Dru Hill

Baltimore R&B legends Dru Hill never met a pun they didn’t like: Witness the R&B group’s album titles, from Enter the Dru (1998) to Dru World Order (2002) to InDRUpendence Day (2010). That playfulness has helped the group weather the ups and downs of the music industry. Their ease with each other was genuine; the original members had known one another since they were teenagers working at a fudge factory, where they would put on impromptu performances to entertain customers. Pretty soon those lighthearted shows got serious, and the group—named for Baltimore’s Druid Hill Park neighborhood—signed with Island Records and released their self-titled debut in 1996. Their seductive harmonies—bolstered by serious dance moves—made them solid contenders in the crowded field of late-’90s R&B, and the album went platinum on the strength of muscular, emotional singles like “In My Bed.” Their 1998 release, Enter the Dru, supplied the film Rush Hour with the hit song “How Deep Is Your Love,” and it opened with guest vocals from none other than Method Man. Key member Sisqó broke out on his own with the 1999 solo hit “Thong Song,” and the group’s stability wavered. But despite a revolving cast of members and some breaks, Dru Hill continued to record albums until 2010. They released occasional singles and EPs and were coaxed back together for various tours during their hiatus. In 2017 they reunited on the seductive holiday EP Christmas in Baltimore, following that up three years later with a new single and tour.