Extra Extra! Read All About It! Talented R&B Duo Ruff Endz Talks Life, Brotherhood, and New Music!

 Interview by: Gina Sedman

When I first heard "Ruff Endz," single "Someone to Love You," I wore it out! As well as myself, I remember my son humming that song so loudly that I thought he was going to sing the lyrics right off the music! This talented, dynamic duo intrigued me because not only were both of them amazing singers, but one played the piano. I'm Speaking of the music video. I thought, wow, The talent the two men have is cosmic! For me, interviewing them was a dream come true. My experience interviewing "Ruff Endz" was like none other.

My admiration for them included their honesty, transparency, cohesiveness, and unbreakable brotherhood bond. While they are very different, they share the same passion for music and love and respect for each other. I love the love that they have for one another as brothers. I believe this is the secret to their years of musical success. They look out for one another, and I love it.

Their respect for one another and willingness to speak freely made this interview a breeze. Simultaneously, they knew so much about one another that they could complete each other's sentences. I don't have any biological brothers, but if I did, brothers like these would be my choice. They both have extraordinary talent and are a lot of fun. It was an honor to interview them about their life and musical journey. This interview is filled with laughter, unforgettable memories, and emotional moments. Here's what we discussed in our conversation.

Gina Sedman: Hi guys! Thank you for your time! I appreciate it, and it is a true honor.

Ruff Endz: Thanks for having us 

Gina Sedman: You're welcome. Before we get started, I need to know who's who first.  

Dante: Alright, this is Dante "Chi" Jordan  

Gina Sedman: OK.

David: And I'm David.

Gina Sedman: The two of you are speaking, so I'll need to remember your tones to know who's talking.  (laughter)

David: I have a lighter voice, and Dante has a heavier tone.

Gina Sedman: Got it!

David: If you want a deeper tone, you have to catch meat around 8:00 a.m. because my tone gets lighter once the day starts.  

Gina Sedman: I hear you; I sound like Barry White when I wake up in the morning, so I get it! (laughs)

David: That's when you do all the special talking parts for the song. (laughs)

Gina Sedman: Awesome! OK, let's jump in.

Ruff Endz: Ok

Gina Sedman: What were your upbringings like, and how did they differ? 

Dante: Ok, I’ll start. This is Dante, Chi or Dante Jordan, or Dante Chi. I’ve got about 4 or 5 names. (laughs) 

Gina Sedman: Ok (laughs)

Dante: My name is Dante, and we both grew up in the same neighborhood. How we differed is that David’s immediate family were pastors and evangelist. I’ve always known Davids's father to be a true man of God. He was on another level with it. David’s father came from Guyana David was born here in America. Because of that, David and I had the chance to bond as kids. As far as my family. They were into music. Although there's a few musicians and singers in our family, we’re more on the street side. 

Gina Sedman: It sounds like we've got saints and sinners here.

David: I didn’t want to say it! (laughs) Help him, Jesus, help him, Lord! (laughs)

Gina Sedman: I'm not one to judge I've been on both sides of the coin. (laughs)

Dante: Yeah, I was out on those streets. Hey, it was right there. It was easy for me. In my city, selling packs was easier than finding a job. In those days, getting a work license as a teenager was difficult. In contrast, I could go up to the corner and say, "Hey, let me get a pack," and I'd make 30 bucks off each one. That's why you'd be out on the corner hustling. That's how easy I was. Back then, that's how it was. David and I had different backgrounds, but we both loved music. Basically, music was my saving grace growing up in a city where these kinds of activities were common.

Gina Sedman: Where did you and David meet? 

Dante: We met in high school.

Gina Sedman: Yes, your upbringing differs. 

Dante: Yes, very different. I'm from the rough side of town, the streets.

 Where I grew up in LA, we call it the hood! (laughs) 

Dante: Yeah

Gina Sedman: David what about you? Tell me about your youngin’ years.

David: We were around 5 or 6 when Dante and I first met. We were kids. In fact, Dante has a picture of me and a guy I used to play with, I believe in Kirby Lane. In Kirby Lane, they used to have Monkey bars and all that Kind of stuff. But I just remember his face from playing with this Kid. Do you know how you just remember certain faces?

Gina Sedman: Yes.

David: Well, I remembered his face, and he confirmed it when I met him later. He said, “Yeah, I remember we used to hang out.” At that moment, it became clear that this was the kid I used to play with.

We grew up in Baltimore, and for someone who grows up in the hood of Baltimore, it's incredibly hard not to be influenced by the environment. Having grown up in such an environment, I can tell you its pull into the dark side is highly alluring.  Not only was there gun violence, but the drug scene was so bad that I remember seeing dope lines for people trying to get drugs at 2:00 AM. Honestly, the lines were about three blocks long, no exaggeration.

Gina Sedman: Wow! That’s insane!

David: Yeah. It was like a welfare line. You'd think they were giving away free food, but instead, they were purchasing drugs. There was a massive drug epidemic in Baltimore.  

Regarding my family upbringing, my family is from the Islands, and I'm the youngest of 10 brothers and sisters. I was raised in a God-fearing home. My brothers and sisters went out there and did their own thing. You know what they say about preachers' kids; we're the worst.  

Gina Sedman: Yeah, I’ve heard that. I myself am a preacher's kid, so I know. (laughs)

David: But I believe it was all a part of a divine plan that our paths crossed.

Gina Sedman: Yes.

David: Similarly, music was a lifeline for both Dante and me. It checked me and pulled him.

 Gina Sedman: That's great; let's talk about some fun things now that we've all purged. So, let's keep this car neutral and discuss the fun things you did as a child. Children seem to be obsessed with cereal for some reason. The busy parent will often place a bowl of cereal before the child on the way to work. For a working parent with a full-time job, that's the easiest thing to do. In our adult years, most of us remember this as a part of our childhood with such fondness. I want to ask you, David, what was your favorite cereal as a child? 

