Devante Swing (born Donald Earle DeGrate, Jr, on September 24, 1969 in Hampton, Virginia) is an African American record producer, songwriter, and singer. One-quarter of the R&B chart-topping group Jodeci, Devante Swing served as the group's leader, main songwriter and producer. He is the older brother of Dalvin DeGrate. September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... Motto: Americas First Location in the State of Virginia Coordinates: County Independent City Mayor Ross Kearney II Area    - City 352. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... A singer is a musician who uses his or her voice to produce music. ... Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... Jodeci is an American musical group, active from 1990 to 1996, whose repertoire included R&B, soul music, and new jack swing. ... Mr. ...

Devante images

(http://www.myspace.com/mrswing69)

(http://www.geocities.com/luvindevante/DeVante_rose.jpg)

(http://www.geocities.com/luvindevante/DeVante_2.gif)

(http://www.amazon.com/Diary-Mad-Band-Jodeci/dp/customer-images/B000002OQ3/ref=/104-7431739-1676709?ie=UTF8&sort=newest&index=0&qid=1184473512&sr=1-3&page=1#gallery)

Early life

Devante was born Donald Earle DeGrate, Jr. to Donald DeGrate, Sr. and Mary DeGrate. His father was a pastor so he grew up in a very religious background. During the time he spent in the church, he learned to play eleven instruments and became a singer with prodigious talent, he also began writting songs. (http://www.geocities.com/luvindevante/TheMysteryofDeVanteSwing.htm) Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A pastor is an...

Teen years

As a teenager he experienced the trauma that many children suffer when raised in strict religious households and like so many of those children he reacted to being stifled by rebelling. "Me and my brother fought, drank, smoked marijuana, had lots of sex, and carried guns during our adolescence," laughingly claimed in an interview in 1995, "you know what they say preachers sons are the worst and all," that may have seeds of truth but likely are somewhat exaggerated.There are rumors that DeVante was humiliated by his father in church by making him stand before the congregation shirtless to show off his numerous tattoos and chastising him in front of everyone as he stood there. (http://blaqboard.com/v2/Diesel/Edition/index.php/topic,28144.0.html)Devante)

The birth of Jodeci

At the age of 16, Devante went to Minneapolis to join Prince's organization but was turned down. He went back to Charlotte, North Carolina where he had lived since he was a child, to work on his production skills. Meanwhile, he recorded some songs with K-Ci and JoJo Hailey. The name "Jodeci" was created via three of the groups members names being combined -Jo (for Jo-Jo) De (for DeVante) Ci (for K-Ci). Joel, Donald, and Cedric respectively took on new monikers similar to the hip-hop artists they listened to. Donald's transformation was a bit more dramatic. Cedric and Joel were already stars as Lil' Cedric and the Hailey Brothers but it was clear that Jodeci was Donald's vision. Donald became Devante Swing. A name that conjures up images of an tuber-suave ladies man.They ended up with 29 demo tapes, and sent them to various labels. Soon, one of the tapes landed in the hands of Heavy D and Uptown Records CEO Andre Harrell. They both loved it, and signed Jodeci immediately. Instead of wearing a bow tie and a suit, they wore leather boots, hip-hop clothing, with a street attitude, they broke the rules of traditional R&B sounds and looks, it would be this very contractiction that would became their trademark.(http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/jodeci/bio.jhtml) ǎ(http://www.geocities.com/luvindevante/vibejodeciarticle.html) This article is about the city in Minnesota. ... Prince changed his stage name into an unpronounceable symbol in 1993, but took up the name Prince again in 1999. ... K-Ci (born Cedric Hailey on September 2, 1969 in Charlotte, North Carolina) is an African-American R&B/soul singer and songwriter, one-half of the duo K-Ci and JoJo and one-quarter of the R&B quartet Jodeci. ... Jo-Jo (born Joel Lamont Hailey, 10 June 1971, Charlotte, North Carolina) is a R&B / soul singer, songwriter, and record producer. ... Heavy D. & the Boyz was an American hip hop group led by 250-lb Heavy D., who is known for his wild boastings about his sexual prowess. ... Uptown Records was an American record label, founded by Andre Harell in the late-1980s. ...

Forever My Lady

The group's first album "Forever My Lady" first side consisted of strong ballads produced by Al and Devante and the second side was made up of up-tempo New Jack swing dance tracks done by Devante alone. The album went platinum and became an RnB classic, it made Jodeci a household name.(http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,316234,00.html)

A Sex Symbol is born

For the opening shot for their very first video, a caramel toned young African American man with honey colored eyes, a chizzled jaw line, neatly slopped profile and a slender but lean figure, appears, delivering erotic expressions and teasing his viewers with only random reveals of his handsome face, cleverly opting to hide behind his glasses and later on his hair also, even the album's opening became legendary as track one "Stay" opens with his husky voice delivering charismatic lyrics in spoken word, instantaneously, particulary in the black community, Devante Swing became one of the most enduring sex symbols of all time. This proved a problem for Devante as there were reports that he would often find himself in confrontations due to men not liking the fact their girlfriends had crushes on him. (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=117016872) (http://www.geocities.com/luvindevante/pictures.html)

