As founding members of the multiplatinum R&B sensation Jodeci, Hailey brothers K-Ci and JoJo were among the first in a modern breed of artists to rekindle the magic that once informed classic soul music. Since recording two albums as a duo, these siblings continue to carry that torch, infusing their music with the timeless stylings of Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, the O'Jays, and more. This LAUNCH exclusive of the duo's "Tell Me It's Real" clearly demonstrates the group's decade-long commitment to bringing quality R&B to the masses. "We want our music to be universal," says K-Ci. "It has no color, no boundaries. We just want to touch everybody's hearts." One track on the new album It's Real that is sure to touch people's hearts is "Momma's Song," penned by-you guessed it--the guys' mother. "She would always say, 'You need to do a message song,'" recounts JoJo of Ma Hailey's contribution to the disc. And though he agreed, the artist says it was not until his sister put the song right in his face that he truly paid attention. Now, he says, he's glad he did. "That song was meant to be," he notes. But just because the duo is collaborating with their mom, don't think they are regressing. "During the first CD we wanted to try a mature sound and it worked out," K-Ci says. "Coming into this album, we decided to roll with it, man." Adds JoJo: "It's a different ballgame than when we started out with Jodeci. We're older, the fans are older. But we've got the same voices, and I'm comfortable with where we are now."
