Did you know that Dru Hill helped hip-hop artists get their big break? The R&B group, which now consists of Sisqo, Black and Smoke (the latter two used to be in the R&B group Playa) stopped by ESSENCE to talk about their legacy in the industry.
“We helped put Ja Rule out,” Sisqo recalled. “He was on our ‘You Are Everything (Remix).’ “
The hit 1998 song was featured on the Baltimore-bred group’s double-platinum album, Enter the Dru.
Sisqo tells ESSENCE that back then hip-hop was still believed to be a passing fad, and many record companies would have rappers spit a verse on an R&B track as an entryway into the mainstream.
Other artists featured on Dru Hill’s tracks included Method Man, N.O.R.E. and Da Brat.
Learn more about Black music history, including why Sisqo doesn’t know the words to Destiny Child’s hit “Say My Name” by watching the R&B group play ESSENCE’s game The B-Side. It tests the group’s knowledge of Black culture. Check out the video above!