Death Row era

Things changed for Jodeci when Puffy, also known as P Diddy, or Sean Combs, was fired by Uptown president, Andre Harrell, Devante took the reigns for his group. Rumors circulated that Jodeci wanted out of their management deal with Andre Harrell so that they could sign with Death Row records. It was also rumoured that, Suge Knight, the notorious head of Death Row records, had threatened Andre Herrell when Uptown refused to let Jodeci out of their contract, but Andre Herrell later denied this. Before the release of the Mad Band album, Devante's hard facade was shattered when his home was invaded while he slept, the burglars tied him up and assaulted him, pistol whipping him and reportedly stealing over 160, 000 dollars worth of jewelry. He reacted by becoming extremely paranoid and carrying a gun with him at all times. An incident at his home involving K-Ci and himself in which a sixteen year old girl alledgedly told authorities Devante held a gun to her head whilst K-Ci fondled her, brought about a community service sentencing and then was quickly swept under the rug. Devante later went on record to say that "K-Ci might have touched her breast but did not go any further than that." He also denied holding a gun to her head, he confessed "she lied due to the fact that she was angry that she discovered Devante had a gun in the house and because both K-Ci and Devante had refused to take her home." (http://www.geocities.com/luvindevante/TheMysteryofDeVanteSwing.htm)

Diary Of A Mad Band

By their second album, as the groups leader, Devante chose to make the group appear even more "street" this time around. The follow up album, Diary of A Mad Band, shows the group with scowling faces and numerous tattoos. The album went on to sell over three million copies despite very little promotion, and although it was not considered a commercial success, there sophmore album, like its predecessor became an R&B classic. However, critics complained that the music was undeniably too explicit, especially compared to their first effort. Alongside the romance were profanity laced, callous demands for sex and adolescent macho posturing. Without the guiding force of Puffy behind them, the album, while still attaining platinum status, did little to increase their visibility. (http://www.amazon.com/Diary-Mad-Band-Jodeci/dp/B000002OQ3)

The show The After Party The Hotel

The third album was entitled The Show The After Party The Hotel which some felt gave insight into the group's apparent jaded view of their new found celebrity routine and rumored hedonistic lifestyles. Critics raved about how The album is proof positive that Devante is a musical genius, It consisted of thick authentic base lines, phased guitars, stomping keyboards and crunching drums made for the new "G funk" generation. The album was said to be a triumph and a let down at once for their audience, which was primarily made up of young african american women, critics once again complained about the fact that too few lyrics where about romance and the ones that were felt insincere buried underneath the pornographic sex, contempt for women, and obnoxiousness that seemed out of character for their bad boys/ladies men (image.http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/jodeci/albums/album/101309/review/5945305/the_show_the_afterparty_the_hotel) (http://www.mp3.com/albums/169389/similar.html)

Swing Mob

DeVante sought to cement his position in the music industry by founding his own label (Swing Mob/Elektra) and signing a handful of young hopefuls. His stable of acts included Sista (a group fuelled by the singing/rhyming/song writing of a young Missy Elliot), future super producer Timbaland, Ginuwine, Playa, and Suga (another female singing group, one of the members, Tweet, would go on to a solo career). Though no one has gone into explicit detail on the record, the story is that Devante treated his protégées horribly- making them work extreme hours, not paying them, and being mentally, verbally, and physically abusive. It is rumoured that Devante was known to pull his gun on his artists, Ginuwine recalls an incident where Devante was waiting for him backstage with a gun. It was speculated that his behaviour was due to Devante’s alliance with the Death Row label head Suge Knight, who was notorious for his harsh treatment of his artists. It would appear that in hooking up with Suge that Devante was looking for not only street credibility but a father figure, which was demonstrated by his dependence on P Diddy and Al B. Sure in the earlier days of the group. Elektra quietly dropped the Swing Mob label just before the scheduled release of Sista's debut album.(http://blaqboard.com/v2/Diesel/Edition/index.php/topic,28144.0.html) (http://www.geocities.com/luvindevante/TheMysteryofDeVanteSwing.htm)

The Fall of Devante Swing

At this point, DeVante was reportedly a heavy marijuana smoker with even more problems ahead of him. After his label was dropped, all of his artists abandoned him. He was then forced to file for bankruptcy, for his failure to pay for the 13 cars he was leasing. Jodeci slowly disintegrated; K-Ci and Jo-Jo recorded what was originally thought to be a one-off duo project while Jodeci took a hiatus. The hiatus never ended, Jodeci appeared together at the first annual BET awards to announce a reunion, Devante’s frail appearance and dazed behaviour sent rumors flying through the industry concerning his health and state of mind. Songs were recorded but the reunion never came to fruition. The unofficial story is that DeVante is now a hermit who is struggling with a serious cocaine addiction. This year a pictures of Devante, taken with fans, were found on the internet further causing concern for Jodeci' fans, Devante appeared to have lost his looks a great deal. (http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3523/2468/1600/Devante%20Swing.jpg)

The Myster of Devante Swing

In 2005 Though never established, extremeloop.com reported that either Devante, or a look alike, had been spotted panhandling in Los Angeles, he is also said to have sold his last of many glamorous homes he bought in various states around America during the time his career was active, due to drug debts, and was also said to have been attacked by a drug dealer he was indebted to. In 2006 on the same website but not restricted to, concreteloop.com, reported that Devante's girlfriend had reported that He looked like a shell of himself and some of his teeth were rotted. Devante, Dalvin and K-Ci appeared on UK television around this time, to do a special interview with Trevor Nelson, during the interview they promised they were in the studio creating a comeback album, this was one of many promises of a reunion but once again a Jodeci resurface project did not come to fruition. Fast Forward 2007 A former girlfriend contacted them. She was said to have been happy that he was trying to clean up and get his life in order. Apparently, he even signed on to an entertainment related project, rumoured to be his deal with Madonna in the late Nineties. After he got paid, he was said to have disappeared and have gone on a crack binge. During the next few days, when the girlfriend confronted him about his drug use, it was reported that he tried to convince her, his indulgence was minimal. It was written she then came to find out, not only was he smoking crack but he was snorting cocaine and doing crystal meth. She reportedly said "once when they were engaging in intercourse, his nose started bleeding profusely and there was another occasion where he stopped in the middle of sex and went into the bathroom, and she overheard snorting sounds. The drugs have been said to have rendered him sexually dysfunctional. During the late nineties it was rumoured that Devante had discovered he was HIV positive but this is still currently undisclosed, considering this fact, this is likely to be a falsehood speculation. Before they broke up, she said he was having heart palpations and he had run out of money once again. One of his friends reportedly told her "he was thinking of joining an escort agency, his credit card constantly declines, he’s always borrowing money from family and friends and he refuses to work a regular job, due to ego. He has fallen so far down, that he’s a step away from living under a freeway underpass or living in a homeless shelter. He’s finally realized that his heyday is a distant memory and he can’t lure women the way he use to. In the past, due to his beauty, women would hook-up with him, feed him and let him stay as long as he liked because he had name status and they could show him off in front of their family and friends. But now, substance abuse has affected his sex drive and he doesn’t keep his appearance up, he looks unkempt and women no longer find him appealing." The rumour repetition was in action again just last year, that Devante is now a gigolo and due to his name a successful one for a while, but was no longer making money because of his personal hygiene. The same ex girlfriend who was by then one of the very few people who had contact to the reclusive, troubled star said "It’s not below him to sleep on a friend’s kitchen floor with a blanket and pillow. He just won't get work, despite the fact that he is nearly homeless with no forthcoming royalties or pension. He would rather be broke and starving then to take on a regular job for quick cash and benefits." Though all this rumoured information is just that, the pictures that appeared on the internet this year began to suggest otherwise. A writter for Allhiphop.com said of the disappointing situation, "as a personality who exemplifies the failed promise of the New Jack Swing/Hip-Hop generation. I have long been intrigued by continuing the story of this obviously conflicted individual. As I sit here listening to one of my favorite R&B albums, The Show The After Party The Hotel. I felt sadness for a talent that may never realize its potential. Only time will tell if Devante can overcome his demons and return to making music that will fulfill the promise of his talent. One could surmise that Devante was a misguided young man who let the anger and pain of his childhood lead him into a quest for a new identity that would allow him to leave his past behind and be a person who controls every aspect of his life so that he could never be victimized again. The nature of show business attracts these types and lures them into the darker side of its reality leaving them worse off than when they started. As I sit here listening to the acoustic guitars that float beneath the song "Freek n You," a soulful composition doomed by its ignorant subject matter, I wonder to myself, will Devante be another casualty of celebrity." (http://panachereport.com/channels/hip%20hop%20gallery/Downfall.htm)

(http://concreteloop.com/?p=5651&cp=all) (http://www.mtv.co.uk/channel/mtvuk/shows/trevor_meets_jodeci_0) (http://concreteloop.com/2007/06/blind-item-foolish-pride)

Trivia

Devante and Dalvin have another brother named Derek DeGrate. (DeVante is the oldest, Derek is the middle brother, and Dalvin is the youngest.)

Devante exhaustedly formed, developed, wrote, produced, arranged and sung in Jodeci, he also managed Jodeci before they were signed. It has long been erroneously reported that P Diddy pulled the strings.

Devante has a son named Justin.

Sources

http://blaqboard.com/v2/Diesel/Edition/index.php/topic,28144.0.html

http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/jodeci/bio.jhtml

http://www.geocities.com/luvindevante/bookreview.html

http://www.geocities.com/luvindevante/vibejodeciarticle.html

http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur2989.cfm

http://panachereport.com/channels/hip%20hop%20gallery/Downfall.htm

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=117016872

http://crunktastical.blogspot.com/2006/06/catching-up-with-kings-of-rb-rocks-and.html

http://www.geocities.com/luvindevante/TheMysteryofDeVanteSwing.htm

http://concreteloop.com/2006/09/wednesdays-blind-item

http://concreteloop.com/2007/06/blind-item-foolish-pride

See also

• Jodeci
• New Jack Swing