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Writer's pictureBlack Pepper Magazine

Ruff Endz - THE REBIRTH OF THE 90’s RNB-Soul



"The inspiration behind this album was birthed out of our experiences, both personally and professionally. Musically the album embodies elements from the classic era of R&B which we thought were important to preserve but still be able to incorporate a 2021 perspective," mentions Ruff Endz.

"We are excited about this project because it’s a true expression of how we really feel as men. We see life as a roller coaster of emotions and "REBIRTH" is a reflection of us riding the emotional ups & downs of life. Each song shares about an emotion that we have experienced and how we dealt with those situations," adds the group.



 

The Golden Era

More than a decade, RnB’s influence was indelible — particularly during the ’90s, an era often referred to as RnB’s golden era. Artists dominated the charts, and an explosion of groups saw a wave of diverse faces and voices crossing over to the top charts. It reached the height in mainstream music . EPIC


One of the unforgettable RnB male groups , that we still love and hear today is Ruff Endz.


The RnB duo made up of Dante “Chi” Jordan and David “Davinch” Chance originally made a name for themselves with hits like “No More” and the album’s first single, “Someone To Love You”, went on to spend 11 weeks at #1 on the AC charts and with their second single, “Cash, Money, Cars, Clothes” rounding out the top 50 on Billboard. They have shared the stage with music industry icons such as Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly, and Christina Aguilera while also featured on CNN, MTV, BET, Top of the Pops (UK), and Much Music (Canada) just to name a few. Their music has been showcased on several feature films including Chris Rock's "Down to Earth" , Eddie Murphy’s “I Spy”, and Ice Cube’s “Barber Shop” just to name a few.


Named after the "Ruff" parts of the city, the group came up in West Baltimore originally as part of a quartet. Soon after they broke off on their own as a duo ,and in 1999 they signed to Epic Records. In that same year RuffEndz was featured on Martin Lawrence’s ”Blue Streak” with a song entitled "Please dont forget about me" produced by Super Star producer Nokio from the platinum group "Dru Hill".












one of our favorite songs of Ruff Endz “You Mean The World To Me”





 

Are We Getting Those 90'S Vibe Back ?


Things went silent following the group’s third album “The Final Chapter” in 2010. However, the pair have reunited in recent years performing shows and even released an album in 2018 , “ Soul Brothers “. After some absent years, Ruff Endz are getting their 90’s vibe back ! And we’re lovin’ it. The Duo had some time to talk to Editor-in-Chief and Founder Amina via Zoom. Let’s see what they been up to career wise, old memories and their new comeback album called “ Rebirth “ (released April 2nd).



Preparing For The Interview


It was a Thursday evening in Germany, 10:30 pm to be exact. I was already tired, but an hour before I’ve put on a black dress, some golden earrings and a bit of makeup .

Right on time waiting on Zoom for Dante and David . Suddenly, Dante popped up on my screen with an immediate laid back “ Heyyyy “ while figuring out how to bring in David. Me smiling back and asking him, how he’s doing - “ I’m doing great but you know , we’ve been doing a lot of interviews “ Dante answered while drinking his tea.


He logged off to see where David’s at. Seconds later David was finally there, but guess who was missing instead ? Hehe, Dante. It was funny because they were looking for each other like brothers. I really enjoyed it, even though due to their tight schedule, it was worth it !


T


The Interview






Show some love @officialruffendz by streaming, downloading their album “REBIRTH“

or order your physical album, here :



What You Have To Know About "REBIRTH"



RUFF ENDZ recently released the first single, "Be The One" from the album to rave reviews. The song world premiered exclusively on RollingOut.com. The catchy mid-tempo song was written and produced by David Chance and co-written by Dante Jordan. "The inspiration behind "Be The One" is based on our own experiences and the experiences of most people I know," mentions David. "When a man has finally found the one lady that he feels is his soulmate or his ride or die, he is willing to put it all on the line for her and will put her worries to rest." "We hope to help change the narrative with this song in our community to show that men need love and want to be in love too," shares Dante.

The group also released their second focus track, "Congratulations" from the upcoming "REBIRTH" album exclusively via ThisIsRnB.com. "We thought instead of making your typical break up song, we would write a song like “Congratulations” that shows how two people can successfully move on and be happy for each other." "Too many times we hear about the drama of break-ups but there are many people who are emotionally mature enough to be happy for their ex. It’s about everyone finding happiness in whatever path they choose in love," adds Dante.


"The inspiration behind this album was birthed out of our experiences, both personally and professionally. Musically the album embodies elements from the classic era of R&B which we thought were important to preserve but still be able to incorporate a 2021 perspective," mentions Ruff Endz.

"We are excited about this project because it’s a true expression of how we really feel as men. We see life as a roller coaster of emotions and "REBIRTH" is a reflection of us riding the emotional ups & downs of life. Each song shares about an emotion that we have experienced and how we dealt with those situations," adds the group.

Party Over Here” is a song that celebrates family, friends, and good times. “Sorry” is a song that apologizes to women for their past hurt and relationships. "We thought instead of making your typical break up song, we would write a song like “Congratulations” that shows how two people can successfully move on and be happy for each other," shares David. Too many times we hear about the drama of break ups but there are many people who are emotionally mature enough to be happy for their ex. It’s about everyone finding happiness in whatever path they choose in love.

Overall, the tone of this album is positive, so it doesn’t matter where you are in your life there is something for you on this album that is sure to satisfy your R&B appetite.



How Would We Rank The Album ?


Let's say this, IT'S A VIBE ! 10 out of 10. 90's RnB/Soul with a pinch of 2021 RnB/Pop.



Ruff Endz Bringing Back That 90'S VYBE !

And we're addicted and giving ALL of our love



*Alexa, play 'ALL OF MY LOVE' by RUFFENDZ*





Elbows Check & blowing kisses,


Amina







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