Dru Hill is an American R&B group from Baltimore, Maryland in 1992. Founded by Tamir “Nokio” Ruffin, the group consisted of four members upon its inception, including singer Mark “Sisqó” Andrews, Larry “Jazz” Anthony, and James “Woody Rock” Green. The group experienced years of popularity following the release of their first two albums, Dru Hill and Enter the Dru, which were well received. Their most notable singles include “In My Bed” from Dru Hill and “How Deep Is Your Love” from Enter the Dru.
The members of Dru Hill were friends from their school days in Baltimore. Ruffin, Andrews, and Green were all pursuing careers in music in the Baltimore area before they formed Dru Hill. The three of them were attending Baltimore City College when they formed a singing group named 14K Harmony with two friends, and they gained a notable amount of attention while performing around the Baltimore area at various colleges and universities. By 1994, Ruffin, Andrews, and Green’s friends from college split away from 14K Harmony and were replaced by Anthony, who at the time had been singing opera in his high school.
The quartet continued to sing as 14K Harmony at a variety of venues, most notable of which was a fudge factory named The Fudgery, where they would perform for visitors. It was during these years in Baltimore when the group was noticed by Hiram Hicks of Island Records, who offered them a contract. Upon signing to Island Records the group rebranded themselves under the name “Dru Hill”, a moniker for a local park in Baltimore, and acquired a dragon as their logo.
After years of success throughout the 1990’s, the group separated from 1999 to 2002 due to desires to pursue solo careers. Andrews and Green both released solo albums during this time, titled Unleash the Dragon and Soul Music LP, respectively. Unleash the Dragon, a pop album, and Soul Music LP, a gospel album, were both fairly popular and well received.
In 2002 the group rejoined with the addition of a fifth member, Rufus “Scola” Waller, and released a third album, Dru World Order. The album was not successful. Following the release, Green parted from the group again, to be replaced by a new member, Antwuan “Tao” Simpson. Dru Hill released a fourth album in 2010 titled InDRUpendence Day, which was a success at #30 on the Billboard 200.