BLACKstreet

Formed in New York in 1991 around Teddy Riley after the breakup of Guy, BLACKstreet continued the new jack swing tradition while opening it up to a smoother, more contemporary R&B infused with hip-hop soul and carefully crafted vocal productions. BLACKstreet operated as a quartet with a shifting lineup, undergoing several personnel changes over the years, notably involving Chauncey Hannibal, Dave Hollister, Eric Williams, Mark Middleton and Levi Little. After the single “Baby Be Mine” in 1993, BLACKstreet released the album Blackstreet in 1994, then Another Level in 1996, an album that marked a clearer turn toward urban, melodic R&B. That record includes “No Diggity,” recorded with Dr. Dre and Queen Pen, which earned BLACKstreet a Grammy in 1998 for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The group followed with Finally in 1999 and returned in 2003 with Level II, after a first split in the late 1990s. Since then BLACKstreet has appeared intermittently on stage, in a lineup shaped by a history of reformations and internal reshufflings.