Biography
Their breakthrough arrived through a featured role on the star-studded collection Roll Wit tha Flava, where Zhané produced the enduring R&B party anthem "Hey, Mr. DJ." Jean Norris, who grew up in Rhode Island, and Renee Neufville, originally from Brooklyn, first crossed paths as music students at Philadelphia's Temple University. An encounter with Naughty by Nature's Kay Gee convinced him to book immediate studio time for the compilation. Once issued as a single, "Hey, Mr. DJ" climbed to number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and landed the duo a Motown contract in 1994. Their debut album, Pronounced Jah-Nay, added two more Top 40 singles ("Groove Thang," "Sending My Love") and reached gold certification before the year closed. Between 1995 and 1996 the pair lent vocals to Busta Rhymes and De La Soul tracks while placing original material on NFL Jams, NBA 50th Anniversary, and the soundtracks for Higher Learning and A Low Down Dirty Shame; the latter contribution, "Shame," became their fourth Top 40 hit. Co-produced by Kay Gee, Eddie F., and the duo themselves, Saturday Night appeared in April 1997 and stalled just outside the Top 40. Two years afterward the partnership ended. Baylor then recorded as a solo artist and with Free Day alongside husband Marcus Baylor, also collaborating with Elisabeth Withers, Eric Roberson, and SWV. Neufville entered Roy Hargrove's RH Factor and worked with Leela James, Terrence Howard, and Pete Rock.
Albums
Singles