David: peanut butter, Captain Crunch!

Gina Sedman: Dante, what about you?

Dante: Oh, that's crazy that you just said that. I was just talking about cereal this morning. I don't want to go too far, but I have to tell you what I was talking about. 

Gina Sedman: Ok (laughs)

Dante: It's quick, but I need to say this.

Gina Sedman: Ok (laughs)

Dante: Earlier today, we discussed why we like chocolate milk and how that whole thing started. My theory is that it came from “Cocoa Pebbles.” For example, the milk in the bowl turns into chocolate milk after eating the cereal. When I was in school, they gave me regular milk. My first thought was, uh, but chocolate milk! Then strawberry milk came out, and it was like a brand-new invention! It was incredible! I, on the other hand, was a captain crunch guy. The captain and I were on the boat.  

Gina Sedman: Ok! (laughs)

Dante: I loved every flavor they put out. Crunch Berries and peanut butter. And when they came out with all Crunch Berries, and there wasn't any regular captain crunch cereal in the box, that was like a new gift!

Gina Sedman: (Laughs) I hear you! "Captain Crunch" is so good! I used to be able to eat that stuff when I was younger, but not now.

Dante: I was jumping around like; they have the one with mostly strawberries!

Gina Sedman: (Laughs)

Dante: It was like I was a cereal monster eating cereal at night.

Gina Sedman: (laughs)

Dante: I promised myself that cereal would be one thing I would enjoy when I became an adult. Nobody's going to stop me. I'm going to go ahead and get the biggest bowl I can find and fill it with as much cereal as I want! (laughs) Now I can eat an entire box of fruity pebbles, and nobody can stop me! (laughs)

Gina Sedman: (Laughs) That’s what's up! Awesome! That's hilarious! Growing up, we didn't have much money, so my mom bought a big box of Cornflakes or Cheerios, and we mixed powdered milk with water to put on our cereal. My taste for Cornflakes grew with time, but I hated the powdered milk! It was super gross! She would buy a gallon of milk and mix it with powdered milk when it began to run out. It is still in my memory what that tasted like; it's disgusting! It was Dunkin' Donuts cereal that changed the game. She bought it a couple of times, but not regularly. During my childhood, I promised myself that when I grew up, I would eat whatever cereal I wanted. Since we've grown, nobody can tell us what to do. (laughs)

 Ruff Endz: That’s right.

Gina Sedman: OK, David, what was your favorite childhood toy?

David: My favorite childhood toy? Wow, that's a good question. 

Gina Sedman: I guarantee you have never had an interview like this before. (laughs)

David: Yeah, that’s true. In fact, I was just going to say that at the end of my interview because this is interesting, but in a good way.

Gina Sedman: (Laughs)

David: OK, my favorite childhood toy, wow. That’s a tough one. 

Dante: You want me to go first? 

David: Yeah

Gina Sedman: OK Dante, tell me, what is your favorite childhood toy?

Dante: I was rough on toys; let me just stop there. I was the little guy with an Adam's apple and big hands.

Gina Sedman: Ok.

Dante: I looked like I had a bone sticking out of my throat. They used to say all kinds of crazy things about me, but I was the type of person who didn't care. I never was one to invest too much in what people said about me because I'll always be me, live my life, and enjoy it.  

Now, there was this race car set that I really wanted, so I got it for Christmas. The first day I got it, I tore it up. Then I remember having these Sesame Street drums. It's crazy how I remember this stuff, but I remember it. I beat the drums so hard that I tore them up within the first two days. 

Gina Sedman: (Laughs)

Dante: My cousin Jimmy is one of my favorite cousins. He used to travel with us on the road. Well, his father purchased this truck for me. It was a metal Tonka truck, and I had it for a long time. I used to throw it down the stairs and everything. I would sometimes ride it across the floor with my knee on it. And I remember thinking that whoever made this was a genius! It was the perfect toy for someone like me! 

I remember thinking, out of all the toys I've ever had, this has got to be the best toy ever because it was built to be Tonka tough! That’s even what the commercial said, right?

Gina Sedman: (laughs) Right! This is hilarious! I love it!

Dante: Ford Motors took that from Tonka. I remember that. That toy stood the test of time. It wasn't plastic; it was metal like a real toy. I can’t explain it, but I think that truck was the best toy I ever had! 

Gina Sedman: So basically, the toy that you couldn't destroy was the toy that passed the best friend test.

Dante: Yeah. It was a real yellow dump truck and a nice size. It wasn't too small, or it wasn't crazy big; it was perfect. I could even take it to the beach, fill it with sand, then take it home and dust it off. No matter what I did, that truck was still there. I also had a Monkey that sucked its thumb. I also used to suck my thumb, so when I lost the monkey, I stopped.

Gina Sedman: (Laughs) Awe, how adorable!  David, have you had time to consider your favorite childhood toy? 

David: Oh yeah, "The Big Wheel.”

Gina Sedman: I loved big wheels! I was getting ready to say if someone doesn't mention the big wheel, I'm going to be like, “why someone didn't say the big will!” big wheels were awesome!

David: As a kid, I had a "Batman Big Wheel" and a Batman toy, but that's another story. The Batman Big Wheel had double wheels, which made it phenomenal. Every time I went outside, I felt like I was the man! While the other children had single wheels, I had double red wheels. We even raced our big wheels! We lived on the corner, at the bottom of the hill. So, I used to go up the block and ride down, then when I turned the corner, it used to slide. (laughs)

Dante: (laughs) yeah

David: Now, if you got three or four of us, you would think we were fast and furious! We felt like Van Diesel. 

