DeVante Swing

DeVante Swing
Birth name	Donald Earle DeGrate, Jr.
Born	September 29, 1969 (age 46) Hampton, Virginia, United States
Origin	Charlotte, North Carolina, US
Genres	R&B hip hop soul
Occupation(s)	Musician Record producer singer rapper songwriter video director
Instruments	Vocals piano guitar talk box
Years active	1987–present
Associated acts	Sean Combs Ginuwine Jodeci K-Ci & JoJo Missy Elliott Playa Timbaland Al B. Sure! Static Major 2Pac

Donald Earle DeGrate, Jr. (born September 29, 1969 in Hampton, Virginia), best known by his professional name DeVante Swing, is an American record producer, singer, rapper and songwriter. Swing rose to fame in the 1990s as the founding member of the trendsetting R&B group Jodeci, one of the more popular R&B acts of its time. Swing served as the main songwriter, producer, and leader of Jodeci which also featured his younger brother Dalvin DeGrate. He also acted as a video director for the group, co-directing the videos for "Feenin'" with Hype Williams and "Freek'n You" with Brett Ratner.

Swing went on to form his own record label, Swing Mob, which signed artists and producers such as Ginuwine, Missy Elliott, Playa, Stevie J and Timbaland at the beginning of their careers. Swing produced 2Pac's "No More Pain" on the 1996 album All Eyez on Me which saw somewhat of a departure from what he normally produced for Jodeci. In addition, Swing has produced and written for numerous other artists such as Mary J. Blige, Al Green, Montell Jordan, Ray J, Kurupt, Usher and unreleased material for Michael Jackson's 2001 album Invincible.

Swing also mentored Flo Rida and Keyshia Cole in the early stages of their careers, even allowing them to live with him during their search for a record deal.

Production discography

1990

• Al B. Sure! - Private Times...and the Whole 9! - "Touch You", "Had Enuf?", "Sure! Thang", "You Excite Me"
• Jeff Redd - A Quiet Storm - "In My House", "Giving My Love to You"
• Father MC - "Lisa Baby" (Daddy Radio Remix)

1991

• Jodeci - Forever My Lady (entire album)

1992

• Jodeci - Strictly Business soundtrack - "Let's Fly"
• Christopher Williams - Changes - "All I See", "Please, Please, Please"
• Mary J. Blige - What's the 411? - "I Don't Want To Do Anything Else" featuring K-Ci Hailey of Jodeci
• Michael Cooper - Get Closer - "I Just Love You", "Do You"
• CeCe Peniston - Finally - "I See Love"
• Al B. Sure! - Sexy Versus - "Playing Games", "Turn You Out"

1993

• Jodeci - Diary of a Mad Band (entire album)
• Jodeci - Who's the Man? soundtrack - "Let's Go Through the Motions"

1994

• Usher - Usher - "Can U Get wit It", "Whispers (Co-produced w/ Darryl Pearson)"
• Changing Faces - Changing Faces - "Keep It Right There", "Keep It Right There (Remix)"
• Various Artists - Above the Rim soundtrack - H-Town - "Part Time Lover" , B-Rezell - "Blowed Away"
• Various Artists - Murder Was the Case - Jodeci featuring Tha Dogg Pound - Co-Produced - "Come Up To My Room"
• Sista - 4 All the Sistas Around da World (entire album, excluding track #9)

1995

• Jodeci - The Show, the After Party, the Hotel (entire album, excluding track #4, #6, and track #8)
• Al Green - Your Heart's in Good Hands - "Could This Be Love"
• Various Artists - Dangerous Minds soundtrack - DeVante Swing featuring Static - "Gin & Juice"
• Tony Thompson - Sexsational - "Slave"

1996

• 2Pac - All Eyez on Me - "No More Pain"
• Montell Jordan - More... - "What's on Tonight"
• Various Artists - The Nutty Professor soundtrack - Da Bassment - "Love You Down"
• Horace Brown - Horace Brown - "You Need A Man"
• Danny Boy - "Slip N' Slide" (Co-produced w/ Reggie "Devell" Moore)

1997

• K-Ci & JoJo - Love Always - "Still Waiting"

1998

• Kurupt - Kuruption! - "I Wanna...", "Put That On Something"
• R. Kelly - R. - "VIP" (Co-produced w/ R. Kelly)

1999

• Imajin - Imajin - "Fresh", "I Don't Wanna Play Basketball"

2000

• Liberty City Fla - Liberty City Fla - "Come On Back"
• Dalvin DeGrate - Met.A.Mor.Phic - "Dangerous"
• K-Ci & JoJo - X (K-Ci & JoJo album) - "Get Back", "Slip and Fall" (Hidden Track)

2001

• Le-Jit - What's the Worst That Could Happen? soundtrack - "My Love, Your Love"
• Terrell - Uptown International - "Who Got", "Loyalty"
• Ray J - This Ain't a Game - "Wet Me"

2002

• Aerosmith - O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits - "Lay It Down"

2005

• DJ Quik - Trauma - "Quikstrumental (Quik's Groove 7)" (featuring Jodeci) (Co -produced w/ David Blake and Dalvin Degrate)

2007

• Mýa - Liberation-"Smilin" (Co - produced w/ Dalvin Degrate) (Unreleased)

2010

• Danny Boy - It's About Time - "If U Don't Mind", "It's All About U"
• Mighty Clouds of Joy - At the Revival- "I love you Lord" (Co-produced w/ Raphael Saadiq)

2014

• Anthony Lewis - "Candy Rain" feat. Billy Bang (Co - produced w/ Bradd Young)

2015

• Jodeci - The Past, The Present, The Future (entire album)

References

1. http://www.dubcnn.com/interviews/sterlenroberts/

2. http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1047198/flo-rida

• James T. Jones IV (March 10, 1992). "Jodeci throws its voice into the doo-wop". USA Today', p. 4D
• DeVante Swing biography at AllMusic