# K-Ci & JoJo
**K-Ci & JoJo** are an American R&B duo formed by brothers Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey (born 1969) and Joel "JoJo" Hailey (born 1971), the two lead singers of the 1990s group [Jodeci](https://www.edgepedia.org/jodeci) who branched out on their own in 1996 and 1997.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/k-ci-jojo-p210589/biography) • [2](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/hailey-jojo-and-k-ci) Their ballad-heavy sound, built on gospel-reared harmonies, produced the number one pop and R&B hit "All My Life" in 1998 and a string of platinum albums on [MCA Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/mca-records) through the late 1990s and early 2000s.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/k-ci-jojo-p210589/biography)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Members | Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey and Joel "JoJo" Hailey, brothers from North Carolina[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/k-ci-jojo-p210589/biography) |
| Origins | Grew up singing in church choirs in Charlotte, North Carolina, and toured the South with their father's gospel group[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/k-ci-jojo-p210589/biography) |
| Jodeci years | One of two pairs of brothers in the chart-topping '90s group Jodeci, which released three double-platinum albums between 1991 and 1995[3](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/jodeci/biography/) |
| Breakthrough | "All My Life" reached number one on both the pop and R&B charts in early 1998[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/k-ci-jojo-p210589/biography) |
| Debut album | *Love Always* (1997) sold over four million copies[4](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/kci-jojo/biography/) |
| Awards | Nominated for Grammy Awards in two categories; won the American Music Award for Favorite R&B/Soul Band, Duo or Group[4](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/kci-jojo/biography/) |
| Albums | *Love Always* (1997), *It's Real* (1999), *X* (2000), *Emotional* (2002), *My Brother's Keeper* (2013)[5](https://www.allmusic.com/album/r421420) |
## Gospel beginnings
The Hailey brothers grew up in Monroe, North Carolina, in a Pentecostal family in which, by K-Ci's account, "like 90 percent" of the household sang.[6](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-17-ca-56716-story.html) As children they performed in their father's gospel group, Little Cedric and the Hailey Singers; K-Ci recalled being nine and JoJo seven when the group, consisting of the brothers, their parents, and a few friends, toured churches across the country in a minibus.[6](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-17-ca-56716-story.html) Their 1983 album *Jesus Saves* reached number four on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart.[7](https://oxfordamerican.org/magazine/issue-111-winter-2020/the-gospel-of-jodeci)
[Secular music](https://www.edgepedia.org/secular-music) was discouraged at home; K-Ci said the brothers had to sneak recordings of [Al Green](https://www.edgepedia.org/al-green) into the car.[6](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-17-ca-56716-story.html) That church training shaped the duo's later sound: critics described K-Ci's raspy, preacher-like growl and JoJo's smoother tones as complementary voices in the classic soul tradition.[8](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/pop-the-gospel-truth-1102292.html)
## Jodeci and the move toward a duo
When the Haileys met the DeGrate brothers, Dalvin and DeVante Swing, they decided to switch to secular music and formed Jodeci, a quartet that fused gospel-trained vocals with new jack swing.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/k-ci-jojo-p210589/biography) After signing with the Uptown label (distributed by MCA), Jodeci released *Forever My Lady* (1991), *Diary of a Mad Band* (1993), and *The Show, the After Party, the Hotel* (1995), each certified double platinum at two million copies.[3](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/jodeci/biography/) The group's streetwise image earned it the nickname "the bad boys of R&B."[9](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1998/07/11/dual-personality/778ba4b5-66f6-42e1-ac0a-52a74f2c0936/)
The first signs of independence came while Jodeci was still active. In 1994 K-Ci recorded a solo single, a cover of [Bobby Womack](https://www.edgepedia.org/bobby-womack)'s "If You Think You're Lonely Now," for the soundtrack of the film *[Jason's Lyric](https://www.edgepedia.org/jasons-lyric)*.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/k-ci-jojo-p210589/biography) In 1996, a year after Jodeci's third album, the brothers officially teamed up to record "How Could You" for the *Bulletproof* soundtrack and supplied backing vocals on 2Pac's hit "How Do U Want It."[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/k-ci-jojo-p210589/biography) JoJo later explained that a duet album for the Hailey brothers had been DeVante's idea from before Jodeci had a record deal; when DeVante and Dalvin were not ready for a Jodeci reunion, the brothers kept recording on their own.[10](https://www.thefader.com/2015/04/15/jodeci-interview-k-ci-mr-dalvin)
## Love Always and "All My Life"
The side project became a full collaboration with the 1997 debut album *Love Always*.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/k-ci-jojo-p210589/biography) The lead single, "You Bring Me Up," was a Top Ten R&B hit, followed by "Last Night's Letter."[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/k-ci-jojo-p210589/biography) The album itself initially received only a modest reception, barely reaching the top 25 before fading.[9](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1998/07/11/dual-personality/778ba4b5-66f6-42e1-ac0a-52a74f2c0936/)
