DeVante Swing

DeVanté Swing
Birth name	Donald Earle DeGrate Jr.
Born	(1969-09-29)September 29, 1969 (age 50) Hampton, Virginia, United States
Origin	Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
Genres	R&B hip hop soul new jack swing
Occupation(s)	Musician record producer singer songwriter rapper video director pianist
Instrument(s)	Vocals piano guitar talk box
Years active	1987–present

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.

Career

Swing became known in the 1990s as the founding member of the R&B group Jodeci, a popular R&B act at that time. Swing served as the main songwriter, producer, and leader of Jodeci which also featured his younger brother Dalvin DeGrate. He is also known for discovering Timbaland, Missy Elliot, Ginuwine, Stevie J, and Static Major. 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 also mentored Flo Rida in the early stages of his career.

Discography

Main article: DeVante Swing production discography

Main article: Jodeci 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)

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