Gina Sedman: (Laughs) I cannot! You guys are hilarious! That’s so funny!

David: One of my other memories involves riding a bicycle. When I turned the bike, it flipped over. I cut my head and injured myself pretty bad. It was so bad that I remember part of my skin hanging off my head. 

Gina Sedman: On no!

David: yeah, I hurt myself badly, but three hours later, I was back out there again riding my big wheel. (laughs)

Ruff Endz: (Laughs) 

Dante: David

David: Yes

Dante: I’ve got to add something to that. I’m trying to remember really hard. We were out there on those big wheels before. My cousin had a green machine, and he used to allow me to rock that thing all the time! Well, one day, he let me borrow it. See, how the green machine works is that you pick up a lot of speed and then hit that slide.

David: Uh huh

Dante: That's probably where I met you. Yo, I'm telling you! (laughs)

David: Oh yeah! All of us used to meet up.

Gina Sedman: (Laughs) You guys are so much fun!! I love this interview! It sounds to me like you had the big will meet-up club! That's awesome! As a kid, I had one too, but I used to ride mine inside the house. When my mother left for work, I arranged brown paper grocery bags between the doorways and drove through them, knocking down each one with the help of my sister. Next, I would push her through the bags, and she would ride. My mother's house became alive when she left, like a scene from the movie " Home Alone." With the big wheel, you could have endless fun! What about cartoons? David, what was your favorite cartoon?

Dante: Ooh!

David: Cartoon-wise, one of my favorites growing up was Thunder Cats. 

Gina Sedman: I loved Thunder Cats! In fact, I still remember the song,” Thunder, Thunder Thunder, Thunder Cats!”

David: Dante, I think we got a background singer!

Gina Sedman: Hilarious!

David: I don't want to throw too much out there. Go ahead, Dante. If you want to throw one out there, go ahead, I don’t want to keep going.

Dante: Yeah, I was about to say that we could keep going on that subject. But, someone from my childhood was talking about this long ago, which was so funny. We were outside one day, and he remembered me singing a part of a song from the cartoon, "Mighty Mouse," and when I say we had tears in our eyes, we had tears in our eyes!

Gina Sedman:  I remember Mighty Mouse; I used to love watching that cartoon in the mornings before school. It came on super early in the morning, so you had to get up early to watch it.

Gina Sedman: Mighty Mouse was one of my favorites; I used to watch it before school.

Dante: We discussed who would win between Mighty Mouse and whomever. The conversation was so funny that it brought me back to the point where I remembered it. It jogged the part of my brain that made me remember things that happened long ago, including other things.  It got me pumped up! This is what we talked about; I said, “The song alone made me remember it. You can't deny the song when it comes on!

(Dante sings, “Here I come to save the day!”)

Gina Sedman: (laughs)

Dante: The harmonies were incredible!  (Dante sings, “Don't you know that mighty mouse is on his way!”)

Gina Sedman: (laughs) That's so funny!  You sound just like the song Dante! I can hear all three harmonies coming out of one amazing voice! Is this even an interview anymore? I'm having too much fun!

Dante: The harmonies were like the barbershop harmonies. It was incredible! One thing is for sure: that song made you pay attention! Whenever it came on, you would say to yourself; this will be good!  I thought to myself if the opening song of this cartoon sounds that good, this is going to be good! It caught me every time. I think that was the beginning of my love of cartoons.  The music was incredible; it captivated me. That was it.

Gina Sedman: You grew up together, and sometimes there's a girl in the neighborhood that every boy wants. Have you ever had a crush on the same girl? 

David: We probably did. Hey, this interview is different. (laughs)

Gina Sedman: Well, David, I want to know the real David and Dante. (laughs)

David: I love different interviews! I love it!

Dante: Yeah!

David: This is a beautiful interview. 

Gina Sedman: Thank you.

Dante: Whew! David stop! He’s making my laugher worst. (laughs) He knows how to push my funny bone. So, listen, whew. (laughs) where were we at? 

Gina Sedman: My question to you guys was, did you ever have a crush on the same girl growing up? 

Dante: So, listen, there's a song on our album called "Missing You." Even today, this song remains one of our favorites. We were in Atlanta for our first extended stay. We were there with Bryan-Michael Cox, Jazzy Faye, and Johntá Austin when he played "Sweet Lady," Jagged Edge was recording their first album, and Ashante was also there. At the time, all this was happening. What made it so special is that the song Missing You is with Brian Michael Cox. This is also one of the things that made it so memorable. At the end of the song, Missing You, I make a slip reference, and I say, "Girl, I've been missing you; I've been thinking about Chi and Mrs. Jones." do you remember the song Mrs. Jones and me?

Gina Sedman: Oh yes, how can anybody not know that song? Me and Mrs. Jones is iconic.

Dante: So, I thought it would be an excellent little reference. So, David caught wind of it. On a side note, this is some Brother Ying and Yang type of stuff, but it’s beautiful when you have a group like Ruff Endz.  

Then David says, “I'm going to shout my girl out too!” Then he says, “Amy love, I've been missing you.” If you listen to the song, you can barely catch it, but we have some fans who have asked us who "Amy Love" is.  Do you see what I'm saying? 

Gina Sedman: Yes. I see.

Dante: See, they'll miss “Me and Mrs. Jones” because it's a song. They'll say that was slick. But when David said, “Amy Love, I’ve been missing you,” it was a different story.

I remember us being down in Atlanta for the longest time we had ever been from home, David was messing with a nice young lady, and I was messing around with her cousin. We were in serious relationships with these women and in love. 

Now, Gina, this was a movie. When David first met Amy, like when Johnny first met Sally. (laughs) But, when David first met Amy, the first time we saw her was when we were at a mall. We were both checking her out because she was pretty and had a nice physique. 

