Dru (Andrew Grange) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. He is an R&B/Soul Juno Award and MuchMusic Video Award (
MMVA
The iHeartRadio MMVAs were an annual awards show broadcast on Much to honour the year's best music videos that was last held in 2018.
Originally debuting in 1990 as the Canadian Music Video Awards, the awards were renamed in 1995 to the MuchMu ...
) winner.
Musical career
Beginning in 1993, Dru was the front man for the R&B group
In Essence
In Essence (occasionally referred to as I.E.) was a five-member Canadian R&B group based in Toronto, Ontario. Their music has been played both in Canada and the United States. The band was active between 1993 and 2006, and their album ''The Maste ...
.
["In Essence The Master Plan"]
''Faze Magazine'', by Lauren Bailey The group released the album ''The Master Plan'' with songs such as "You'll Never Find," which was also featured on Funkmaster Flex's gold release ''60 Minutes of Funk Vol. 4''. Dru's single "Gettin It In," from his album ''On The Brink'', went to radio in August 2011, followed by the album ''On the Brink''. The band won a
Juno Award
The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...
in 2004.
Dru released his solo, debut album The One in 2008, and the album was rated 3.5 out of 4 stars by the
Toronto Star
The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...
. He was also named emerging artist of the Month" by Canada's No. 1 CHR/Top 40 station,
CHUM FM
CHUM-FM is a Canadian radio station in Toronto, Ontario, broadcasting on 104.5 MHz. Owned by Bell Media, the station airs a hot adult contemporary format. CHUM-FM's studios are located at 250 Richmond Street West in the Entertainment District, ...
.
Dru's first three singles "The One", "Stay with Me (Always)" and "Seasons" received national radio rotation. In 2009, Dru topped the radio and video charts in both Canada and the UK as the featured artist on the hit single "Runnin" by DJs Doman & Gooding. The single earned Dru another Juno Award nomination in 2010 for "Dance Recording of The Year."
Dru has been identified by
Billboard Magazine
''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...
as "one of the most important emerging Canadian artists".
["Dru The One"]
''Exclaim!'', By Ryan B. Patrick 19 January 2009
Discography
Studio albums
Singles
*
MC: Gold
As a featured artist
References
External links
* http://www.druofficial.com
*
{{Authority control
Living people
21st-century Black Canadian male singers
Canadian contemporary R&B singers
Canadian hip hop singers
Canadian male singer-songwriters
Canadian pop singers
Canadian record producers
Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year winners
Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year winners
Musicians from Toronto
Year of birth missing (living people)