The turnaround came from a ballad JoJo had written for his seven-year-old daughter and had almost given to another artist.[2](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/hailey-jojo-and-k-ci) A Honolulu radio station began playing "All My Life," other stations followed, and the song reached number one on both the pop and R&B charts in early 1998, resuscitating the album.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/k-ci-jojo-p210589/biography) • [9](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1998/07/11/dual-personality/778ba4b5-66f6-42e1-ac0a-52a74f2c0936/) In the United Kingdom it peaked at number 8 on the Official Singles Chart in April 1998, and Universal Music's Japanese biography notes that the single also reached number one in countries outside the United States.[11](https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/k-ci-jojo-all-my-life/) • [4](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/kci-jojo/biography/) *Love Always* went on to sell more than four million copies.[4](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/kci-jojo/biography/) At the Washington Post's 1998 profile the album was already approaching triple platinum, and [Steven Spielberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/steven-spielberg) had asked the brothers to record a theme for an upcoming animated film.[9](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1998/07/11/dual-personality/778ba4b5-66f6-42e1-ac0a-52a74f2c0936/)
The duo's wholesome romantic image was a deliberate departure from Jodeci's raunchy persona. K-Ci told Billboard in 1997 that the duo did not use the word "sex" once on the whole album.[12](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/k-ci-jojo)
## The MCA albums, 1999-2002
*It's Real* (1999) stayed close to the sound of its predecessor and was another Top Ten, platinum-selling album.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/k-ci-jojo-p210589/biography) Its single "Tell Me It's Real" topped out at number two on both the pop and R&B charts.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/k-ci-jojo-p210589/biography) The album kept production largely a family affair, working with close confidants including Babyface, with one notable exception: [R. Kelly](https://www.edgepedia.org/r-kelly) wrote, arranged, and produced "Life," which also appeared on the soundtrack of the [Eddie Murphy](https://www.edgepedia.org/eddie-murphy) and [Martin Lawrence](https://www.edgepedia.org/martin-lawrence) film of the same name.[12](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/k-ci-jojo) Sales passed the platinum mark six weeks after release.[12](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/k-ci-jojo)
*Emotional* (2002) was K-Ci & JoJo's fourth record; initial sales failed to duplicate the success of its predecessors and it scraped the Top 20 of the R&B chart.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/k-ci-jojo-p210589/biography)
## Later years
The duo's recording pace slowed as they worked on material for a long-rumored Jodeci reunion album; a 2000 Billboard report said the two pairs of brothers had reconnected for a reunion slated for 2001.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/k-ci-jojo-p210589/biography) • [13](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/00s/2000/BB-2000-12-02.pdf) Six years after *Emotional*, they released *Love* in Japan only.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/k-ci-jojo-p210589/biography)
Their hard-partying lifestyle took a toll on the duo's career. In 2010 the cable network TV One documented their substance abuse recovery in the series *K-Ci & JoJo: Come Clean*. They signed to eOne and released *My Brother's Keeper* in 2013.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/k-ci-jojo-p210589/biography)
## References
1. [K-Ci & JoJo Biography by Steve Huey, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/k-ci-jojo-p210589/biography)
2. [Hailey, JoJo and K-Ci, Encyclopedia.com (Contemporary Musicians)](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/hailey-jojo-and-k-ci)
3. [JODECI Biography, Universal Music Japan](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/jodeci/biography/)
4. [K-CI & JOJO Biography, Universal Music Japan](https://www.universal-music.co.jp/kci-jojo/biography/)
5. [It's Real review, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/album/r421420)
6. [The King of Sing, Los Angeles Times, July 17, 1999](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-17-ca-56716-story.html)
7. [The Gospel of Jodeci, Oxford American, Winter 2020](https://oxfordamerican.org/magazine/issue-111-winter-2020/the-gospel-of-jodeci)
8. [Pop: The gospel truth, The Independent, June 25, 1999](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/pop-the-gospel-truth-1102292.html)
9. [Dual Personality, The Washington Post, July 11, 1998](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1998/07/11/dual-personality/778ba4b5-66f6-42e1-ac0a-52a74f2c0936/)
10. [This Is What Happened To Jodeci After 20 Years, The FADER, April 15, 2015](https://www.thefader.com/2015/04/15/jodeci-interview-k-ci-mr-dalvin)
11. [All My Life chart history, Official Charts Company](https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/k-ci-jojo-all-my-life/)
12. [K-Ci & JoJo, Encyclopedia.com (Contemporary Musicians)](https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/k-ci-jojo)
13. [Next Project For Jodeci Members Will Be A Reunion Album, Billboard, December 2, 2000](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/00s/2000/BB-2000-12-02.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Ensembles and groups › Rock, pop, and metal bands › Musical duos, supergroups, and collaborative projects › Hip-hop and R&B duos*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license