R’n’B is the spiritual bridge between the sacred and secular
My homage to black gospel
If you follow me on social media (X in particular) then you will likely be aware of my love for Rhythm and Blues better known as R’n’B. If not, then here is an opportunity to learn a little more about me today. R’n’B has been my favourite music genre since I can remember. I’ve been exposed to wider array of music, from British Garage to US Hip Hop to Nigerian Afrobeats. However, it was American R’n’B of the late 90s/early 2000s – Usher, R Kelly, Ashanti, Jagged Edge etc that I had a strong affinity towards – it was the soulful element of sound. My favourite R’n’B act though were a little before my time. In fact, the group released their first album (1991) before I was born!
I discovered Jodeci much later down the line. I had heard of them though. It would be difficult not to as a black kid in London during the 90s/2000s where the consumption of African American pop culture (sitcoms, music, fashion etc) was at its peak. To the extent that it played a crucial role in shaping ‘black identity’ (even from across the Atlantic). I mean a lot of British rappers from inner city London kids initially started performing with a New York accent + the NYC snapback but that is a story for another day. Back to Jodeci, they were typically referenced in relation to the ‘lover boy’ in sitcoms. The ‘smooth talker’ who all the girls were head over heels for. It was clearly obvious that they had a profound impact on black pop culture, and I was sort of aware of this in the background. However, I believe it was when I listened to Bun B’s “You’re Everything” which sampled the vocals of Jodeci’s “Cry for You” for its chorus that I really began to delve deep into their library. I found their raw, emotionally charged style that blended gospel and soul utterly captivating. In fact, they are the inspiration for this piece, and I will get into them later but before that I wanted to explain a bit more about the role that music can play in our lives.
R’n’B is a musical style that offered a form of escapism for me. It really spoke (and still somewhat speaks) to my soul in ways that I simply can’t express in words alone. It is a form of epistemology for me, it serves as a means of knowing, understanding, and communicating human experiences, emotions, and ideas. I partly attribute this to my Nigerian background where music often fosters emotional and communal bonds during festivals, weddings, and funerals. I’ve grown up listening to a lot of such music in the household and my taste has certainly been shaped towards this direction. We also see this idea in the origins of gospel music where African musical sensibilities were mixed with Christian hymns in the context of the trans-Atlantic slave trade (African American Spiritual). You may be wondering where I am going with this, but I think it’s vital to highlight the origins and impact of gospel music before delving into the specifics of R’n’B. As I genuinely don’t believe that you can fully appreciate the R’n’B genre without understanding how gospel laid the groundwork.
As you may have guessed already, gospel originated from within the Black church and what made this music art unique was the way it blended spirituality with deep emotional and social expression. For e.g. performers use vocal techniques like shouting and growling to convey passion and spirituality, making for a deeply engaging and visceral experience. It’s inherently “relational music” as I call it.
We also see this relational dynamic expressed in the rhythmic + harmonic elements, instrumentation, performance style and themes around hope and struggle. All of this contributes to creating music that transcends entertainment. Gospel music conveys spiritual truths not just intellectually but emotionally. This emotional engagement deepens understanding and belief in those truths by helping listeners to feel the presence of God. Music ends up being a way of knowing. For gospel music, a way of knowing and connecting to divine love and power.
When African Americans migrated to urban centers during the Great Migration, they brought gospel with them which began to influence the secular music scene (blues and jazz). By the 1940s and 1950s, artists began blending gospel's vocal stylings and emotional depth with blues' and jazz's rhythmic and harmonic structures, creating the foundation for R’n’B. While gospel focused on spiritual themes like faith, hope, and divine love, R’n’B adopted similar musical elements to explore secular topics like romance and heartbreak. Ray Charles is often credited as the first artist to fully secularise gospel music into R'n'B, creating what would later be called "soul music”. Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin and James Brown are amongst the big names of the mid-20th century who came from gospel backgrounds and have left an indelible mark on the genre. I could write a tribute to each artist. However, this piece will be giving kudos to the “bad boys of R’n’B”. A group who revolutionised the music game in their own rights.
Jodeci are a quartet who consist of two pair of brothers. K-Ci (Cedric Hailey) and Jojo (Joel Hailey). DeVante Swing (Donald DeGrate Jr.) and Mr. Dalvin (Dalvin DeGrate). All who grew up in deeply religious Pentecostal backgrounds where their fathers were preachers. The Haileys were sang in the family gospel group whilst the DeGrate brothers were actively involved in their church's music programs, playing instruments and singing. They all eventually met through mutual connections and decided to form a group that would fuse their gospel roots with the rising popularity of New Jack Swing and contemporary R'n'B of the late 80s.
“Gospel singing is the only singing that I know”. – K-Ci
The group’s harmonies and vocal arrangements drew directly from gospel traditions. Both K-Ci and JoJo are known for their emotive delivery. The use of vibrato, melisma (the stretching of syllables across multiple notes). We see this in several of their songs. “Cry for You” feels like one of the many pleas/desperate calls for God that we find in the Psalms.
For me, it was these aspects that drew me to Jodeci’s music. The production felt so gospel. The dramatic piano chords, organ riffs, and climactic builds gave their songs an almost spiritual intensity. Then add in, the earnestness in their lyrics and delivery which often mirrored the redemptive themes of gospel music. It brought a sense of devotion and depth to their songs that really resonated with me. They had a unique ability in making secular love songs feel transcendent. What made Jodeci special was their duality. Spiritual yet sensual, soulful yet edgy. They were deeply influenced by the energy and intensity of gospel services, and they made damn sure that you felt it.
They weren’t just artists but trendsetters who shaped the trajectory of R’n’B with their fusion of gospel and hip hop. Groups like Jagged Edge, 112 and Dru Hill have clearly drawn inspiration from their work. Artists like Usher and Chris Brown could not have developed the personas they have today if not for Jodeci’s swag which opened the doors.
Jodeci demonstrated how gospel's emotional depth and vocal techniques could translate into mainstream success without losing its spiritual resonance. A true example of bridging the sacred and secular and if you ask me, that is R’n’B at its finest.