We not too long ago caught up with Nokio of the legendary group Dru Hill for an interview on Instagram Dwell. Throughout our dialog, we touched on the solo tasks he’s been placing out not too long ago, his expertise as a vocalist and a producer, his work all through the years on the Dru Hill albums, the standing of the group going ahead, and way more. Try what he needed to say under and within the video.
YouKnowIGotSoul: Discuss among the solo materials you’ve been placing out not too long ago.
Nokio: The stuff that I put out in February, it was like 20 one thing songs. That was all stuff that dated again to about 2014-2016. I make a whole lot of music in the home. I don’t take heed to the radio. I’m all the time making music simply to take heed to myself or when folks come over and stuff. It was kinda prefer it was Black Historical past Month and I wasn’t doing something, I simply wished to share with folks. The emancipation of the exhausting drive! That’s what it’s been. A few of the different stuff is summary and completely different and vibey. I used to be simply considering of issues I might now with every thing happening. I do know folks know me from Rock and Hip-Hop, however I feel it’s been about 20 years since I made a correct R&B venture. Simply so far as producing. I write a whole lot of stuff, however manufacturing for me is one thing that’s actual private and it’s part of myself that I’ve to place into that goes past something aside from the sensation and the power being proper. I’ve by no means made a beat CD or beat tape.
YouKnowIGotSoul: Once we hear your solo music, we are able to’t assist however consider your expertise as a vocalist. With Dru Hill, it looks as if Sisqo, Jazz, Woody and later Tao solely bought the respect for his or her vocals.
Nokio: I didn’t respect it myself for years! You’d catch them any time of day, singing. I’ve by no means been that man. Particularly by the development of getting completely different folks within the group, even earlier than we had been well-known. When Sisqo was first within the group, me and Sisqo sang all the leads! As we bought higher singers, Jazz and Woody and all of them took lead. It became a factor of what’s the purpose? I could possibly be over right here writing and producing and doing no matter else, these guys find it irresistible. Even within the present, from 1996 to 1999, half the time I wasn’t even singing on stage! I’d be on the aspect of the stage speaking to some lady attempting to get her cellphone quantity! I’d go away off the stage and go to the lavatory! I don’t know. Even with the solo stuff it took me so lengthy to do it. I’d get up to now the place I’d do the music, after which I’d image myself on stage doing it, and inform myself I’m not gonna do it.
YouKnowIGotSoul: You had been identified to your expertise as a producer for Dru Hill. The place did you develop these expertise?
Nokio: I had some good mentors. I had my cousin Greg, my man Jay, my man Dennis, Wayne. It’s so loopy, we’re celebrating the 25th yr of the primary Mobb Deep album. Nicely 25 years in the past was the primary time I ever went into the studio. They referred to as me up someday. I used to hold my keyboard round with me all over the place. They referred to as me to go to New York, they picked me up, it was 1995 and we had been within the Vary Rover. We rise up in New York and we go into the studio. We go in one other room and it was the room that the man who engineered the Mobb Deep album used to work in, Distinctive Studios. “Shook Ones” had simply dropped, it was historical past. I unnoticed of the room, and went into our room, and my keyboard was arrange. Then they advised me to get to work. That they had introduced me up there to supply my first document. I didn’t get within the music enterprise to be an artist, I wished to be document man. From the Puffy to Quincy Jones and in between, it was actually a factor of wanting to search out data, make data, write data. As soon as folks noticed that in me, they pushed me to maintain going. I by no means used to sleep. Once we had been doing the primary album, I’d get on the practice from Baltimore to DC. Then get on the subway all the way in which out to the final cease in Virginia. I nonetheless needed to anticipate my boy to return decide me up after which wait 20 extra minutes simply to make use of the studio! He was the one individual that will let me use it, at like 1 o’clock within the morning! That’s all the time been my ardour. I began singing extra out of necessity. It was most likely like 1999 after we did our final tour earlier than all people went and did their solo stuff. I had all of those track concepts and there was no one there to sing the songs. I didn’t wish to anticipate nevertheless lengthy it will take.
YouKnowIGotSoul: Mirror again in your work on Dru Hill’s debut album. We love your work on “April Showers” and “All Alone”.
