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The two sets of brothers that make up Jodeci--Donald "DeVante Swing" and Dalvin DeGrate, and Cedric "K-Ci" and Joel "JoJo" Hailey--first met when they were gospel-music singers in their native North Carolina. The group's members candidly admit they switched genres because R. and B. is more profitable than gospel. But the secular path has not always been an easy one. In 1993 a woman claimed that DeVante had pointed a gun at her and K-Ci had fondled her. Earlier this year, DeVante pleaded guilty to gun charges in the case, and K-Ci pleaded guilty to sexual contact; both received sentences of probation and community service. Says Dalvin: "Being a role model is a hard job. Once you step off that pedestal, everyone wants to drag you in the mud and beat you down. I don't want to be a role model."
Nonetheless, Jodeci has lately tried to project a more responsible--and marketable--image, helping to found UrbanAID for LIFEbeat, a group that promotes the use of condoms among urban youth. One of the best songs on its new CD, Love U 4 Life, sings the praises of marriage: "I want to take you by the hand/ and walk with you down that aisle." Says DeVante: "We don't want to be single all our lives." Despite Jodeci's bad-boy-next-door image, its music has a sentimental streak, and that is its secret. After the after-party, the members of Jodeci are looking for something more.