Remember male R&B group Jodeci, for all you 90’s kids out there? We certainly do. With hits such as ‘Freek’n You’ they were a group of guys many women swooned over back in their hey day. It has been 18 years since their last release (1996’s ‘Get On Up’), and they have celebrated breaking the drought by releasing a new single that is a far cry from their lady killer days. Yep, Cedric & Joel Hailey and Donald & Dalvin DeGrate are back!
The song is called ‘Nobody Wins’ and it is an anthem about domestic violence awareness. Featuring artist B.o.B, the song talks about a very timely message, given the intense discussion surrounding domestic violence in the media, thanks to incidents involving prominent NFL players.
The lyric video below features various actors in domestic violence scenarios and portrayals, and there is even a bit of the chilling video of ex Baltimore Ravens player Ray Rice dragging his unconscious fiance out of the elevator, which sparked a huge outrage over how the NFL handles such a sensitive issue.
“Nobody wins when we fight, fuss and argue/ Nobody wins, we say we leaving but we never do” the men sing in the chorus.
Aside from the intense portrayals, the video also includes information where viewers can contact certain organizations if they need help or are stuck in a situation involving domestic violence. We see the phone number for the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) as well as the websites for nomore.org and IDVAAC.org (the Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community).
While domestic violence certainly happens to both men and women, according to a report by the CDC, women are disproportionately affected by intimate partner violence and sexual assault. One in 4 women (22.3%) have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner, while 1 in 7 men (14.0%) have experienced the same, it states.
While there is a plethora of information available online and elsewhere regarding domestic violence, safehorizon.org reports that the most DV incidents are NEVER reported. That’s a truly depressing fact, to know there are men and women stuck in situations where reporting a crime is considered worse in their mind.
It is important for everyone, whether they are R&B artists or everyday citizens to become aware of how inherent this issue is in our society today.
“We aren’t immune to issues that are important in our community,” Jodeci member K-Ci said in a press release. “Domestic violence has always been an issue in relationships, but lately it’s been brought to the front of our community consciousness.”
“It’s definitely something people are going to listen to because domestic violence should not be tolerated in any situation, not just between men and women, but people in general,” said member Davlin DeGrate.
He also told Rollingstone.com about their upcoming album, making a comeback, and how waiting so long to put out new music meant they wanted to release something quality, not just because they had to.
“When creating this album, we chose a body of work that really represents us as a group and represents what people are expecting to hear from Jodeci as a group. People will be pleasantly surprised.”
We already are, and in a good way! We’re all for artists using their platform to shed light on important issues that allow fans to go beyond just the fame and fortune, and instead stand alongside them in the fight for a better humanity.
Here’s the lyric video for ‘Nobody Wins’:
