Blackstreet

Blackstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by Teddy Riley, the producer and singer widely credited as a pioneer of new jack swing following his earlier work with Guy. After stepping back from performing to focus on production for artists like Michael Jackson and Bobby Brown, Riley assembled Blackstreet with a rotating lineup that eventually stabilized around Chauncey Black Hannibal, Mark Middleton, and Eric Williams.

The group's self-titled 1994 debut produced the hit «Before I Let You Go», but it was 1996's Another Level that turned Blackstreet into a global phenomenon, anchored by «No Diggity», one of the defining R&B singles of the decade thanks to its smooth, hip-hop-inflected groove and guest verse from Dr. Dre. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy, cementing Blackstreet's reputation for blending polished vocal harmonies with the sample-driven, rhythm-forward production style Riley had honed throughout the new jack swing era.

Across their catalog, Blackstreet balanced sensual midtempo ballads like «Don't Leave Me» and «I Can't Get You Out of My Mind» with uptempo, groove-heavy cuts, influencing a generation of R&B acts who followed their template of tight vocal blend over cutting-edge beats.