HARD ENOUGH?
Jagged Edge Try to Fit into Today's Pop World

"Part of the problem is we don't look like the typical R&B group," offers Brandon. "The last R&B group to grace the pop scene and make some noise was Boyz II Men, and we don't look or sound anything like them."

It's true. The quartet appear decked out so fresh and so clean on the cover of their fourth disc, Hard, but these Atlanta homeboys are more comfortable sporting throwback jerseys and Tims than tailored suits and wingtips. "Like a jagged-edge knife has a smooth side and a rough side, we display enough of the smooth side with our music," says Brian. "We don't feel we have to look the part."

Nor do they play the part of blinged-out R&B superstars or take competition with flashier urban boy bands like 112 and B2K too seriously. "What distinguishes us is that we're making our own music," says Brandon. "We don't have to go to R. Kelly or Timbaland. We've written our own hit records."

When they're not in the studio, the fellas enjoy lounging at their respective cribs -- throwing barbecues, playing video games, and reminiscing about their "dedicated fans." One encounter that stands out in the group's collective memory was with an overzealous young lady who drove down the highway in the buff just to get the group's attention. "We knew the girl, too," Kyle recalls with a laugh. "We used to sing with her in the choir. I wish Pastor would have seen that."

In a music industry climate more favorable to raunchy rappers and sexy songbirds, Hard, a ballad-heavy record that's their first not to be produced by Jermaine Dupri, is a refreshing change of pace. While the group portray themselves as R&B bad boys, the fact is that they're true romantics with a knack for tear-jerkers along the lines of Hard's "Walked Outta Heaven." Do the boys protest a bit too much? Bow Wow, another Dupri protégé, offers that JE are squeaky-cleaner than most. "They're really positive, hardworking people," says Bow Wow. "Both young and older folks can relate to their music." The rapper enlisted the group to collaborate on his 106 & Park video countdown-topper "My Baby."

That kind of praise is music to Jagged Edge's ears. "At the end of the day, when you think of the Commodores, the Four Tops, and the Temptations," says Wingo, "one day I'd like for people to also think about Jagged Edge." Tracy E. Hopkins