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Dru Hill have carried the torch for hip-hop soul since the early '90s, becoming pioneers of this R&B subgenre. The Baltimore-based quartet have cooked up a melting pot of sounds, fusing silky, soulful vocals with hip-hop grooves and gospel rhythms.
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Dru Hill -- a moniker inspired by Druid Hill Park on Baltimore's West Side -- formed in 1992, just as hip-hop soul was emerging. Before their big break, high school friends Mark Sisqo Andrews, Larry Jazz Anthony, James Woody Rock Green and Tamir Nokio Ruffin performed at The Fudgery, a local candy factory in Baltimore.
Sisqo, Dru Hill's charismatic frontman, embarked on a solo career in the late '90s. His debut album, Unleash the Dragon, was a worldwide commercial smash, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and shifting five million units in the U.S. alone. Incomplete, the fourth single from the album, became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2000.
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Dru Hill first made waves in 1996. Their eponymous debut spawned two top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. (In My Bed and Never Make a Promise peaked at No. 4 and No. 7, respectively.) However, it was their sophomore effort that made them part of the national psyche. Enter the Dru (1998) hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200, went double platinum and brought them their biggest hit to date -- How Deep is Your Love, featuring Redman.
One year later, the group collaborated with then-rapper Will Smith on Wild Wild West, which was recorded for the motion picture of the same name. The track propelled up the Billboard Hot 100, before landing at No. 1.
Dru Hill released their third album, Dru World Order, in 2002. It combined elements of gospel, soul and funk. The 13-track set was another success, reaching No. 21 on the Billboard 200 and producing the singles I Should Be... and I Love You, both of which made the Billboard Hot 100.
After an eight-year hiatus, Dru Hill returned to the studio in 2008 and released their fourth album, InDRUpendence Day (2010). A reality TV show, Platinum House, followed the group as they recorded and promoted the album. InDRUpendence Day reached No. 30 on the Billboard 200 and generated the singles Love MD, Remain Silent and Back to the Future.
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Fans of Dru Hill might also enjoy TLC or Mary J. Blige.
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