Blackstreet (often stylized as BLACKstreet) is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by
record producers
A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...
Chauncey "Black" Hannibal, and
Teddy "Street" Riley. The group has released four albums with
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...
until 2003. They achieved relative success leading up to the single "
No Diggity
"No Diggity" is a song by American R&B group Blackstreet as the first single for their second studio album, '' Another Level'' (1996), featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen. Released on July 29, 1996, the song reached number one on the US ''Billboard' ...
" (featuring
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and ...
and
Queen Pen
Lynise Walters (born 1972), known professionally as Queen Pen, is an African American rapper, record producer, and novelist. Born in Brooklyn New York, she was discovered by record producer Teddy Riley at a local iHop restaurant in Virginia B ...
), which peaked at number 1 for four weeks in November 1996.
Formation
After the breakup of
Guy, Riley (while working on
Bobby Brown
Robert Barisford Brown (born February 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. Brown, alongside frequent collaborator Teddy Riley, is noted as one of the pioneers of new jack swing: a fusion of hip hop and R&B. Brown started h ...
's 3rd album, ''
Bobby
Bobby or Bobbie may refer to:
People
* Bobby (given name), a list of names
* Bobby (actress), from Bangladesh
* Bobby (rapper) (born 1995), from South Korea
* Bobby (screenwriter) (born 1983), Indian screenwriter
* Bobby, old slang for a constabl ...
'') came up with the idea to start a new group featuring himself. Originally, the group was to be named Stonestreet, but it was later decided to combine Stonestreet with Chauncey's nickname "Black". The group became Blackstreet Featuring Teddy Riley, with an original lineup of Riley, Chauncey Hannibal, Levi Little, and Joseph Stonestreet. However, Stonestreet was replaced with
Dave Hollister
David Le Chaine Hollister (born August 17, 1968) is an American R&B singer who found fame during the 1990s as one quarter of the R&B quartet Blackstreet, before going on to have a solo career. Hollister is best known for his 2000 gold-certifie ...
before the first self-titled album was released.
Career
In 1993, their first single "Baby Be Mine" was released on the soundtrack to the
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
comedy ''
CB4
''CB4'' is a 1993 American satirical comedy film directed by Tamra Davis and starring Chris Rock. The film follows a fictional rap group named "CB4", named after the prison block in which the group was allegedly formed (Cell Block 4). The movie ...
'' (starring
Chris Rock
Christopher Julius Rock (born February 7, 1965) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and filmmaker. Known for his work in comic film, television and stage, he has received multiple accolades, including three Grammy Awards for best come ...
). The song was written by Riley and Stonestreet and produced by Riley.
Their debut album, ''
Blackstreet
Blackstreet (often stylized as BLACKstreet) is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by record producers Chauncey "Black" Hannibal, and Teddy "Street" Riley. The group has released four albums with Interscope Records until 2003. They achieved ...
,'' featured the singles "Booti Call", "
Before I Let You Go
"Before I Let You Go" is a song by American R&B group Blackstreet, recorded for the group's self-titled debut album (1994). The song was released as the third single for the album in November 1994. The song was notable for featuring lead vocals ...
" and "Joy".
"Booti Call" and "Before I Let You Go" were both Top 40 hits, with "Before I Let You Go" hitting the Top 10. In 1996, they released their second album ''
Another Level.'' It was a breakthrough success due to the top single "
No Diggity
"No Diggity" is a song by American R&B group Blackstreet as the first single for their second studio album, '' Another Level'' (1996), featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen. Released on July 29, 1996, the song reached number one on the US ''Billboard' ...
" (with
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and ...
), which was a No. 1 hit on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 in November 1996. In 1998, Blackstreet won the
.
''Another Level'' eventually went four times platinum in the United States and peaked at No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' chart. "No Diggity" was later ranked at No. 91 on ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' and
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
: 100 Greatest Pop Songs. ''Another Level'' featured Mark Middleton and Eric Williams in place of Dave Hollister and Levi Little.
Both Middleton and Williams were in groups prior to joining Blackstreet. Middleton was part of the short-lived
Motown Records
Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmant ...
group Brik Citi. Williams was part of the trio
The Flex, a group that sang on songs produced by their mentor
Marley Marl
Marlon Williams (born September 30, 1962), better known by his stage name Marley Marl, is an American DJ, record producer, rapper and record label founder, primarily operating in hip hop music. Marlon grew up in Queensbridge housing projects ...
