Jagged Edge

Atlanta, Georgia became home to the vocal quartet Jagged Edge, whose style merged gritty delivery with polished harmonies. The members comprised identical twins Brandon "Case Dinero" Casey and Brian "Brasco" Casey, who had relocated from Hartford, Connecticut, plus Kyle Norman, known as "Quick," and Richard Wingo, called "Wingo Dollar," who joined after Xscape's Kandi Burruss passed their demo to Jermaine Dupri. The group secured a deal with Dupri's So So Def imprint through Columbia and issued their opening single, "The Way That You Talk," during summer 1997; the track included contributions from Dupri and Da Brat, cracked the R&B Top 40, and crossed over to the pop chart.

Their debut full-length, A Jagged Era, surfaced in early 1998, earned gold status, and yielded the hit "Gotta Be," which landed in the R&B Top 20 and pop Top 40. Later that year, "He Can't Love U" climbed to the R&B Top Five and pop Top 20 while also achieving gold certification. The single set the stage for J.E. Heartbreak, whose title referenced New Edition's "N.E. Heart Break"; the album reached the summit of the R&B chart, entered the pop Top Ten, and moved more than two million copies while delivering the R&B number-one singles "Let's Get Married," also a pop Top 20 entry, and "Promise," which peaked inside the pop Top Ten.

Jagged Little Thrill, their third album, arrived in 2001; its lead track, "Where the Party At" featuring Nelly, approached the R&B Top Ten and sat within the pop Top 40 at the time of release. Hard followed in 2003 and Jagged Edge in 2006. For The Baby Makin' Project in 2007, the quartet shifted to Island, where Dupri had assumed the role of president for the urban division, easing the move away from Columbia. The project opened at number eight on the Billboard 200. Jagged Edge next joined Slip N Slide and delivered The Remedy in 2011. Three years afterward they rejoined Dupri and So So Def for J.E. Heartbreak II. A Greatest Hits set appeared in 2016, after which the group returned to the studio for their ninth studio album, Layover, issued in 2017. That summer release showcased their signature vocal harmonies alongside modern production that drew occasional influence from trap sounds.