David: My brother, Simeon, was there too. 

Dante: Yeah, Simeon, and tried to put his little bid in. 

David: Yep, exactly!

Dante: However, it happened, one way or another, David stepped up. It's crazy that you asked me this question because you made me think about this. This was what I would call a defining moment in our relationship. Simeon is David's older brother by blood. They have the same mother and father. My relationship with David is that of a spiritual brotherhood. Since the day I met David, I have felt that way. Whether God placed him in my path or however you wish to put it, he's here, and my life has never been the same since he became a part of it.

So, this is one of those moments that I was thinking like a brother. I had girls on that level, fine with a great physique. But, looking at David, I thought she would be good for my brother.

Gina Sedman: Awe! That’s so sweet!

Dante: Yeah, I remember this. I thought that she would be good for him. I believed she could tame him. I created a monster and felt it was my responsibility to fix it. As a result, I created a little monster who knew his powers and had confidence. At this point, David was no longer a timid shy boy.

Gina Sedman: David, were you a little nerdy when you first met Dante?

David: No, I was like...

Dante: He was a little genius.

David: I was more introverted. It’s because I was raised in a certain kind of way with my family.

Dante: I got to answer this, David. I'm cutting in like at a dance. I just saw the Einstein movie, and David was like a little Einstein. David was the kind of person who didn’t invest in what you thought of him. That wasn’t what shaped him. That included how he dressed or what he said to you in the conversation. For me, that was the best! Do you understand?

Gina Sedman: Yeah!

Dante: I hated those little dudes from around the way that would say something like this, “Man, I don't like NAS. NAS trashed Pharrell.’ Then you come around and say, "Yō, NAS is one of the best rappers ever! Then his rebuttal would be," Yeah, he is," and I'm thinking, man, you just said you didn't like him! Man, be your own person! That's something that I can't stand! I hated that about some of the people around my way. They're all followers! I'll take one David over all ten of Those little fake ornaments! I like people who are real! That's when I discovered the true essence of that statement.

Gina Sedman: (laughs) Awe, that’s so sweet. God blessed you with him in your life and the same with him. That’s awesome!

Dante: He wasn't from the streets, He ain't killed a bunch of people, he wasn't out there selling crack on the corner trying to be hard or do whatever to survive. He didn't do any of that; he was just the David from the church from around the way and was confident in who he was. That was the best thing since sliced bread for me.

Gina Sedman: That's awesome. Tell me, guys, how was your group first formulated?

David: We started as a quartet kind of group.  At one point, it was four people in the group. Jodeci & Boyz ll Men were a few of the biggest groups then. We looked up to them. At the time, they were some of our biggest influences.  So naturally, we were trying to pattern ourselves after Those groups. There is a three-part harmony, and the fourth person performs the lead part. The lead person would be killing it! So, we were we wanted to go after that. 

So, there was a guy named Scola De Niro, and at the time, he already had a song in Baltimore that was #1 on our local station, and it even got on the box. (BET) So, he was a local hero and celebrity to us, and he was from our neighborhood.

He had a music video out, and we were both in it. We were teenagers at the time. So, we were on BET, and that video played quite a bit. 

Gina Sedman: How old were you guys at that time?

David: We were about 16.

Gina Sedman: You guys were not signed to a label then, am I correct? 

Dante: Correct, we weren't signed at that time.

David: We weren't signed to a label; we were in high school. My connection with Dante was divine. Despite growing up together, our lives took separate paths. He went in one direction, and I went in the other.  

Then they moved to Lexington Terrace, a different part of West Baltimore, and I stayed at 1950 W Franklin and Emerson and Monroe, where we met for the first time in West Baltimore. Unfortunately, my house caught fire, we moved to the county, and I ended up attending a different high school.  When they temporarily moved us, the apartments and the condos were beautiful. But after they fixed the damage from the fire and everything was back to normal, they moved us back to the hood. When we moved back, I went back to “Southwestern Senior High School,” the zone school where I grew up.  

Dante: And it was crazy up there! Crazy! 

David: The day Dante returned to school was the first day he told his mother that he would get his diploma because he was out there hustling and getting in trouble. He even got locked up. So, he got all his paperwork together, and the first day he came back to school was when he heard me singing in the hallway.  

Dante: I didn’t even go to class. 

David: On the first floor is where the auditorium was and where they kept all the auxiliaries. They also held music and art classes there. Basic academic classes were held upstairs. Therefore, when Dante entered the school and heard the music and piano, rather than going to class, he followed his ear and ended up in the music department. This is how we met up. I played the piano, we connected, started singing together, formed a bond, and the rest was history. By the way, Dante ended up enrolling in the class. 

Gina Sedman: Wow, that's a great story. I love the way you laid out the story so eloquently. Your story touched my heart. Your brotherhood was a divine connection indeed. I'd like to know how your professional career began and how you came up with the name Ruff Endz. 

Dante: As things progressed from high school. I attended Flex and Saturday school. David graduated two years before me. At this point, we began taking our singing career seriously. I got out of school, and we started narrowing down the people we wanted to sing with.  

At that time, we were focused on getting a deal before graduating. That's how we were thinking. Despite our issues with the group, David and I were locked in. Considering David finished high school two years earlier than me, I thought about how things might work out.

Gina Sedman: So, you were behind in the system.

Dante: Yes, I failed the first grade due to conduct. The kids made fun of my big lips, so I had temper tantrum problems. As a result, I threw a few chairs around and things like that, but I'm not going to discuss that. 

