New jack swing, new jack, or swingbeat is a fusion genre of the rhythms and production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop, and the urban contemporary sound of R&B. Spearheaded by producers Teddy Riley, Bernard Belle, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, new jack swing was most popular from the late 1980s to early 1990s.
Guy is an American hip hop, R&B and soul group founded in 1987 by Teddy Riley, Aaron Hall, and Timmy Gatling. Hall's younger brother Damion Hall replaced Gatling after the recording of the group's self-titled debut album. The group released their debut album, which went on to sell over a million copies and was certified double platinum. In following their success, the group released their second album The Future in 1990, which also charted with successful singles and received platinum as well. Following their nearly decade long split, the group returned with their third album before the 2000s millennium, which charted with their hit single "Dancin'".
Edward Theodore Riley is an American record producer, singer, and songwriter credited with the creation of the R&B and hip hop fusion genre new jack swing. He is the founder and lead singer of the musical group Blackstreet, as well as its predecessor, Guy. The genre also gained popularity from artists who heavily utilized Riley's production and songwriting, namely Michael Jackson, Bobby Brown, Heavy D & the Boyz, Keith Sweat, Hi-Five, and the Jackson 5, among others.
Uptown Records is an American record label, based in New York City, founded in 1986 by onetime rapper Andre Harrell. From the late 1980s into the early 1990s, it was a leader in R&B and hip hop.
Jesse Powell was an American R&B and soul singer. Discovered by Louil Silas Jr., Powell was best known for his hit "You", which peaked at No. 2 on the R&B chart and No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Powell released four albums and was the older brother of fellow contemporary R&B singers Trina & Tamara. Powell was credited with a four-octave vocal range. He was a Grammy nominee.
"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 by Interscope, the song reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and in Iceland and New Zealand. It ended "Macarena"'s 14-week reign atop the Billboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at number nine. "No Diggity" was the final number-one single of Cash Box magazine. The track sold 1.6 million copies in 1996 and won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. It uses samples from Bill Withers's "Grandma's Hands". The music video for the song was directed by Hype Williams.
Don't Be Cruel is the second studio album by American singer Bobby Brown. It was released in the United States on June 20, 1988, by MCA Records. MCA changed producers for this album and had Brown work with hit-making songwriting and production duo Babyface and L.A. Reid. Brown dedicated the album to his deceased best friend James "Jimbo" Flint who was stabbed to death when Brown was aged 11. Don't Be Cruel incorporates new jack swing, R&B, funk, dance and soul.
"Don't Be Afraid" is a song by American singer Aaron Hall. It was produced by Hank Shocklee and Gary G-Wiz. It was one of the singles taken from the soundtrack for the 1992 film Juice starring 2Pac. The song's drum loop is sampled from Sing a Simple Song by Sly and the Family Stone.
Blackstreet is the debut studio album from American R&B group Blackstreet, released in 1994 on Interscope Records. The group was formed by Riley with Chauncey Hannibal after the dissolution of Teddy Riley's former group Guy. The other members of Blackstreet - Joseph Stonestreet and Levi Little - were session singers alongside Hannibal on Bobby Brown's third album Bobby, an album that was mostly produced by Riley. They recorded one song for the soundtrack of the Chris Rock film CB4 called "Baby Be Mine". Before they could record an album, Stonestreet left the group and was replaced by former Force One Network singer Dave Hollister. When they re-recorded "Baby Be Mine" for their self-titled debut, Hollister's vocals were added on the album version of the song.
Bobby is the third studio album by American singer Bobby Brown, released in 1992 by MCA Records. The album continued the R&B/new jack swing sound of its predecessor, Don't Be Cruel. Babyface, L.A. Reid, and Daryl Simmons returned as producers and songwriters, however, Brown also worked with other producers, most notably Teddy Riley, who was considered a pioneer of the new jack swing genre. Riley also co-wrote and produced the majority of the album. Brown had more creative input and control of the album, becoming an executive producer and co-writing seven of the album's thirteen songs. The album received mixed reviews from music critics.
Poison is the debut studio album from American R&B/hip hop group Bell Biv DeVoe, released March 20, 1990 on MCA Records.
Guy is the 1988 debut studio album by American R&B band Guy. Released on June 14, 1988 by Uptown Records. It was produced by group member Teddy Riley and manager Gene Griffin. The album peaked at number 27 on the Billboard 200 chart. In July 1994, it was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, for shipments of two million copies in the United States. In 2007, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the album, Geffen Records reissued the recording complete with a remastered version of the original album and a second CD of remixes.
In Effect Mode is the debut album by Al B. Sure!. It was released on May 3, 1988 on Uptown Records with distribution handled by Warner Bros. Records. It was one of two albums by Sure! that was released under Uptown that were not issued under its parent company MCA Records.
The Future is the second studio album by American R&B group Guy, released in November 13, 1990, on Uptown Records. It was their last album before their reunion a decade later.
House Party 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the 1991 American comedy film House Party 2. It was released on October 15, 1991, through MCA Records after Motown was sold to PolyGram. The soundtrack consisted of a blend of hip hop and contemporary R&B with audio excerpts from the film.
Guy III is the third and most recent studio album from American R&B group Guy, released January 25, 2000 on MCA Records. The album reached number five on the R&B Albums chart and peaked at number thirteen on the Billboard 200 chart.
"I Like" is a song by American R&B group Guy recorded for their debut studio album Guy (1988). The song was released as the album's fourth single in 1989. The album version clocks at 4:54 while the single was 12-inch only and was composed entirely of edits.
Home is the twelfth studio album by American R&B recording artist Stephanie Mills. It was released June 26, 1989 on MCA Records and peaked at No. 5 on Billboard Top R&B Albums. The album features the R&B hit singles, the title track "Home" and "Something in the Way "; both were number one hits on Billboard Top R&B Songs chart.
"Bye Baby" is a song by hip hop recording artist Nas, from his 2012 album Life Is Good. The song was produced by 40 and Nas's frequent collaborator Salaam Remi. Sampling "Goodbye Love" by Guy, the song recounts Nas's failed marriage with Kelis.
"When Will I See You Smile Again?" is a song written and produced by Timmy Gatling and Alton Stewart and performed by American contemporary R&B group Bell Biv DeVoe. It was released on January 4, 1991 through MCA Records as the fourth single from the group's debut studio album Poison. The official music video for the song was directed by Lionel C. Martin.
