This urban R&B vocal quartet from Atlanta, Georgia, USA almost signed a contract with Michael Bivins, a former member of their idols New Edition, but after the deal fell through they were snapped up by Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings. The group was formed by twins Brandon "Case Dinero" and Brian "Brasco" Casey, who were brought up in Hartford, Connecticut before relocating to Atlanta in 1990. They met Kyle "Quick" Norman at a church rally, and after forming a short-lived sextet, settled into their familiar line-up with the addition of Richard Wingo. After securing the So So Def deal in 1996, they went into the studio with Dupri to record A Jagged Era. The funky groove of their debut single "The Way That You Talk" featured a winning rap by labelmate Da Brat, and set the tone for the album's fusion of smooth vocal harmonies and hip-hop beats. The album, which was released in October 1997, established the group as one of urban R&B's leading vocal acts. They returned in September 1999 with JE Heartbreak (the title was a nod to New Edition's single "N.E. Heartbreak"), on which they wrote or co-wrote all the material for the first time. The album, which included the US Top 20 hit singles, "He Can't Love U" and "Let's Get Married", went double platinum.

The quartet regrouped in the new millennium to record their third album, Jagged Little Thrill. They enjoyed their biggest singles success to date with the Nelly collaboration "Where The Party At", a R&B chart-topper and number 3 pop hit. The album, while not as successful as its predecessor, still racked up platinum status in their homeland.