In the ninth grade, I was hardly there because they did not have my papers, so I was in the streets. They didn't get my papers right until the following year. In two years, I graduated from flex school. Thus, David and I not only graduated together but also sang at the graduation. What was remarkable is that the yearbook states that we will be like Jodeci one day.

Gina Sedman: Awesome!

Dante: After graduating high school, we worked at “The Fudgery.” By this point, David and I were together every day; we were inseparable. We sang and wrote songs. 

After David's parent's church ended, David would play the piano. We would jump on the congas and spend time practicing our songs, harmonizing, and getting our vibe together.

Dante: Do you remember when I told you about Scola De Niro? 

Gina Sedman: Yes

Dante: Upon noticing that we struggled to bring additional members to the group, we sought his advice. He informed us that we should do a two-man group. He mentioned to us Sam and Dave, but at the time, I was unfamiliar with who they were. 

It was a scary but exciting moment at the same time because he believed so much, and he was one of our biggest influences and childhood heroes. We looked up to him as someone who gave us the confidence to do what we do. Some people were skeptical, saying, "Just get a job, and are y’all still chasing a dream?" Both family and friends were telling us things.  But, after speaking with him, we knew we could make it work.   After that, we began recording albums with only the two of us. We participated in talent shows and platforms that would allow us to showcase our talent. That's when people began recognizing that we were a group.

Then, we crossed paths with a group like “The Wu-Tang Clan” because the group members comprised people from different parts of the nation. The members were from California, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York.

They were set up right down the street from us in a studio in our neighborhood, down by a school called Harlem Park. Both David and I were from that neighborhood. We planned to meet everybody and take every interview and meeting we could.  So, we were pushing hard. The funny thing is, that's how David and I were talking to each other as teenagers.

That's another reason I admired David; he was my “guy” because nobody else was talking like him. I wasn't having these conversations with anyone else but David. With my other friends, half the conversations would be about how we could set up something and get girls or how we could sell some drugs. Real talk!

Gina Sedman: Yes, and David was talking about purpose.

Dante: Yes, I was tired of that. In my neighborhood, we were dying fast. There were gunfights and everything. It was crazy!  As teenagers, David and I saw enough of that! 

So, we decided to meet up with these guys who called themselves “The ghetto Rats.” Despite their name, they were nice guys. They made their beats, produced music, and owned their studio. For us, it was another opportunity to record and meet with people with other things.

 It turns out that they have connections in California and other places. So, we go into the studio and begin 'freestyling.' After hearing us, they told us they couldn't believe we weren't signed because they were impressed with our sound. He asked us what our group name was, but we didn't have one. We told him we were a two-person group. This was right after Scola told us we could do it with only us two.

Another funny thing is that because we didn't have a group name, we just called ourselves "Dave and Brown." I still like that name for our group. Another name was the "Davinch and Chi." it was a play on words because he was like Davinci, the artist; instead, he was producing the tracks and Chi. The “Chi” describes my highly energetic nature. David's older brother gave me the name “Chi.”

Back to the studio. So, we meet up with the guys, and we're back there freestyling; after watching us, he was impressed. He said, "You come from hustling, and David was mad talented about his money. Then he said, Ruff Endz!" keep in mind, at that point, we had not done any traveling, so to hear the name Ruff Endz, we were like, wow! That name was perfect for us! So that's the story behind the name Ruff Endz.

Gina Sedman: Wow! That’s awesome! What year did you guys sign your first recording contract?

David: We signed our deal in 1999.

Gina Sedman: What was your first release?

David: The first release was a song called, "Please don't forget about me." It was produced by Nokio and came out in 1999 on a movie soundtrack starring Martin Lawrence in a movie called "Blue Streak.

Gina Sedman: Yes, that's major!

David: Yes, it was, and it was the first time that the world heard us. Then in the summer of 2000, our single “No more” came out. The Album “Love Crimes” followed. It also came out in the year 2000. 

Gina Sedman: Awesome! When going from a church environment and Christian upbringing to a secular industry, did you ever feel the need to anchor your boundaries? By having a relationship with Christ with a church background, what is the mental transition like for you?

Dante: You should be Oprah big right now.

(Laughs) That’s hilarious!

Dante: I’m planting that seed since we're talking about it now!

Gina Sedman: I appreciate your kind words, Dante. That's very kind of you to say that. Since I am a pastor's daughter and a Christian, I can relate. As someone who came from that upbringing, I know that it can be very challenging when you enter an industry that does not adhere to biblical principles. When it comes to this business, you have to decide whether or not to compromise. When the devil dangles something so attractive in front of you, it's time to choose your side. As a Christian, I know that the Holy Spirit dwells within you, making it difficult for you to do things against God's word. However, some consistently ignore it for the sake of fame and fortune. What I am asking is how did you handle it when you entered the industry. What boundaries did you set for yourself, or did you succumb to the pull away from your upbringing? 

David: You’re right. 

Gina Sedman: How did you navigate through that?

David: To me, it was all about relationships. I believe if you have a relationship, in most cases, you will live by it. If you don't, then you're not. I was 16 when I started this group, so it was something I wanted to do. I never really looked at it as something I was doing wrong. Even though my mom would tell me that I should be singing for the Lord, music was something that I loved, so I put everything into it. My mom recognized I was serious about music and that I wasn't just playing around or goofing off like other children my age. As I was spending time with music, my mother heard it because it was very loud in our house. She heard me on the piano, teaching me how to play and create songs. I first wrote a Christian song called “Lord You Are the One,” which was one of my mother's favorite songs. 

I remember my mother telling me that I was going to be known around the world. She told me this all my life; from childhood on up, I remember her saying to me, “You going to sing for the Lord, you're going to touch lives, and God is going to use you.” Because my mom and dad both realized God was doing something in my life, they allowed it.  They were more concerned that I was serving God and not doing anything He wouldn't stand for. Do you know what I mean? 

Gina Sedman: Yes, but David, I want to dig deeper. As a teenager, you're growing up. Many people deal with peer pressure on an average level, but as a young man with hormones raging out of control and women throwing themselves at you, you deal with it in a more concentrated way.  You're taught from childhood that fornication is wrong. After leaving your childhood environment and entering the world of stardom, did your upbringing influence your moral choices in any way? 

David: I wasn't convicted because I wasn't saved. That's just the reality. Don't get me wrong; I won't say that I didn't have any convictions because that wasn't true. Because I was raised in the Word and the Word was planted in me, I had convictions, but I still wasn't saved. 

Gina Sedman: Yes, I understand.

David: I'm saying that I wasn't trying to follow that path. If I was, I would have had more conviction. Sometimes the Devil uses things to cause people to go astray. At the same time, God is also using that trip of going astray to create and build something for His master plan in the working.

That's kind of what happened to me. It was like the story of the prodigal son or a story like Joseph. Sometimes you have to go to Egypt and go to a place where you can integrate with the system for the sake of bringing something to God's people.  

Dante: Can you tell her the story about Dad listening to 92Q?

David: Yeah. My dad passed away, but sadly, I didn't have the closest relationship with my father when he was alive. He was a man of God, but we all feared him. There were six boys and four girls, and we all had conversations about Dad.  

Dante: Pastor Rudolph Chance and David Chance were two different people. David chance will hug his son and tell him he loved him, but David's father wasn't like that.  One thing I can say is that he was a man of God.

David: He was on the stern side, though. He was a very stern man.

Gina Sedman: Most of them were in that generation, including my father. In adhering to the rules, he did not leave any wiggle room.  

David: Yeah, exactly. He was from a different generation.

Dante: And he had a heavy Guyanese accent.

David: Heavy Guyanese accent. He's not just an older man from Guyana; he was from a different culture.

Dante: Dark blue eyes.

David: My brother-in-law, Stanley Watts, told me after my dad's funeral that they knew how stern my dad was and how much he disliked Hot 97 and other stations like that. His feelings about it were also clear to me. He didn’t like any type of secular music. Those radio stations played all sorts of contemporary and secular songs, even hip hop like DMX. I remember my dad telling us to guard our ears, eye gates, etc. I'm sure you understand what I'm talking about.

Gina Sedman: Oh yes!

David: Stanley greatly admired my dad and followed him because my dad helped him change his life, and he helped him with his family. He also has a great testimony, and he looks up to my father as a spiritual leader, a guy that’s real stern. 

Well, he comes into the office, which was in the back of the house where we lived and where my father mainly stayed, and 92Q Jams is on, and it's loud and in full blast on the boombox! Full blast! That radio station played everything like “No More Shopping Spree, " Destiny Child, Bills, Bills, Bills, and Say My Name song. You name it; they played everything!

Dante: (Laughs)

David: “I got five on it!” That song too! Whatever came on the radio, he was playing it loud! And the thing is, he had the door wide open. Remember, his office was in the back of the house, so the people could hear what he was playing when they walked by. This was the hood, and everybody in the hood knew that my dad was a man of God and that he didn't play! These are the people he preaches to, and he has on 92 Q, so I'm sure you can see how the people would have been a bit confused. Some people thought something was happening with the bishop, and the Rev had fallen off.  

People were coming to the house daily wanting prayer, to talk about their problems, or to discuss the word of God. So, my brother-in-law told me that when he came into the house, the radio was blasting loud secular music, and Dad was sitting there making his tithes and offering envelopes.  Stanly says to him, “Elder Chance,” my dad says, "Yeah, what's up, brother?” Stanley says, “You know the station you're playing is 92 Q, right?” He said, “Yeah, I know, then continued making his envelopes. Then Stanly says to my dad, “Elder Chance, you know this is a sinner station, right? 

Dante: When something crazy came on, they returned to the door. (laughs) 

David: One of the songs playing was, all my Ni***s What? Loud!

Dante: (laughs) 

David: Loud! Then he says, "I know; I'm waiting to listen to my son's song on the radio. "

Gina Sedman: Awe, how sweet! That’s such a heartwarming story! You guys are going to make me cry.

Dante: Yeah, that was huge!

Gina Sedman: This story profoundly touches my heart. I say this because, for many years, my dad was like your dad. I sang gospel music not only because I enjoyed it, but another reason was that I wanted to make him proud of me. I didn't feel like I wasn't a Christian because I wanted to sing a song that was not gospel, but I did think that my dad would not be pleased with me for doing so. I also felt that it caused a bit of a gap in our relationship, not because I didn't like him, but because I thought I was disappointing him. I remember releasing a song and having a CD release party. I took a chance and invited my dad, and to my surprise, he and my stepmother showed up. Not only did he show up, he also got up and danced with me. My dad has gone on to be with the Lord, but that experience showed me the magnitude of my dad's love for me. So, thank you for sharing this intimate and touching story. It has blessed my heart and made me have good memories of my father. 

Dante: I tell David, don't ever question how much your father loved you. Pastor Chance has never done anything like that before! Stanley informed us that this occurred while we were on the road, so we didn't know about it. Stanley told us they laughed about it until this day and were surprised that no one ever told us about it.  

Gina Sedman: What a beautiful demonstration of sacrificial love. I would have a beautiful demonstration of a father's love for his son, that he would do something against the grain of his own belief because he loved his son so much. This story touches my heart deeply; thank you again for sharing.

Dante: Neither one of his brothers nor sisters told him. This was a friend of the family that told him.

Gina Sedman: That is a powerful story and one that will stay on my mind forever. Ok, Guys, let me get myself together. Let's pivot and discuss touring. Many people don't understand the touring process and what the daily life of an artist looks like on the road. Can you explain what that looks like to the general public? 

