DeVante Swing
Donald Earle DeGrate Jr. (born September 29, 1969), better known by his stage name DeVanté Swing, is an American record producer, singer, rapper and songwriter. He is the older brother of Mr Dalvin, born Dalvin DeGrate, of Jodeci and Derick DeGrate. Swing is also father to Dyana DeGrate and Justin DeGrate.
DeVanté Swing | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Donald Earle DeGrate Jr. |
| Born | September 29, 1969 Hampton, Virginia, U.S. |
| Origin | Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Associated acts | |
Career
In his early career, Swing served as a mix engineer, while simultaneously producing for other acts. He mix-engineered Hi-Five’s "I Just Can't Handle It" as well as producing several remixes for the track. Swing rose to prominence in the 1990s as the founding member of the R&B group Jodeci, one of the most notable R&B acts of all time. Swing served as the main songwriter, producer and leader of the group. Jodeci also featured his younger brother Dalvin DeGrate. Swing is also credited for discovering several groundbreaking acts such as Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Ginuwine, Stevie J and Static Major. He is also credited as a video director for Jodeci, co-directing the videos for "Feenin'" with the legendary Hype Williams and "Freek'n You" with Brett Ratner.
Swing also mentored Flo Rida[1] in the early stages of his career.
Discography
- Forever My Lady (1991)
- Diary of a Mad Band (1993)
- The Show, the After Party, the Hotel (1995)
- The Past, The Present, The Future (2015)
References
- Concepcion, Mariel. "Flo Rida". Billboard. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
External links
- Devante Swing Interview with Sterlen Roberts
- James T. Jones IV (March 10, 1992). "Jodeci throws its voice into the doo-wop". USA Today', p. 4D
- DeVante Swing biography at AllMusic