Depression doesnt discriminate. After Dru Hill member and Keith Sweat’s Platinum House’s Nokio exposed his past battle with the illness, it moved many to take it seriously and revisit its affect on the minority community. Depression is a mental issue that requires medical attention in order to manage it, cope with it, and—in some cases—get rid of it. Below are a few facts about depression that will make you aware.  Please note: if any of the symptoms or facts listed seem to fit you or a loved one,  seeking medical attention is a must…not a maybe.

1. Women are twice as likely to suffer from depression than men.

2. Major depression effects mood, thoughts, behavior, and physical health.

3. Major depression is the largest cause of disability in the United States.

4.  More than half of the people who experience one episode of depression will continue to have episodes at least once or twice a year.  If depressive episodes are left untreated they become more frequent and more detrimental to ones health. 

5.  Untreated depression can, and often times does lead to suicide.

Prevention and treatment can only occur if you are aware of yourself and those around you.  Depression isn’t something that will work itself out.

All information was found here.

Attention die-hard Dru Hill fans.  Think you know all there is to know about the R&B crooning fellas from Baltimore? Well, we have some little known facts that just might have you updating your fanpage. Take Note.

1. WHAT’S IN A NAME

The group’s name, Dru Hill, was taken from their favorite hangout, Druid Hill Park in their hometown of Baltimore, MD.

2. JAZZ MEETS OPERA

Member Jazz studied classical music (Baroque to Opera) at the Baltimore School of the Arts (of which Jada Pinkett-Smith and Tupac Shakur are alums).

3. SHUT IT DOWN

The late Michael Jackson flew Sisqo to Virginia in 2001, so the singer could meet the pop icon for the first time.  The pair shut down highways on the way to Jillian’s Discover Mills (now Dave & Buster’s Discover Mills), which was also shut down for the duo.

4. BOO WHO?

Around the ages of 13 years old, Dru Hill was booed after Nokio tripped over a chord during a performance at New York’s famed Apollo Theatre.  Luckily for them, the heckling didn’t last long and the group won the competition for the night.

5. DYE HARD

Sisqo dyed his hair from natural black to intense blonde on a whim, moments before the group went on set to record their first video, “Tell Me.”  The other group members were afraid it would ruin his image, and asked him to cover it up for their album cover, but it turned out to be one of the most defining elements of his—and the group.

Keith Sweat’s Platinum House airs tonight at 8PM EST only on Centric

Just in case you haven’t been able to catch up with Keith Sweat’s Platinum House online don’t worry because Centric’s got you covered.

All season you’ve watched Dru Hill fight, grow, talk, train, and try to get back to a point where they’re the strongest R&B group on the planet.  Now it’s time for you to tune in and see if their hard work paid off, or if internal conflict and egos keep them from regaining their past musical glory.

Do you think that Sisqo and Nokio can let bygones be bygones?  Will Jazz’s voice finally be heard and respected by his group members?  Can Tao keep everyone motivated and together as one?

Tell us what you think here, on our facebook page, or on twitter.  To see if your thoughts and feelings were correct tune into Keith Sweat’s Platinum House tonight at 8PM EST only on Centric.

Oh and if you already saw the finale…what did you think?

The men of Dru Hill are crisscrossing the nation in support of their newest album Indrupendence Day—not to mention celebrating tonight’s season finale of their successful reality show, Keith Sweat’s Platinum House—but Centric’s Justin Joseph managed to catch up with Sisqo, Nokio, Jazz and Tao to get the rundown on their Platinum House experience and if all the fighting is over.

Justin Joseph: As you all near the the season finale of Keith Sweat’s Platinum House, any thoughts about your reality show experience?

Nokio: Being a part of the reality show was a great experience for me. I’m cool with the cameras, but after a while you want some time alone.

Tao: For me the reality show experience was alot of fun. Once we got the first day over with the cameras being around I was pretty much good,especially with the [professionals] on my side.

Sisqo: I had past reality show experience so I knew what I was getting myself into. I was born to be in front of the camera. I’ve been in front of the camera for as long as I can remember.

JJ: There was A LOT of fighting and physical conflicts on the show. Have you fellas gotten it together?

Tao: A little. We’re always gonna bump heads sometimes,but that’s what a family does.

Jazz: Yes things did get a little physical but I’ve seen worse amongst us. As long as the respect is leveled than it won’t get physical but If the respect doesn’t remained leveled than [there's] definitely going [to] be problems here and there.

Nokio: I don’t think they’ll be anymore fights.

Tune in tonight at 8PM EST for the season finale of Keith Sweat’s Platinum House only on Centric.

A few weeks ago on Keith Sweat’s Platinum House, Nokio mentioned that he battled with depression when he was younger and that he had actually attempted suicide around the age of 18.  Suicide is a very serious issue for young men and women in America, and it’s a topic that needs to be addressed because every person given life deserves the right to feel as though they’re worth living it. 

Suicide is 100% preventable if family and friends pick up on warning signs and have the person in question address their illness as early as possible.  Below are a few risk factors that can help identify if a person may be suicidal.

1. Prior suicide attempts

2. Lack of interest in school or work

3.  A history of physical or sexual abuse

4. Family history of suicide

5. Suffering from another mental health disorder or having a drug/alcohol dependancy

This list only has a few of the risk factors for youth suicide listed.  To learn more about how to protect yourself or a family member from a decision that can never be reversed, talk to a healthcare professional and get help immediatedly.

*All information was found here.

Did you miss Keith Sweat’s Platinum House on Monday night?  If you did you shouldn’t feel bad because tonight at 8PM EST you can catch an encore presentation of your favorite Centric show.

Expect a lot of individual growth, but not a lot of unity.  Sisqo travels overseas to perform, Jazz works on music alone, Nokio helps his rock band develop and find harmony, while Tao tries to keep the group on track. At the end of the day business is business and mouths must be fed. 

To get a more in depth look of what Dru Hill does to make their money tune in tonight to Keith Sweat’s Platinum House only on Centric.

During last night’s LIVESTREAM, Keith Sweat’s Platinum House Occupants and R&B group Dru Hill opened up and let Centric in on some little known facts about the group and their evolution.  From dance moves to dysfunction. Check out what we learned about the Baltimore quartet…and trust us, there are some things many of you super fans probably might not know.

1.  Those trademark “jumps” that Dru Hill does (most memorably in the “Tell Me” video) were inspired by church.  Inspired by the gospel feel of the track, the group was reminded a church deacon’s aisle step. They took that walk, developed it into a jump, and the Dru Hill “jump” was born.

2.  The “In My Bed (remix)” music video was shot the day after the Notorious B.I.G. was gunned down in Los Angeles. 

3.  Dru Hill rose from the bottom all the way to the top without a co-sign from any huge artists or producers on their first album (i.e. Diddy or Jermaine Dupri).

4.  Nokio was Trey Songz’s A&R before getting back into the studio for this latest Dru Hill project.

5.  If Nokio wasn’t in music, he would have attended John’s Hopkins University for medicine.

6.  Sisqo studied commercial art in high school and was recruited by Disney to work for them upon graduating high school, but he of course chose to sing with Dru Hill.

7.  Sisqo’s daughter was the little girl at the beginning of his “Thong Song” video in 1999.

8.  Dru Hill is working on releasing a video game, complete with the group’s music as the soundtrack.

9.  Nokio said that there will always be a Dru Hill even if there are NO original members left.

10. The group doesn’t belive in canceling a show for illness. Sisqo has performed with a sprained ankle and Nokio has performed on crutches

The drama on Keith Sweat’s Platinum House is burning up. In case you missed Monday night’s episode…

Keith Sweat reaches out to one former member of Dru Hill to see if the group’s issues are deeper than they may seem.  What he finds out is that money issues, bad contracts, and selfishness have all been factors in the destructive path that Dru Hill has been on.

During therapy Jazz, Tao, Sisqo, and Nokio clear the air about the roles that they think they play in the group and possible reasons for the tension that’s present 95 percent of the time that they’re around each other.  From the therapy session, they all blow off steam in the ring, but believe us, two members won’t last 12 rounds.

To find out who Keith meets with, how Jazz feels, and who takes sparring too far, tune in to Centric tonight at 8PM EST.

Tonight’s episode of Keith Sweat’s Platinum House saw a group boxing session turn serious between original members Sisqo and Nokio. Want to know if the two finally have stopped fighting? How do they handle problems now? and, what Nokio thinks of former member Woody?  We sure do. Nokio shares his thoughts on this fourth installment of THE DRAGON DIARIES:

Me and Sisqo are cool. The fighting sh*t got old, so now we’ve learned to talk out our differences. We don’t always agree, but we agree to disagree.

And About Woody…

I feel like Woody did what he had to do and I have nothing but the utmost respect for him. He’s very talented so no matter what he does it’s [going  to] work.