Blackstreet (album)

Last updated

Blackstreet
Blackstreet - 1994 album.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 21, 1994
Recorded199394
StudioFuture Recording Studios
(Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S.)
Genre
Length73:06
Label Interscope
Producer
Blackstreet chronology
Blackstreet
(1994)
Another Level
(1996)
Singles from Blackstreet
  1. "Baby Be Mine"
    Released: February 23, 1993
  2. "Booti Call"
    Released: July 28, 1994
  3. "Before I Let You Go"
    Released: November 22, 1994
  4. "U Blow My Mind"
    Released: December 28, 1994
  5. "Joy"
    Released: March 21, 1995
  6. "Tonight's the Night"
    Released: August 1, 1995

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. [3] 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. [4] They recorded one song for the soundtrack of the Chris Rock film CB4 called "Baby Be Mine". [5] Before they could record an album, Stonestreet left the group [3] and was replaced by former Force One Network singer Dave Hollister. [6] When they re-recorded "Baby Be Mine" for their self-titled debut, Hollister's vocals were added on the album version of the song.

Contents

Hip hop producer Erick Sermon co-produced the first single "Booti Call", [3] which was a response to the rape trial and conviction of professional boxer Mike Tyson at the time of the album's release. [7] Riley, who was a close friend of Tyson, [7] referenced his incarceration in the album's liner notes: and to our main man Mike Tyson "we can't wait". [8] The song's opening was done by stand up comedian Bill Bellamy, who popularized his infamous saying on an episode of Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam . [9] The second single "Before I Let You Go" was released with a music video that featured appearances by actors Omar Epps [10] [11] and Shari Headley. [12]

Also on the album is former member of The Sylvers songwriter and producer Leon Sylvers III, who collaborated with Riley on the writing and production of several songs on the album. Riley's proteges The Neptunes make one of their earliest appearances on Blackstreet as well, with Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo receiving a co-writing and assistant producer credit on the song "Tonight's the Night", [3] [13] while Hugo plays the saxophone on the ballad "Happy Home". [14] Singer Michael Jackson helped with the composition of "Joy"- a song that was originally intended for Jackson's 1991 album Dangerous . [3] [15] Blackstreet would be the first and last album with members Hollister and Little, who left the group at the end of 1995. [16] [17]

The album peaked at number fifty-two on the Billboard 200 chart. By April 1995, it was certified platinum in sales by the RIAA, after sales exceeding 1,000,000 copies in the United States. Blackstreet's cover of the Stevie Wonder song "Love's in Need of Love Today" was featured in the 1995 Harrison Ford film Sabrina , but it does not appear on the film's soundtrack. [18]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [19]
The Source (favorable) [1]

The album peaked at fifty-two on the U.S. Billboard 200 and reached the seventh spot on the R&B Albums chart. [20] The album was certified platinum by April 1995. [21]

While Stanton Swihart of Allmusic commented that some of the songs weren't fully formed and others sounded like new jack retreads, he did remark that the work included "some brilliantly catchy R&B tracks, songs that easily stood out in the mid-'90s urban soul crowd." [2]

Track listing

No.TitleMusicProducer(s)Length
1."Intro (Blackstreet Philosophy) [Interlude]"Riley, "Lil" Chris SmithTeddy Riley, "Lil" Chris Smith0:56
2."Baby Be Mine"Iverson, Riley, Stonestreet, Williams, "Lil" Chris SmithTeddy Riley3:02
3."U Blow My Mind"Hannibal, Hollister, Riley, SmithTeddy Riley, "Lil" Chris Smith3:49
4."Hey Love (Keep It Real) [Interlude]"Dickey, Riley, SylversTeddy Riley, Leon Sylvers III1:11
5."I Like the Way You Work"Graham, Hannibal, Little, Riley, Riley, SmithTeddy Riley, Markell Riley4:44
6."Good Life" Brown, Callis, Linzer, Riley, WynnTeddy Riley, David Wynn4:04
7."Physical Thing" Drakeford, Hannibal, Little, Riley, Riley, Tex, Williams, SmithTeddy Riley, Markell Riley4:38
8."Make U Wet"Barber, Davidson, Hannibal, Riley, SylversTeddy Riley, Michael "Flip" Barber4:59
9."Booti Call"Clinton, Dickey, Riley, Riley, Sermon, Shider, Spradley, Sylvers, TroutmanTeddy Riley, Markell Riley, Erick Sermon4:26
10."Love's in Need"WonderTeddy Riley4:41
11."Joy"Riley, Lucas, Jackson Teddy Riley4:55
12."Before I Let You Go"Hannibal, Hollister, Riley, Riley, SylversTeddy Riley4:59
13."Confession [Interlude]"Hollister, Riley, Riley, WilliamsTeddy Riley, Markell Riley0:54
14."Falling in Love Again"Hannibal, Hollister, Little, Riley, RileyTeddy Riley, Markell Riley4:34
15."Candlelight Night [Interlude]"Taliaferro, RileyTeddy Riley0:54
16."Tonight's the Night" Hugo, Lucas, Riley, Riley, Williams Teddy Riley, Markell Riley4:18
17."Happy Home"Davis, Hannibal, Riley, RileyTeddy Riley, Markell Riley5:38
18."Wanna Make Love"Riley, Stonestreet, WatkinsTeddy Riley5:00
19."Once in a Lifetime [Interlude]"Taliaferro, RileyTeddy Riley, Markell Riley1:02
20."Givin' You All My Lovin'"Riley, Riley, Smith, SylversTeddy Riley, Leon Sylvers III4:12

Charts

Singles

YearSinglePeak chart positions [27]
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 U.S. Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks U.S. Rhythmic Top 40
1993"Baby Be Mine"20
1994"Booti Call"3431419
"Before I Let You Go"7722
1995"Joy"43131223
""Tonight's the Night" (Blackstreet song)"801227

"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Personnel

Information taken from AllMusic. [28]

Related Research Articles

Blackstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by record producers Chauncey "Black" Hannibal, and Teddy "Street" Riley. The group has released four albums with Interscope Records until 2003. They achieved relative success leading up to the single "No Diggity", which peaked at number 1 for four weeks in November 1996.

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