Filled with hit singles, incredible album cuts and great sequencing, this one JUST misses out on the coveted 5 stars due to a bit of slowdown about halfway through. But arguing is what I do best! All four original members wrote and produced several of the songs here, making it an extremely personal and cohesive release. Soul in Stereo rating: 4.5 stars out of 5Įdd said: For many fans, this is THE definitive Dru Hill release and it’s pretty hard to argue against that. The lack of a standout track hurts the legacy of this one (“I Should Be” and “I Love You” both come realllllly close) and things get a little weak on the second half of the album but this one deserves a little more love.įorgotten favorites: “If I Could,” “I Should Be,” “I Love You” Scola joined the original for members to form a pretty formidable quintet, which found their groove thanks to production from Nokio, Bryan-Michael Cox and others. It certainly was the Dru’s weakest at that point but far from a disaster. Soul in Stereo rating: 3.5 stars out of 5Įdd said: Dru World Order took a beating from critics back in 2002, but I argued then just as I argue now – it’s not a BAD release. Asking Sisqo to recapture the magic of his debut was already a tough task and this one fell way short.įorgotten favorites: “Can I Live,” “Close Your Eyes” There are brief flashes of brilliance to be found but, similar to InDRUpendence Day, all that goodwill is lost when surrounded by so much mediocrity. Following the meteoric rise of Sisqo’s solo career, he quickly dropped this follow up, and man, in no way did it measure up to its predecessor. It was far from the comeback they deserved.įorgotten favorites: “Away,” “Back to the Future,” “Below Zero”Įdd said: If you’ve never heard of the “sophomore jinx” let me introduce you to Return of Dragon. InDRUpendence Day (try saying that five times fast – or even one time fast) certainly had its share of highs but they were cluttered in a very inconsistent package. The results were mixed, to say the least. It had been nearly a decade since their last LP, new member Tao stepped in to replace the departed Woody while fifth member Scola also bowed out, and it all came on the heels of a Keith Sweat-produced reality show that aimed to thrust the dragon brand back into the spotlight. Last Dragon makes for a decent listen I guess, but don’t expect to party like it’s 1999.įorgotten favorites: “Lips,” “Round and Round”Įdd said: The Dru had a lot to prove with this one. But for the most part, his road to redemption is pretty uneventful. Occasionally Sisqo picks up steam on this one, other times he’s hindered by huge potholes. BUT since, Dru’s discography is pretty limited, as an added treat I’m throwing in frontman Sisqo’s solo LPs in the mix as well.Įdd said: Bet you forgot about this album! I certainly did, despite the fact that it’s less than five years old AND I reviewed it! Sisqo’s post “Thong Song” career has always been a bit of a rocky road, and that continues with Last Dragon. As usual, we’re skipping EPs, compilations and Christmas albums (though you should definitely check out their Christmas in Baltimore album if you haven’t already). Album quality, consistency, and impact on the genre are how the rankings are determined. Let’s look back at Dru Hill’s career and the LPs that defined them, ranking them from bottom to top.
In the meantime, let’s revisit the glory days. With Dru plotting their next moves – Smokey and Black from Playa are now along for the ride – all we can do is patiently await Second Coming, their upcoming release in the new year. Rotating group members, infighting and inconsistent releases have slowed their momentum over the years, but make no mistake – that dragon logo is still the standard for R&B excellence. Their story, though, definitely comes with struggles. Jagged Edge is another contender, but their best work doesn’t quite match up to Dru’s greatest outings.ĭru Hill very well may be R&B’s last great group. What other R&B group in recent memory can boast the quality of albums, worldwide appeal and hit records that those Dru boys can? Sure 112 comes to mind, but they released their debut months before Dru’s, so they don’t count. But the more I thought about it, the more validity there is to that claim. A couple of weeks ago, I read an intriguing hot take on these here Internets:Īt first glance, I was ready to argue.
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