TEDDY RILEY
& FRIENDS
Tye Tribbett first came to
national attention in 1997 when
he entered his group, GA, into
the McDonalds and Wrigley’s
Gospel choir competitions,
where they “swept the
competitions,” winning first
place in all categories.
and Don Henley.
Tribbett and his group
performed “Let Go, Let God”
on the soundtrack of the
Dream Works animated
film The Prince of Egypt with
award-winning duo Mary Mary.
The group also appeared on
Commons’ Electric Circus
album, Jessica Simpsons’
Christmas album, Will Smiths’
project Lost & Found, on a song
featuring Mary J. Blige, and Justin
Timberlake’s “Cry Me A
Hollister subsequently left for a solo career and
River.”
Little exited as well; their replacements were
Mark Middleton and Eric Williams. The new
His highly anticipated
additions helped set the stage for Blackstreet’s
debut album, Life
pop breakthrough with 1996’s Another Level.
(2004), brought
Tribbett and his
More specifically, it was the inescapable smash
group, GA (Greater
single “No Diggity,” which featured special
Anointing), a wide
guest Dr. Dre, that put them over the top. “No
array of new fans
Diggity” reigned for four weeks on top of the
and a Stellar
pop charts and won a Grammy for Best R&B
Award nomination.
Vocal by a Duo or Group; it also pushed sales of
Tribbett’s
Another Level pass the four million mark.
sophomore project
with GA, Victory, was released
The follow-up single, “Don’t Leave Me,” was a
in 2006, debuting at #1 on
decent-sized hit in 1997, and the group later
Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums
made a guest appearance on Jay-Z’s “The
chart.
City Is Mine” and teamed with Mya and Mase
for the hit “Take Me There” from the Rugrats
This break-out project, which
soundtrack.
included the #1 gospel radio
single, “Victory,” received
More personnel shifts had ensued following
their blockbuster success, however: Middleton
left for his own solo career and was
replaced by Terrell Phillips.
Blackstreet’s third album,
Finally, was released
in early 1999, and
though it contained
“Take Me There”
(and a bevy of
guest cameos), it
spent only one
week in the Top
BLACK STREET BY: STEVE HUEY
T
HE group quickly became
highly in demand,
Blackstreet
One of the top
performing
with
R&B industry
vocal groups of the ‘90s,
music
superstars
Gloria was
Estefan,
Blackstreet
founded by singer,
LeAnn Rimes, Elton John,
producer,
and
new jack swing
Luther Vandross, and
Stevie Wonder.
They Teddy Riley after the
pioneer
also appeared with Jill
breakup of his seminal trio Guy.
Scott, India Arie, John
Mellencamp, Musiq
Soulchild, and The Roots,
among many
artists, a few years to
ILEY other
had taken
and toured
with Faith on
Hill his booming
concentrate
R
production career, which saw him
working with Wreckx-N-Effect, Bobby
Brown, Michael Jackson, and SWV, among
others. His itch to get back in the performing
arena resulted in the formation of Blackstreet in
1991, which included singers Chauncey “Black”
Hannibal, Levi Little, and Joe Stonestreet in
addition to Riley.
TYE
TRIBBETT
Stonestreet was replaced by Dave Hollister prior
to the recording of the group’s self-titled debut
album, which appeared in the spring of
1994. On the strength of “Before I
Let You Go,” a Top Five hit on the
R&B charts, Blackstreet was
a platinum-selling hit even
without much crossover
exposure. Two more
singles from the
album, “Booti Call”
and “Joy,” were
minor hits as
well.
three Stellar Awards, three GRAMMY® Award
nominations and a Dove Award nomination. His
third release, Stand Out (2008), again topped
the charts and earned the group another
nomination for a GRAMMY® Award.
In 2009, Tribbett, who is also an accomplished
musician who plays multiple instruments,
retired GA and made other changes
in his musical style and direction,
resulting in the 2010 release of the
aptly named Fresh. The CD, which
the Washington Post called “a
wondrous album,” also entered
Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums
chart at #1.
With a career of
groundbreaking and chart-
topping, albums, hit singles
Ten.
group’s
commercial momentum
and The
career
achievements.
had
slowed musical
in the intervening
Tribbett’s
style, has years, and
Finally
to go gold.
always struggled
been considered
forward and refreshing, he is
Tensions
within
the
group and with their
a true talent
and
amazing
label,
stage Interscope,
performer. ran high, and a rift
between Hannibal and Riley spelled the
end
the road
for Blackstreet before the
His of
ministry
speaks
year
was
even
to the
heart
of out.
a new
generation and his
However,
Teddy
Riley had second thoughts
uniqueness
is unmatched
about
disbanding From
Blackstreet, and patched
and unparalleled.
things
up with
Hannibal; Middleton and
the opening
performance
Williams
returned
to restore the Another
of his new
single, “Same
Level
and Riley’s
God,” lineup,
at the 28th
Annual solo project
became
a Blackstreet
reunion. The resulting
Stellar Gospel
Music Awards
album,
II, was
released
Tribbett Level
received
rave
reviews in early 2003.
and a standing ovation.
There is a non conventional and technical
driving
force that
continues to flow within
His upcoming
album
this
musical
dexterity
only the
Greater
Than
is set to bringing
be
most
signature sound
a fan prolific
favorite legendary
and placing
Tribbett’s newest release
where he is known to be, next
level.
to the multi-genre masses historically and
today alike.
From composing and producing R&B,
Hip Hop, Pop and K-Pop hit songs, his
schedule remains non-stop in the studio
and continues to perform with his group
Blackstreet aka BS2 coupled with solo
engagements and even stints on television
shows like VH1’s hit show Love & Hip Hop.
Teddy Riley, BS2 and several of the famed
artists he historically produced continue to
tour and perform timeless hits.
Between his studios in Seoul Korea, Los
Angeles and Atlanta
this iconic force stays
creative in the lab
working on tracks for
numerous artists and
special projects.