Blackstreet

R&B group

Before launching his own project, Blackstreet’s Teddy “Street” Riley had already established himself as a producer for some of the biggest names in R&B and rap, such as Kool Moe Dee and Bobby Brown. In 1993, Riley and Chauncey “Black” Hannibal formed the quartet Blackstreet, melding the elements of hip hop and classic R&B crooning that Riley had handled with finesse in the studio control room. After the commercially successful debut Blackstreet was released in 1994, half of the group departed. Unflustered, Riley and Hannibal drafted two replacement members and cut their follow-up album Another Level in 1996, which surpassed the strength of their debut.

New York City native Riley began his career as a teenager in 1984, working behind the scenes with a multitude of performers. In addition to producing and re-mixing, Riley often lent his vocal talents to acts such as the middle of the road balladeer Billy Ocean, ex-New Edition vocalist Bobby Brown, and the audacious rap outfit Wrecks-N-Effect. Riley’s credibility stemmed from more than reliable craftsmanship, as his collective work, though diverse, belies a coherent style. By the end of the decade, Riley had become one of the principle founders of “New Jack Swing,” a hybrid of R&B, hip hop, and rap noted for its smooth flavor and danceable grooves.

In 1988, Riley first tried his hand as a full-fledged performer as a backup vocalist in the group Guy, a trio that in turn became major players in the New Jack Swing school. With albums such as their self-titled debut and its 1990 sequel Future, Guy became a strong influence upon the next wave of R&B vocal acts like Boyz II Men and Jodeci. However, friction between lead vocalist Guy and Riley snowballed into a bitter breakup in 1992, although rumors of a reunion plagued Riley for years. Despite the band’s commercial success, Riley later looked back on Guy with less than fond memories. “I feel now that Guy was there for the money, rather than the music, although I didn’t know it at the time,” Riley told Tony Farsides at Dotmusic online.

Along with bolstering Riley’s resume, Guy’s career also crossed the paths of Riley and writer/producer Chauncey Hannibal, a New Jersey born singer who had provided Guy with backing vocals. The like-minded twosome decided to pick up where Guy had left off, and after recruiting members David Hollister and Levi Little, Riley and Hannibal christened their new group Blackstreet in 1993. Riley’s credits were by this time second to none—he had been handed the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) Songwriter of the Year Award in 1992—and Blackstreet’s newest recruits also boasted impressive resumes. Hollister had written and produced for R&B acts such as Mary J. Blige and Patti Labelle, and Little had played guitar, bass, and keyboards for the group Image of Truth. As a whole, Blackstreet had experience in every area of studio recording, and their emergence caused many R&B enthusiasts to eagerly await their first steps on record.

In 1994, the foursome released Blackstreet on Interscope Records to the warm reception of R&B fans. The album itself sold over a million copies, and featured several hit singles, including “Booti Call” and “Joy.” However, just as Blackstreet was establishing its identity as a group, members Little and Hollister quit the project. Riley’s years as a producer had afforded him ample connections to young talent, and fortunately Blackstreet had no problem finding Eric Williams and Mark Middleton as able replacements. As Riley remembered to Imusic online, “[t]he departure of Levi and David was unexpected and a little unsettling at first, but we still wished them well. You see, Chauncey and I have always made Blackstreet’s long term vision a priority. So when Mark and Eric stepped in we immediately realized the change was a blessing in disguise.”

In Blackstreet’s new enlistees, Riley had provided his group with two powerful lead vocalists. William—who had almost joined the quartet the first time around—had the rich experience of singing in a gospel choir, and the Brooklyn-born Middleton had a mastery of tenor and falsetto singing. If anything, Blackstreet had enabled

For the Record…

Members include Chauncey “Black” Hannibal, (born in Paterson, NJ), vocals; Dave Hollister (born in Chicago. IL, left group 1995), vocals; Levi Little, (born in Paterson, NJ, left group 1995), vocals; Mark Middleton, vocals (born in Brooklyn, joined group 1995); Teddy “Street” Riley, (born October 8, 1967, New York City), vocals, instruments, electronics; Eric Williams, (born in New Jersey, joined group 1995), vocals.

Band members Riley and Hannibal met working with Guy in the late 1980s; Blackstreet formed in 1993 after the downfall of Guy in the previous year; released selftitled debut album, 1994; released Another Level, 1996.

Addresses: Record company —Interscope, 10900 Wilshire Blvd., #1400, Los Angeles, CA, 90024; Fan club— Blackstreet Friends, P.O. Box 64737-525, Los Angeles, CA 90064.

itself to experiment in a wider spectrum of styles with its new lineup, and the new members were enthusiastic. “I’ve waited a long time for this opportunity,” Middleton stated on the Blackstreet web page, “and God knows I couldn’t be working with more talented, down-to-earth brothers than Teddy, Chauncy, and Eric. For us, it’s all for one and all for Blackstreet.”

The group soon took to the task of recording their second album, largely engineered at Riley’s own studio, Future Recording, in his home town of Virginia Beach, Virginia. With a platinum debut under their belts, Blackstreet was met with the challenge of avoiding one of the most common pitfalls for new acts - the so-called “sophomore slump.” However, when the foursome emerged from Future with the completed Another Level in 1996, fans, critics, and Blackstreet themselves all agreed that the sequel had in fact surpassed the original. “Our sound is stronger, tighter, and more diverse now,” Hannibal beamed to Imusic. “And since Eric and Mark both sing incredible leads and harmony, me and Teddy have more vocal support than ever. It’s a win-win situation any way you slice it.”

The appeal of Another Level’s nineteen cuts was indeed diverse, enticing listeners of differing musical tastes to buy the album. The first single “No Diggity,” which is slang for “no doubt,” was a catchy, hip-hop number that featured an intro by rap star Dr. Dre, and elsewhere the album featured a highly modified cover of “Can’t Buy Me Love” by 1960’s rock gods the Beatles, as well as the gospel-tinged finale “The Lord Is Real,” a song based upon “Time Will Reveal” by the 1980s family group Debarge. At least one light jazz radio station put the smoother tracks “My Paradise” and “Let’s Stay In Love” into its daily rotation. “Teddy Riley knows what he’s doing,” claimed Kevin Brown, a disc jockey for KBLX radio. “We are watching a master of the game, who deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as such composers as [Kenneth] Babyface [Edmonds] and [Kenny] Gamble & [Leon] Huff.”

Some critics, such as The New York Times’ Jon Pareles, praised Blackstreet for their positive attitude as well as for their musical abilities. In an era of obscenity-laden, violent, and often sexist genres like gangsta rap, groups like Blackstreet, who opted to draw upon the romantic balladeers of the past, were refreshing to many ears, lyrically and otherwise. “Blackstreet reduces 1970s soul to 1990s dimensions;” Pareles opined, “it pares down the melodies and replaces acoustic instruments with synthesizers and samples. But it retains the close harmonies of doo-wop, with all its overtones of constructive male bonding.”

Blackstreet prepared to undertake their third album, but in the meantime Riley continued to be one of the busiest, most sought-after producers in the field. In addition to continued work with veteran R&B performers like Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, Riley began to produce a material for a number of compilation and soundtrack records, including the Soul Foodsoundtrack, released in 1997, and the series Maximum Club Classics. By this point, Riley had amassed over thirty platinum records, and whatever the future of Blackstreet, he has surely helped shape the landscape of contemporary R&B music.