. The success of ''Another Level'' landed them a guest appearance on
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
's "
The City Is Mine
"The City Is Mine" is the second single from rapper Jay-Z's second album '' In My Lifetime, Vol. 1''. It was released on February 3, 1998. It features vocals from Blackstreet and production from Blackstreet member Teddy Riley. Riley samples "Yo ...
" and they teamed with Mýa and Mase for the hit "
Take Me There" from the ''
Rugrats
''Rugrats'' is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The show focuses on a group of toddlers; most prominently— Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, and twins Phil and Lil, ...
'' soundtrack. The success of ''Another Level'' would also land them a spot on
New Edition
New Edition is an American R&B/Pop group from the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1978 by Bobby Brown. Their name is taken to mean a 'new edition' of the Jackson 5. The group reached its height of popularity in the 198 ...
's 1997
Home Again reunion tour.
Blackstreet had a top ten album with ''
Finally
Finally may refer to:
Albums
* ''Finally'' (Namie Amuro album) (2017)
* ''Finally'' (Blackstreet album) or its title song
* ''Finally'' (Sean Ensign album) or its title song "It's My Life (Finally)"
* ''Finally'' (Layzie Bone & A.K. album) ...
.'' The first single from the album, "
Girlfriend/Boyfriend", was a collaboration with
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
featuring
Ja Rule
Jeffrey Bruce Atkins (born February 29, 1976), better known by his stage name Ja Rule (), is an American rapper and actor. Born and raised in New York City, he debuted in 1999 with ''Venni Vetti Vecci'' and its lead single "Holla Holla". Durin ...
and
Eve
Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the ...
. Riley recorded a reunion album with Guy in 2000 and subsequently began working on material for his first solo record. Riley had second thoughts about disbanding Blackstreet and patched things up with Hannibal. Middleton and Williams returned to restore the ''Another Level'' lineup, and Riley's solo project became a Blackstreet reunion. After rumors of legal action and a preemptive countersuit, the group re-banded and released ''
Level II.''
After several failed attempts to keep Blackstreet together, all members eventually continued with solo careers for a time. However, in 2014 it was announced that past members Black, Little, Middleton, and Williams were back together under the Blackstreet moniker. They continued to perform with this lineup currently, and embarked on their second Australian tour in April 2015.
In 2015, three ex-members, Mark Middleton, Eric Williams and Jeremy Hanna were backing vocals for
Eurovision Song Contest 2015
The Eurovision Song Contest 2015 was the 60th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Vienna, Austria, following the country's victory at the with the song "Rise Like a Phoenix" by Conchita Wurst. Organised by the European Broa ...
North Macedonia entry "
Autumn Leaves" performed by
Daniel Kajmakoski
Daniel Kajmakoski-Gragevinac ( mk, Даниел Кајмакоски-Граѓевинац, born 17 October 1983) is a Macedonian singer and songwriter. He is best known for having won the first series of X Factor Adria. He represented Macedoni ...
.
Members
Current
*Chauncey "Black" Hannibal
*Levi Little
*Mark Middleton
*Eric Williams
Blackstreet featuring Teddy Riley
*Teddy Riley
*Dave Hollister
*Sherman Tisdale "J-Stylz"
*Rodney Poe
Past members
*Joseph Stonestreet (Original member only appeared on single "Baby Be Mine")
*Terrell Phillips (Appeared on the album ''Finally'')
*
Kermit Quinn
Kermit Quinn, who also performs as Quinn, is an American R&B singer. He has been a member of the vocal groups Intro (R&B group), Intro and Blackstreet. He is a native of Atlanta, Georgia.
His song "Let Me Do Me" was featured in the 2005 film '' ...
(performed during live shows, does not appear on album)
*Lenny Harold
*Sherman Tisdale
*Tony Tyler
Discography
*''
Blackstreet
Blackstreet (often stylized as BLACKstreet) is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by record producers Chauncey "Black" Hannibal, and Teddy "Street" Riley. The group has released four albums with Interscope Records until 2003. They achieved ...
'' (1994)
*''
Another Level'' (1996)
*''
Finally
Finally may refer to:
Albums
* ''Finally'' (Namie Amuro album) (2017)
* ''Finally'' (Blackstreet album) or its title song
* ''Finally'' (Sean Ensign album) or its title song "It's My Life (Finally)"
* ''Finally'' (Layzie Bone & A.K. album) ...
'' (1999)
*''
Level II'' (2003)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackstreet
Grammy Award winners
Interscope Records artists
American soul musical groups
African-American musical groups
New jack swing music groups
Musical groups established in 1991
1991 establishments in New York City
American contemporary R&B musical groups
MTV Europe Music Award winners