Dru Hill gets a second chance from Keith Sweat By SONIA MURRAY Recent Georgia Music Hall of Fame inductee Keith Sweat is known for pleading and begging in his contemporary R&B songs — and in this particular situation, begging may come in handy. Fans may remember Dru Hill as a group that rocketed out of Baltimore in 1996, had seven Top 40 hits, watched a member walk away and another have a solo summer smash, and then split altogether. But in “Keith Sweat’s Platinum House,” a special airing Monday on Peachtree TV in which Sweat tries to reunite the once-successful quartet in Atlanta, the members’ early confidence has turned into bitter arrogance. Here’s what viewers will be talking about after the reality show debuts: The good: Hearing these guys sing again. Sure everyone knew lead vocalist Sisqo had pipes. But when Jazz sings opera for vocal coach Pamela Jefferson, it’s almost jarring. The bad: The “wealth of bitterness” — as psychologist Tim Levitas phrases it — that is on public display. Sisqo clearly resents being deemed a one-hit (solo) wonder. Nokio confides to Levitas that his mother is gay and his father is an ex-drug dealer and drug addict. And Jazz laments that he had to become an unlicensed cab driver — after the group sold millions of records — to support himself and his family. “[There’s] such an underlying air of like this weird admiration slash jealousy,” says Nokio. “It’s hard to sit in a person’s face and say ‘I really like what you do, but I hate you.’ “ Possible syndication: Just as one-time Peachtree TV show “Brutha” became a series on BET, Sweat has similar plans for the engaging “Platinum.” “This is like the springboard to other syndication opportunities, other arenas like VH1, TV One and E! Entertainment,” says Sweat, who put together other groups (Silk, Kut Klose) and was in one himself (LSG). “It just depends on how well it’s accepted…But I think the idea is strong. People wonder, ‘Where is SWV? En Vogue? New Edition?’ People wonder about these groups. You know, ‘Why did Guy break up? Did they really not like each other?’ “ New music: This may be a spoiler, but after the reunion the foursome record a new album titled “InDRUpendence Day.” Group members hope to release the CD sometime after the show airs.
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