \u201cTao\u201d Simpson as Jazz focuses on his career as a solo artist.<\/p>\n

Playa came into fruition in the early 90s with the help of Jodeci\u2019s Devante Swing. The late producer Static Major was also apart of the group, who worked closely with Timbaland to release their stand out track, \u201cCheers 2 U.\u201d The song spent 17 weeks on the Billboard R&B\/Hip-Hop charts in 1998.<\/p>\n

In a statement to\u00a0VIBE<\/i>, the group shared their excitement of what\u2019s to come along with their long-standing brotherhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile Jazz is working on solo endeavors, it only made sense to come together with our brothers,\u201d they said. \u201cNot many people know this, but we met way back in 1998 when we all played the Ladies Night Out tour and Playa was a trio. We\u2019ve been family ever since. When we stepped on that stage with Dru Hill for the first time this year, it was instant magic. We knew right away that this was where we all belonged.\u201d<\/p>\n

When it comes to their new<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

found union, Smoke explained how they plan to blend their unique flavor of R&B and soul.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are bringing our churchy, soulful vocals\u2014 which is the foundation of Playa\u2019s legacy\u2014 and adding them to the legacy of Dru Hill,\u201d Smoke tells\u00a0VIBE.<\/i>\u00a0\u201cI feel like we bring a whole other concept of harmonies and melodies to the table. And not only that, we\u2019re writers, producers, and arrangers. The vocals that Aaliyah came within the 90s, the overall feel of Drake\u2019s\u00a0Take Care<\/i>\u00a0album, we were a big part of making that happen and we\u2019re only going to keep innovating with Dru Hill on this next project. For me,\u00a0The Second Coming<\/i>\u00a0is definitely the resurrection of real R&B. Fans should get ready because as of this fall, R&B is no longer dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Their first performance as the superg<\/p>\n

roup will kick off Sunday (Aug. 12) at the\u00a0AFRAM Festival<\/a>in Baltimore which will also feature Ella Mai and Jacquees. It\u2019s also the first time ever Dru Hill will perform in Druid Hill Park, where they famously got their name.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:\u00a020 Years Later: A Definitive Ranking Of Dru Hill\u2019s Soulful Debut Album<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

R&B supergroups have been a winning formula for the genre. Some notable supergroups include\u00a0LSG<\/a>\u00a0comprised of the late Gerald Levert, Keith Sweat, and New Edition\u2019s Johnny Gill. There\u2019s also the infamous\u00a0TGT<\/a>which included Tyrese, Ginuwine, and Tank. The elusive\u00a0Lucy Pearl<\/a>that featured Raphael Saadiq, A Tribe Called Quest\u2019s Ali Shaheed Muhammad and former EnVouge songstress Dawn Robinson kept the trend fresh.<\/p>\n

The Second Coming<\/i>\u00a0will be released under their own label, Dru Hill Entertainment this fall. The project is produced by Grammy-winning writer and producer Troy Taylor of Songbook Entertainment. Known for his work with Boyz II Men, Mary J. Blige, and B2K, he helped curate the career of Trey Songz and most recently, R&B newcomer Kevin Ross.<\/p>\n

Dru Hill\u2019s previous release under their label was the critically acclaimed holiday EP,\u00a0Christmas in Baltimore\u00a0<\/i>in 2017.<\/p>\n

With R&B more defiant than ever, the supergroup is bound to bring all the\u00a0nayhoos<\/a>\u00a0we\u2019ve been craving.<\/p>\n

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A post shared by DRU HILL (@druhill4real)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n