Black Celebrity Men

Is 2010 the comeback year for R&B boy bands? Seems that way. I was watching an episode of Keeping Up with the Jones the other night on B.E.T. Centric when a promo for Dru Hill's new reality show, Keith Sweat's Platinum House flashed on the screen. I then remembered reading an interview over a year ago about them doing a reality show. Now it looks like everything is official. Dru Hill is making a return to music minus their gospel-loving brother Woody. In an effort to make their comeback stronger than before, the group, along with new member Tao, moved into Keith's Atlanta home and worked out the kinks within their band with counseling, vocal training and physical training. The show, which aired as an hour-long special on Atlanta's Peachtree TV in February (2009), is expected to premiere on B.E.T. Centric on Monday, June 28. The guys say the show will answer the many questions that fans have had over the years including Woody's sudden and permanent departure from the group.

If you're wondering why the guys had to undergo counseling sessions, Keith says it was because the guys had trust issues with each other and that it was holding them back and causing a rift in the group. Nokio said:

'We always said what we had to say man-to-man, but on the show I think we found out there was some other things that happened in the past that we had to figure out how to resolve. We've been around each other for more than half our lives, and you go through stuff. Everybody changes...but at the end of the day it's a brotherhood.'

Surprisingly, the on-air fight at a Baltimore radio station in 2008, that many thought was a publicity stunt, WASN'T one of those issues. The guys have no regrets about the incident that was spawned by Woody quitting the group during a reunion interview. In fact, the studio fight actually inspired Keith to approach Dru Hill about the reality show. I wonder if Keith will do the same for r&b boy band Silk who he discovered and took under his wing back in 1993? I still bump their Lose Control and Tonight cds!

Keith Sweat's ex-wife, Lisa Wu Hartwell, made her reality show debut on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, now her former husband is currently shopping two reality shows of his own, according to Access Atlanta. And since Keith refused to allow Lisa to let their two sons, Jordan and Justin, appear on Housewives, maybe we'll see them on his new reality series instead. For the record, Keith reportedly told Lisa that his resistance to sign a waiver to let their sons, who he has custody of, to appear on the show was 'nothing personal' towards her. However, Lisa didn't buy it. The mother of three (she has a toddler son with her current husband and NFL player Ed Hartwell) told E! News, "He's like, Lisa, it's nothing personal, I really don't know how they're going to edit and if their going to make you look crazy. I just don't want the kids to be, you know, overexposed or anything. It could have been a Disney show and I don't think he would have signed it." Anywho, Keith's first of two reality shows will center around the singer's life as a radio personality. Sweat hosts a syndicated 'Quiet Storm-type' radio show called The Keith Sweat Hotel. The show is recorded live and heard in over 20 markets nationwide. Sweat's second reality show, which he will produce, will reportedly involve the members of R&B male group Dru Hill.

Earlier this year, Keith, who has been inducted into the Georgia Hall of Fame, made an impressive debut with his independently released album Just Me. The album, which is the follow up to 2002's Rebirth, debuted at No. 10 on The Billboard 200 and claimed the top spot on the R&B/hip-hop albums chart. Sweat's lead single Suga Suga Suga featuring Paisley Bettis made it into the Top 40 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and the track Butterscotch featuring Athena Cage is currently making waves at adult/R&B radio. And because the album has done so well, Keith has extended his Just Me tour through early next year.

To check out the additional dates, go to Keith's official Myspace page.
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