Nokio: We used to have this factor the place all people would come to my home after faculty and we’d get some meals from the shop and simply both sit on the steps outdoors my mom’s home or go to my room to jot down. I bear in mind we did all of those songs and we had a take care of Sylvia Rhone at East West, and no one knew what to do with us. They stated they’d these younger guys with actual mature voices. We couldn’t do bubble gum or grown man music. We ended up getting dropped. We did expertise reveals for some time. I bear in mind me and Woody had gone to Virginia and did “April Showers” and one other track. These songs ended up being the songs that bought the manufacturing firm that we had been signed to enthusiastic about us. I’ve all the time been a studio rat, first one in, final one to depart. We recorded a whole lot of the primary album at Sigma Sound in Philadelphia. It was loopy. I might have all the rooms in there going on the identical time. The fellows would get mad at me. We is perhaps engaged on vocals in a single room, whereas devices and sound design was happening in one other room. It was a good time. Not lots of people can say that they bought 5 songs on their first album from stuff you wrote whenever you had been 14 or 15 years previous. It was a bizarre time, as a result of I used to be the one one producing on the time, and we had a part of our deal that we bought paid a sure sum of money per document. Clearly, I made just a little bit more cash, which all the time goes to show into any person having to say one thing. However I used to be working! I’m not out partying nowhere, I aint even actually attempting to hold with my lady if I’ve work! It’s nothing that’s going to take me away from getting the job achieved. I take manufacturing severely. It’s the individual prepared to take the accountability to take the venture from level A to level Z. If one thing goes unsuitable, you’ve bought to repair it.
YouKnowIGotSoul: At what level did you begin getting calls to do manufacturing for different artists outdoors of Dru Hill?
Nokio: Once we all went residence and labored on our personal issues. I used to be going to labels they usually had been mainly telling me every thing I had achieved with Dru Hill was superb, however I had by no means achieved anything, so I needed to begin over. In order that Summer season, I took like $100 grand and rented out the previous Hit Manufacturing unit and had three rooms going. We had the rooms booked to do the Dru Hill stuff, however no one confirmed up. I simply paid for it myself, and I used to be in there a lot, they had been bringing us socks and t-shirts and wished us to maintain working! What I did was, as a substitute attempting to make conferences, I wasn’t making any beat CDs, I simply began inviting A&Rs to the studio to see us work, me and my manufacturing group. From there, that truly became me working with Ruff Endz and Cunning Brown for the Blue Streak soundtrack. Every part else got here from that. No one cared concerning the Dru Hill stuff. They thought it was dope however, they wished one thing else. Folks don’t perceive, it doesn’t matter what stage you get to, you’re nonetheless preventing to show one thing to any person. I’ve all the time been concerning the work, and I knew what I used to be doing. I didn’t do the quantity of data you’d assume a producer like me would do, I simply did the proper data. I used to be all the time scared if I bought caught up in simply producing for cash, finally the sound would get burned out. That’s why I stayed away from making R&B for thus lengthy. I knew there was a time when folks would need it or want it. I didn’t wish to have to return from making pop sounding data and never have the ability to have that core of what makes the music we do completely different from every thing else.
YouKnowIGotSoul: Discuss your work on Dru Hill’s second album “Enter the Dru”. You had been concerned in producing among the greatest hits like “How Deep is your Love” and “Magnificence”. How did you progress your manufacturing?
Nokio: I bear in mind all people hated me! *Laughs* We go to the studio, and no one was there. If we’ve bought three rooms and I’ve bought three songs, I’m making three songs. Should you present up later within the afternoon after you slept all day, there is perhaps an opportunity you received’t get a room! I’ve by no means had an issue with doing that. I by no means cared about what anyone thought! I’d put indicators up saying “Do No Enter”. And if any person walked into the room, I’d lower the music off, and we’d sit in silence, typically for a very long time! Then I assume when the individual realized I used to be being an asshole, they’d go away. I’m not an evil individual, however I’m very severe about my craft and what I do. A number of occasions that’s not the identical factor that’s occurring with all people. I don’t imply simply the group, I imply anyone. I attempt to maintain it the place I can keep centered. You’ve bought to point out up for work. Other than that, most likely I must say “Magnificence” all the time stands out. No one wished to sing the document. I needed to go sing the entire track after I performed it and all people was wanting round clueless. Shout out to Diane Warren, she was there the entire time I did “Magnificence”. I’m going to allow you to in on a secret. I’ve bought this tactic I exploit. I’m going to make you upset so as so that you can take that power and put it on a document! It’s not private! Typically it’s a must to use different strategies to get what you’re attempting to get.