David: It's based on the artist. The needs and expectations of every artist differ. Artists have riders. Riders specify the artist's expectations while on the road. It's like an agreement in addition to the agreement of the performance contract. For example, it will list things that the artist needs in the dressing room, like the type of water or soda they want to drink and so on. We are vegan, so we have a fruit and veggie platter on our rider. As such, we request things like hummus and salsa. Additional items added to our list include agave and bananas. You know, things like that.

During the Skittles era, I've even seen riders who requested a specific flavor of Skittles in their room. I mean, they would measure out a bowl of blue Skittles. The crazy thing is that when you buy Skittles, it has assorted colors, so the promoter had to buy all those bags of Skittles, go in there, pull out all the blue ones, and put them in a bowl to meet their requests.   

Gina Sedman: That’s crazy! I wonder how well that will fly over today after COVID. I'm such a germaphobe I wouldn't even want anyone touching my food. It's gross. If that is the case, I assume they will be wearing gloves, but there will be no way for me to verify that. (laughs)  

David: Some of them are crazy!

Dante: Some artists request whole chickens.

David: Exactly! Some artists even request expensive bottles of alcohol; you name it! Back in the day, some rock'n'roll cats had cocaine on their riders. Real talk! That’s why I say that the experience is different for every artist. So, what happens is this. When we arrive at our destination, first and foremost, the promoter reaches out to the artist, usually through our management. They'll say something like, we want Ruff Endz to come to do a show on August 25th, and we have $10,000 for them. Then the manager works out the agreement with them. The promoter also takes care of the ground transportation and hotel stay.

Sometimes there are interviews involved when we come in town, maybe the day before or the day of. So, we might do an interview or two around or after the soundcheck. Well, usually arrive in the morning. Dante, I'm going to let you take it from here.

Dante: Ok. I would also like to add that everything depends on the type of promoter you're dealing with. I say this because you may have a promoter that crosses all their T’s and dots all their I’s, or you may not. Sometimes you might come straight from the airplane and must do a radio interview. So, some promoters are much more organized and map things out better than others. At the radio station, we talk about our show or music. After we leave the radio station, depending on the schedule breakdown, we could go straight to soundcheck. Or we could go back to the hotel and then go to soundcheck. But this also depends on numerous circumstances. It’s a bunch of moving parts. 

This stuff is never settled. Depending on how far the venue is from the hotel, for whatever reason, you'll either stay at the venue where you've done the soundcheck until you do the show, or you'll have a chance to come back to the hotel, shower, relax or whatever the case and then go to the show.  For example, if the venue is around 40 minutes to an hour away, it wouldn't be feasible for the promoter to change traffic and be late.

In circumstances like this, they will have a nice room for you with your food setup and the things you included in the rider that David talked about earlier. In between that time, you can dress and get yourself together. You can also use that time for rest. Here’s another variable. When you're on the road with either people you know or people you want it to be, sometimes that creates really good synergy situations. We've run into a lot of those situations lately. When we do shows for "Bobby Dee Presents,” which is "Snoops” touring company, you come to the venue and stay there until the performance.

So, they’ll have everyone in their dressing rooms. Ruff Endz, For Real, Ginuwine, Next, Michelle, John B., Hi-Five, Urban Mystic, and other artists. So, many times, we're all together in one area. That makes for great networking because I just met Karen White for the first time in that same circumstance. She was incredibly cool and still an amazing vocalist! "Full Force" was even on the show, and they were incredible. So, I got a chance to speak with them as well. 

Gina Sedman: I remember full force. I had never heard of an R&B artist with such muscularity before, but I loved their sound! The two unusual types of R&B singers are the super muscular man and the Super tall guy who’s 7 feet tall. Typically, most R&B singers are all the same or around the same size.

Dante: That gave me a different type of hope watching full force because I always thought I would look funny if I got big. 

Gina Sedman: Yes, it's like imagining Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk) singing R&B on stage.

Dante: Yeah, LL got pretty big too.

Gina Sedman: Yeah, But he was a hip-hop artist. You see bulky hip-hop artists regularly. Can you guys share one of the funniest moments you’ve had while performing?

Dante: First, I want to give a shout-out to Oji Pierce. He was one of our mentors and personally responsible for getting us our record deal. He was the one who introduced us to Dave Mcpherson. It was he who brought us to California for the first time. I remember him making lemonade with lemons from his lemon tree in his backyard. Through him, we came to know entertainers such as Eddie Griffin, Darren Carter, Any Mcknight, and even Jamie Foxx. While in CA, we visited a comedy store and met many comedians. "Earthquake" was there too. We later went to Denzel Washington's restaurant. Outside, he had this massive fire burning. It was nice. After we left, I think we met Johnny Gill.  

Remember, this is our first trip to California, and some of the windows in some places are distinctively different from those back home. So, I jumped out of the car, and then David jumped out of the car to look at something in the window, and although I heard a noise, my brain couldn't focus on what it was. So, when I turned around to look at David, he looked at me in a weird way. What I did notice was that the window behind him was moving.  

What was different about this window in California in contrast to Baltimore is that they had the bar behind the glass; in Baltimore, the bar is in front of the glass. We've never seen that before. We were always used to the security gate on the other side of the glass. It's like this, security gate then glass, not glass security gate. It felt like my emotions were being played with. As I looked at David and he was looking at me, I saw his eyes watering as a knot began forming on his forehead.  

The crazy thing about it was we were feeling good; it was our first time in Cali, and we were on Melrose. We've never been on Melrose, nor have we seen an actual Gucci store, so it was fascinating. So what happened to David is that he ran out of the car to go over and see it and didn't realize that it was glass and hit his head on the glass. 

