I knew this would happen. As soon as I saw how successful BET’s “The New Edition Story” was on social media, I figured that any and all media companies who’ve had biopics in development would get the greenlight and go full bore. And I am very happy to be here.
According to Mr. Dalvin, a Jodeci biopic is in the works, with a script already written and has gone into production. This news is exciting to many people. I am one of them. Not to go all fan girl but I want to see a Jodeci biopic for many, many reasons. Here are 10 of them.
1. The Jodeci story isn’t exactly a happy one. There have to be all kinds of lessons in this joint.
Look, I’m glad “The New Edition Story” didn’t end like “The Temptations Movie”, which, I mean, SHIT; that was sad. Everybody but Otis Williams and Dennis Edwards was dead. Otis sonned himself with the “ain’t nobody coming to see you, Otis” line, David Ruffin got tossed out of a car, Paul Williams killed himself years prior, Eddie Kendricks died of cancer, Melvin Franklin died in his wheelchair (in the movie at least). Shit was sad. Jodeci’s story isn’t like that (yet), but if you’ll recall, we’ve got chart topping albums and singles AND we’ve got niggas passing out on stage, DeVante’s hair modeling several different angles of "what the fuck?", K-Ci and JoJo in rehab on reality television, erratic behaviors, violence, robberies, etc.
Jodeci pretty much lived the entire good, bad, and ugly of the music industry.
2. We know their story but we don’t KNOW their story.
This piggybacks off the first one, but to be a Jodeci fan is to know their backstory already. They jumped in a car from Charlotte, Dalvin hopped in the trunk and didn’t tell nobody, and they went to New York, Puffy shows up, they caught a deal with Uptown, DeVante became one of the most underrated and influential producers, like ever, after 1995’s The Show, The Afterparty, The Hotel album, Jodeci took a hiatus, K-Ci and JoJo released a string of albums to increasingly less and less fanfare (did you know they had FIVE albums?) though their first album was fucking banoodles.
But what about their early lives as gospel singers? K-Ci and DeVante worked together before Jodeci. How’d that all come to be? We know they’re church kids gon’ Stevie J. (which was Stevie J’s story too), but how far did they go from where they came from? Inquiring minds would like to know.
3. Shit, this could explain Dalvin.
Look, nobody thinks Dalvin contributed anything aside from being attractive. Maybe he booked more chicks than the rest. He played drums at the end of that video and said, “that’s what I do.” Awesome. But how do you NOT have your name be part of the group name that’s comprised of the group unless you just aren’t vital. That’s all I’m saying. So maybe the one silver lining is that we might get an answer to the age old question: did Dalvin actually add any value or did he luck into being the brother of DeVante? Or did he really just jump in the trunk after the name was already set in stone.
4. There could some significant Straight Outta Compton style omissions
I’m not sure how else to say this, but if a person whose name rhymes with Scary Hay Fries doesn’t catch and possibly dish out a two-piece in this movie and then go onto release one of the greatest R&B albums ever in My Life, it’s not complete. And I can’t see that person signing off on her life rights to be included. Point is, this could spawn several other biopics in response to the original biopic a la Straight Outta Compton and the subsequent Lifetime original, Surviving Compton via Michel'lé.
5. Jodeci’s run REALLY ended in 1995 but they still matter.
Sure they released an album in 2015, but let’s just not talk about that ever again. Prior to, though, their last contribution as a group was in 1995, and yet, the Jodeci legacy looms large over Black music. There are artists who are influenced by them today.
6. DeVante was a musical genius.
Watching DeVante come up with songs like “Freek ‘n U,” easily one of the greatest songs every created, would be worth the price of admission. I want to see DeVante locked into becoming the producer he was. DeVante is the sound of Jodeci and I want to see that process on camera.
6. Do you realize the artists came up under DeVante?
Timbaland. Missy. Ginuwine. Tweet. Stevie J. YES THAT STEVIE J WAS A SESSION MUSICIAN FOR JODECI. Bruh, Stevie J might end up in a movie. Even in its demise, the Swing Mob sold you, like, a trillion records.
7. Death Row Records
If you’ll remember DeVante, in particular, ended up working pretty heavily with Death Row Records. Apparently this was during the drug and alcohol portion of their lives, but the point is, Suge Knight will make appearances. Suge Knight would have had the best biopic run ever. He’s in damn near every major biopic that comes out nowadays. While this isn’t necessarily a good thing, Suge Knight is pretty much a vital part of your entire childhood if you grew up in the 80s and 90s whether you like it or not.
8. Let’s just give DeVante his own biopic
DeVante left North Carolina first trying to make his way as a producer, tried to get to Prince, created the Jodeci sound, worked with rappers and singers, got robbed, pistol whipped, and Death Row gave him cover and fear, rumored Mike Tyson interventions, a much more sexualized and raunchy album in 1995’s heavily Cali-influenced The Show, The After-Party, The Hotel. It had great singles, but it was also the end of Jodeci after I’m guessing all of the drugs, alcohol, violence, and shenanigans imploded the group. Then he seemed to get lost in the drugs and trappings of fame leading to various ODD and erratic situations, including “the hair” and an altercation at Subway. He’s lived.
9. K-Ci and JoJo had an entire second career and lots of rehab
Do you realize that K-Ci and Jojo had FIVE albums, post Jodeci? I remember two of them. But both of the Haley brothers battled alcoholism, even ending up on reality shows chronicling the addiction. I’m just saying, these boys lived a lot of lives.
10. Because “Cry 4 You” is one of the greatest videos ever made and I need to see them recreate it.
Anything less is uncivilized.