Dru Hill is a quintet again. Following the recent departure of original member Larry “Jazz” Anthony, the legendary R&B group has announced two additional members.
Jawann “Smoke” Peacock and Benjamin “Black” Bush, former members of R&B group Playa, are now with Dru Hill. Playa, which also included the late Stephen “Static Major” Garrett, was best known for their Timbaland-produced song “Cheers 2 U.”
Along with the announcement of their new lineup, Dru Hill also revealed they are working on a new album titled The Second Coming. Set to arrive this fall, the new project is being produced by Troy Taylor (Trey Songz, Mary J. Blige, Ginuwine). It will follow 2010’s InDRUpendence, which debuted at No. 30 on the Billboard 200.
In an interview with VIBE, Smoke shared his take on how Playa’s and Dru Hill’s sound will be merged. “We are bringing our churchy, soulful vocals — which is the foundation of Playa’s legacy — and adding them to the legacy of Dru Hill,” he said. “I feel like we bring a whole other concept of harmonies and melodies to the table. And not only that, we’re writers, producers, and arrangers.”
In other news, Jazz is spreading good vibes with his heartwarming single “All Your Love.” Although he and Dru Hill have gone their separate ways, he has “nothing but love for [his] brothers.”
“I will always be a member of the Dru family,” Jazz tells Rated R&B in an exclusive statement. “We continue to support each other’s endeavors and I wish them well.”
We look forward to hearing both Dru Hill’s and Jazz’s upcoming album.