Gina Sedman: Oh no, I can feel the pain from here! Ouch!

Dante: It was like one moment blurred together, but it was hilarious once we pieced it together. It might sound brutal now, but at the time, it was one of the funniest things I had experienced in my life! (laughs) Were we teenagers, Dave? 

David: Yeah, I think we were about 19 years old.  

Dante: During that time in our life, everything was super funny to us. I couldn't even look at him without laughing. The fact that he tried hiding it from me made it even funnier. There was no way he could hide it because a big hickey was formulating on his forehead. That was probably one of the funniest things I've ever seen, and he was my best friend. But I have to say, overall, that moment was one of our most memorable moments. Unfortunately, Oji is no longer with us. He passed on, but that was one of the funniest fondest memories I can remember.

That’s so funny! Thank you for sharing. I love your stories! They warm my heart! I love your brotherhood! So, tell me about any new projects or tours you have out now or planning in the future. 

David: OK, our current album is called “Rebirth,” and that's available on all platforms.

Gina Sedman: Who wrote and produced it, you guys or someone else? 

David: We (Ruff Endz) wrote it and produced it, but the project also includes a few additional writers. My son, Michael David, is also a producer on the album. krayzie Bone from bone thugs and harmony was also a writer on our album. There's also a lady named Sheree who wrote on our project. She’s a great writer! So that's what's out now, but we're also excited about the new single forthcoming called “Congratulations.”

Gina Sedman: Sounds great!

Dante: David's son picked the album cover picture too. 

Gina Sedman: That’s amazing! I see talent runs in the family.

Dante: I want to make one thing clear; David produced the entire album, and his son did some additional production on a few of the tracks, but David produced both the last album and this one. We both wrote it. I'm a proud writer and love writing, but my brother Dave wrote the track. I had to say that because David is my brother and I love him. I'm proud of my brother. 

David: Well, I’ve got to give it back. We're like a writing team. 

Gina Sedman: You guys remind me of the black version of Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin. Talented, Inseparable, and funny.

David: Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

Yes, there you go! David: OK, our current album is called “Rebirth,” and that's available on all platforms.

David: Our single “Congratulations.” features Scola Dinero. That video is also coming out. I'm so excited about this project because the world will experience something we created and produced from our hearts. 

Dante: Scola Dinero is a member currently on tour with Dru Hill. Dru Hills 2nd or 3rd album, they reformulated it, and picked up a new member, and that’s Scola Dinero. So, Scola Dinero is now a member of Dru Hill. 

Gina Sedman: Awesome! Getting to know you both on a more personal level and sharing some laughs with you while we all walked down memory lane was such a pleasure. 

It's been a pleasure speaking with you guys, and I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedules for this interview. It has indeed been an honor. You guys are the best!

David: We have to shout out to you because these platforms are indispensable to artists like us who are not on social media. We're just getting back involved with the global scene. Social media came late to us. As we live in a globalized world, such platforms are essential for reaching fans and new people. 

 Dante: Some of the other people who have interviewed us have been like carbon copies, but your questions make the interview unique. There was a great deal of repetition in those interviews. It's almost like getting excited about the same question that twenty other people just asked you. You deserve a shout-out for offering something different to the artist! 

Gina Sedman: Thanks a lot; I appreciate it. I think it's important to let readers know that even though their favorite artists are talented, they're still human with human experiences. So, thank you for being transparent. 

Dante: My favorite toy? I mean, come on! 

Gina Sedman: (Laughs) 

Dante: You know what I mean? You asked me about my Tonka truck! 

Gina Sedman: (Laughs)

Dante: You're going to have me in here watching Thunder Cats? Like really!  

Gina Sedman: All I need you guys to do is remember that you promised to let me sing the theme song from the "Thunder Cat's" cartoon on your next album, so don't forget me! (laughs)

Dante: I will watch my mouse-eating captain crunch in a minute. 

Gina Sedman: Right! (Laughs)

David: That's hot! You just gave me an excellent idea. 

Gina Sedman: How can people get ahold of your music and follow you? 

David: on Facebook @official Ruff Endz on Instagram and Facebook and The Real Ruff Endz on Twitter. And the name of the new album is called Rebirth. Also, a few weeks ago, we just released a video for the song "Your Body" featuring none other than the legendary Bone Thugs in Harmony, Krayzie Bone, so that's available right now on YouTube and Vevo. We're happy that many DJs are requesting our new music and fans. Another thing I want to say is that all of the "Gina's" I know are good people.  

Gina Sedman: My sincere thanks go out to you! The opportunity to interview you is an honor for me, once again. Your transparent testimony and joyous nature enchant me. The stories you shared took me on a journey of humble beginnings, humility, and achievement. My interviews always end with a prayer. So my prayer for you is that God will continue to bless the works of your hands be it done according to his will. May God open the right doors for you. Likewise, I pray that God will keep you and your family safe and protect them as you travel and tour. Dante and David, keep the Lord close to your hearts because we can't do anything without Him.

Finally, I want you both to know how proud I am of how far you've come and how you have triumphed despite all odds. In the meantime, I will continue to follow your journey and route from the sidelines. May God bless and keep you both. 

David: Thank you again for shining your light. Keep shining that light because we need Kingdom people on these platforms, and I appreciate you being out here on the highways and the byways representing the Kingdom on this side. So, thank you. 

Gina Sedman: I wouldn't choose any other path but that which God has set before me, so thank you. And by the way, I'm vegan too.

David: Hey! We family!  

Gina Sedman: Thank you! Have a super fantastic weekend! Bye!

Ruff Endz: Bye, Gina!  

Photos are courtesy of Ruff Endz

END OF INTERVIEW