Blackstreet was an American hip hop group from Harlem, New York City. Formed by brothers Chris and Tony Stone in 1993, they released their first single “No Diggity” in 1994. The band’s debut album, also titled No Diggity, was released on October 12, 1995 through Columbia Records.
Blackstreet is an American hip hop duo from Atlanta, Georgia. The group was formed in 1995 by rappers Shawn Corey Carter and Jay-Z.
After the dissolution of his pioneering trio Guy, singer, producer, and new jack swing pioneer Teddy Riley formed Blackstreet, one of the best R&B vocal groups of the 1990s. Riley had taken a few years off to focus on his burgeoning producing business, which included collaborations with Wreckx-N-Effect, Bobby Brown, Michael Jackson, and SWV, to name a few. Riley formed Blackstreet in 1993 to satisfy his desire to return to the stage, which featured vocalists Chauncey “Black” Hannibal, Levi Little, and Joe Stonestreet, as well as Riley. Prior to the production of the group’s self-titled first album, which was released in the spring of 1994, Stonestreet was replaced by Dave Hollister. Even without any crossover exposure, Blackstreet was a platinum-selling success because to “Before I Let You Go,” a Top Five song on the R&B charts. “Booti Call” and “Joy,” two additional songs from the album, were modest successes as well.
Mark Middleton and Eric Williams were brought in to replace Hollister and Little, who both departed for solo careers. With 1996’s Another Level, the new additions helped pave the way for Blackstreet’s mainstream success. It was the unstoppable hit song “No Diggity,” which included special guest Dr. Dre, that propelled them to stardom. “No Diggity” topped the pop charts for four weeks and won a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal by a Duo or Group; it also helped Another Level pass the four million milestone in sales. The group’s follow-up song, “Don’t Leave Me,” was a moderate success in 1997, and they subsequently had a cameo appearance on Jay-“The Z’s City Is Mine” and collaborated with Mya and Mase for the Rugrats soundtrack smash “Take Me There.” Following their blockbuster success, however, further personnel changes occurred: Middleton departed for a solo career and was replaced by Terrell Phillips.
Finally, Blackstreet’s third album, was released in early 1999, and although including “Take Me There” (along with a slew of guest appearances), it only lasted one week in the Top Ten. In the ensuing years, the group’s economic impetus had stalled, and Finally struggled to achieve gold status. Tensions between the members of Blackstreet and their label, Interscope, were high, and a split between Hannibal and Riley signaled the band’s demise before the end of the year. Hannibal was said to have sued Riley for two million dollars in early 2000, but when Riley filed a countersuit, Hannibal denied ever taking legal action and the case was abandoned. Riley and Guy released a reunion album in 2000, after which he started writing songs for his debut solo album. Riley’s solo project became a Blackstreet reunion, and he had second thoughts about disbanding Blackstreet. Middleton and Williams returned to restore the Another Level lineup, and Riley’s solo project became a Blackstreet reunion. Level II, the resultant album, was released in early 2003.
Blackstreet is a hip hop group from Atlanta, Georgia. The original members of the group were Shawn Jay-Z Carter, Malik Phife Dawg Taylor, and Anthony Q-Tip Kiedis. Reference: blackstreet original members.
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