YouKnowIGotSoul: We actually began to note your vocal skills on the third album, with songs like “She Mentioned”. That one might have simply been a single.
Nokio: With “She Mentioned”, I bear in mind being within the studio and it was me and my man Jojo Brim from Def Jam. I advised them to chop the lights off within the sales space and put up a partition. They didn’t know for what. However I needed to take all of my garments off to document the document, and didn’t need anyone taking a look at me! I recorded the document nearly bare! It was a time after I was going by a bunch of stuff and the thought got here from a girlfriend I had on the time. She requested me the place all the folks had been who stated they had been all the time going to be there for me. It’s humorous as a result of there have been folks at Def Jam that actually stated it might have crossed us over. What I discovered, and I received’t say who stated it, but it surely was stated to me greater than as soon as, it was mainly like if I sing a track it received’t be a single. Folks aren’t used to me singing. It’s the way in which the sport works. I wasn’t actually one for pushing an excessive amount of, so it didn’t make a distinct. My factor has all the time been to do stuff that makes folks return and take heed to your catalog. Should you make nice data, it doesn’t matter if folks didn’t catch each one. Ultimately they may catch all of them.
YouKnowIGotSoul: It’s been 10 years since Dru Hill’s final album “inDRUpendence Day” got here out. Has there ever been a time whenever you guys nearly put an album out?
Nokio: There have been a bunch of occasions. We not too long ago did stuff with Troy Taylor that by no means got here out for an album. We began recording the final album in like 2018. It’s stuff round. It’s nothing towards anyone, but it surely’s exhausting making an album after some time. Once you make all the different albums, it’s occurring in the midst of you doing stuff. You don’t have to drag anyone away from youngsters and different stuff. As soon as it turns into what it’s now the place you kinda simply transfer round and gigging and doing blocks of time, the one different time it’s a must to document is whenever you’re not doing that. However every thing else falls into that point. I feel I began engaged on one other album after that in 2013 and that didn’t go anyplace. You strive once more, and once more. What occurred was we bought such an excellent response from the Christmas album we did, but it surely’s not a correct Dru Hill album. Radio was prepared for us once more. Shout out to Empire. They had been capable of take a track off of the album we put out late, and nonetheless bought a prime 5 document at radio with “Favourite Time of 12 months”. They had been prepared for us. All we wanted to do was include a single proper after that. However all people is aware of what occurred after that, Jazz wanted a while and all of that. We weren’t capable of seize that window. With the newer stuff we did, it wasn’t the time. Getting the “What You Want” single out when it got here out, after which probably not having a approach to put it up for sale now. I’ll say this, I’ve gone to start out a brand new Dru Hill album extra occasions than I haven’t. I began on an album in 2008. I got here all the way down to Maryland and did 40 data. However all of these data are all sitting there nonetheless. That’s why artists keep in that mode with folks round them who maintain you in that house of doing stuff. As soon as you progress out of that house, it’s exhausting to get again to the grind.
YouKnowIGotSoul: We actually hope that when the pandemic is over, we see Nokio and Jazz again in Dru Hill as a part of the lineup.
Nokio: To not rehash a bunch of stuff, however in the event you noticed what I stated about it, I used to be severe. I actually simply really feel like individuals are going to want that. Once we get to coasting and no matter this new regular is, it’s a whole lot of stuff we’re going to should be alright once more. Particularly so far as the sensation and the power round. I really feel like it could be a very good factor for all of us to only get collectively and do it for the folks. I’ll inform you, in my thoughts, my fast thought is to do one thing that will profit first responders and important employees in Baltimore. I’m certain folks could be prepared to return see. Particularly since subsequent yr is formally our 25th anniversary and the first yr we’re eligible for the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame. I don’t know who made up me leaving the group, I by no means stated that nowhere. I stated I used to be going residence to take a break. That’s what it’s. It’s all the time love, even after we’re preventing, however issues have go to be a sure method. When it comes all the way down to it, this complete pandemic simply tipped the scales extra in favor of me doing it once more, than not doing it once more. I undoubtedly want all my boys there. Give the folks what they need. The least we are able to do is give folks that.