Level II | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 11, 2003 | |||
Recorded | 2002–2003 Future Recording Studios (Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S.) | |||
Genre | R&B, [1] new jack swing, [2] electro-funk [3] | |||
Length | 62:26 | |||
Label | DreamWorks | |||
Producer | Teddy Riley (executive), Leroy Burgess, Nate "Danjahandz" Hills, Andreao "Fanatic" Heard | |||
Blackstreet chronology | ||||
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Singles from Level II | ||||
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Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | (59/100) [4] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | (favorable) [5] |
Blender | [4] |
Chicago Tribune | (mixed) [6] |
Entertainment Weekly | C+ [2] |
Mojo | [4] |
People | (mixed) [7] |
Rolling Stone | [1] |
The Situation | [8] |
Slant Magazine | [9] |
Uncut | [10] |
Vibe | [4] |
Yahoo! Music UK | [11] |
Level II is the fourth album by R&B group, Blackstreet, released on March 11, 2003. It was their first and only album released on record label DreamWorks Records. The album's title was a reference to its members' best known line-up during their most successful album, 1996's Another Level . [12] Two of the members returned for the recording of Level II. Mark Middleton returned to the fold after he was replaced by Terrell Phillips on 1999's Finally to launch a gospel music career. Dave Hollister returned on the song "Bygones", as he also left the group to start his solo career.
Founding members Teddy Riley and Chauncey Hannibal patched things up to record Level II. A few years earlier, they were involved in a very public dispute that signaled the group's demise at the end of 1999. [13] [14] [15] [16] After Blackstreet's eventual dissolution, Riley entered into a short-lived reunion with his previous group Guy. [17] Hannibal attempted a solo career, while Eric Williams returned to writing and producing for other artists such as Dave Hollister, Donell Jones and Jaheim.
Riley also attempted a solo career as well, with a deal with Virgin Records in 2000. [18] [14] His solo recording Black Rock was shelved despite promotional copies of the album being issued. [19] Another project that he worked on was the Capitol Records singer Michael "Mike E." Etheridge, a former member of The Neptunes. [20] His debut album Master Plan- which was executive produced by Riley- was also shelved, and as a result, several songs on the unreleased albums made their way on Level II. "Look In The Water" was originally recorded by Mike E. for his album, [21] but Riley re-recorded the song with Blackstreet's vocals. Several songs from Riley's unreleased album Black Rock ("Friend Of Mine", "You Made Me", "Deep" and "Bygones") were also re-recorded for this album. [22] Level II was released with little to no promotion, as DreamWorks Records was on the verge of being absorbed by their previous label Interscope Records. [23] [24]
The artwork for the edited version has the logo colored blue as opposed to the red color on the uncut version.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Ticket To Ride (Intro)" | T. Riley, T. Lucas, R. Stanard, C. Scarborough, M. White | Teddy Riley, Shareefa Cooper, Sean Washington, Kenny Frazier, Kenny Quiller | 3:17 |
2. | "Don't Touch (featuring Mr. Cheeks)" | T. Riley, R. Stanard, T. Kelly, E. Williams, M. Middleton, L. Richie, M. Williams, W. Orange, T. McClary, R. LaPread, W. King | Leroy Burgess | 3:30 |
3. | "She's Hot" | T. Riley, C. Black, B. Turner | Teddy Riley | 3:24 |
4. | "Deep" | T. Riley, R. Stanard | Teddy Riley | 4:22 |
5. | "Ooh Girl" | T. Riley, C. Black, R. Stanard, N. Whitfield | Teddy Riley | 3:27 |
6. | "Friend Of Mine" | T. Riley, J. Clawson, R. Stanard | Leroy Burgess, Superb | 3:49 |
7. | "Interlude: What's The Fuss?" | 0:40 | ||
8. | "You Made Me" | T. Riley, R. Stanard | Leroy Burgess | 4:33 |
9. | "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye" | T. Riley, C. Black, D. Marshall, C. Cofield, W. Butler, C. Davis, O. Leavi | Daryl "DL" Marshall, Chauncey Black, Teddy Riley | 4:15 |
10. | "Why, Why" | T. Riley, M. Woolard, A. Williams, J. Williams, N. Hills, J. Bettis, S. Porcaro | Teddy Riley, Nate Hills, Natural Blend | 3:34 |
11. | "Look In The Water" | T. Riley, M. Etheridge, P. Williams, M. Hucknall, N. Moss | Teddy Riley | 4:48 |
12. | "Baby You're All I Want" | T. Riley, E. Williams, Jahid, W. Hodges | Eric Williams, Wesley Hodges | 3:55 |
13. | "How We Do" | T. Riley, E. Peoples, P. Williams, D. King II | Eugene Peoples, Teddy Riley, Prathan "Spanky" Williams | 3:48 |
14. | "Bygones" | T. Riley, A. Heard, S. Barnes | Teddy Riley, Andreao "Fanatic" Heard, Sherrod Barnes | 4:20 |
15. | "Interlude: Still Feelin' You" | 2:05 | ||
16. | "Brown Eyes" | T. Riley, B. Reeves, P. Lees | Teddy Riley, Philosophy | 3:34 |
17. | "Wizzy Wow (featuring Mystikal)" | T. Riley, R. Stanard, M. Tyler, C. Black, E. Williams, M. Middleton, M. Watts | Teddy Riley | 3:22 |
Lynise Walters, known professionally as Queen Pen, is an American rapper. Born in Brooklyn, New York City, she was discovered by producer Teddy Riley at an IHOP restaurant in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Riley later invited her to "spit lyrics" for Blackstreet's 1996 single "No Diggity", which became her and Riley's most successful recording. Walters signed with Riley's Lil Man Records, an imprint of Interscope Records to release her debut album, My Melody (1997), which spawned the single, "All My Love" peaking at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album contained production largely handled by Riley and writing contributions from fellow Brooklyn native Jay-Z.
Blackstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by record producers Chauncey "Black" Hannibal, and Teddy Riley. The group released four albums with Interscope Records between 1994 and 2003. They achieved relative commercial success leading up to their 1996 single "No Diggity", which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks.
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.
Edward Theodore Riley is an American musician credited with the creation of the R&B and hip hop fusion genre, new jack swing. He is the founder and lead vocalist of the musical group Blackstreet, as well as its predecessor, Guy. The genre also gained popularity from artists who 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.
Thug World Order is the fifth studio album by American hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, released on October 29, 2002, and the group's final album for Ruthless Records. Singles released were "Money, Money", "Get Up & Get It", and "Home" featuring Phil Collins, which charted in the UK.
"I Get Lonely" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her sixth studio album, The Velvet Rope (1997). It was written by Jackson, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Jackson's then-husband, René Elizondo Jr. It was released on February 24, 1998, by Virgin Records as the album's third single. The track is a departure from Jackson's signature brand of crossover dance-pop and R&B into a pure R&B and soul vibe. Lyrically, it expresses loneliness and the desire for an estranged lover. A remixed version of the song featured American R&B group Blackstreet.
Faith is the debut studio album by American singer Faith Evans. It was released by Bad Boy Records on August 29, 1995, in the United States. A collaboration with the label's main producers the Hitmen, including members Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs and Chucky Thompson, as well as Mark Ledford, Herb Middleton, and Jean-Claude Olivier, among others.
No Diggity is a song by American R&B group Blackstreet, serving as the first single from their second studio album, Another Level (1996). Featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen, the song was released on July 29, 1996, by Interscope. It reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in Iceland and New Zealand. The song ended "Macarena's" 14-week reign at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. In the United Kingdom, it 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 includes samples from Bill Withers's "Grandma's Hands". The music video for the song was directed by Hype Williams.
"Girlfriend/Boyfriend" is a song by American R&B group Blackstreet. It was released in May 1999 as the second and final single from their third album Finally. Janet Jackson is also featured in the song as well as rappers Ja Rule and Eve. The song is co-written by R&B singer and Ja Rule's former associate Cynthia "Lil' Mo" Loving. It was a minor hit in the United States and achieved moderate success in some other countries.
Another Level is the second studio album by American R&B group Blackstreet. Released in September 10, 1996, it was the first album with new members Eric Williams and Mark Middleton. They joined the group after replacing departed members Dave Hollister and Levi Little. Another Level was also the first Blackstreet album released under Interscope Records' new distribution deal with MCA Music Entertainment, Inc. after the company was dropped by Time Warner several months before the release of the album.
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.
"French Kissing" is a song by German singer Sarah Connor. It was written by Rob Tyger and Kay Denar for her debut studio album, Green Eyed Soul (2001). A sensual mid-tempo song about tongue kissing, it is built around a sample of "No Diggity" (1996) by American R&B group Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen. Due to the inclusion of the sample, Dr. Dre, Queen Pen, William "Skylz" Stewart and Blackstreet members Teddy Riley and Chauncey Hannibal are also credited as songwriters.
Finally is the third album from R&B group Blackstreet. It was released on Interscope Records on March 23, 1999. Finally was the only album to feature Terrell Phillips, after the departure of Mark Middleton. After the success of their multi-platinum last album Another Level, their label allowed them a bigger budget for the next album. Finally was recorded at Teddy Riley's studio Future Recording Studios based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Originally given the working title Get Higher, the album was scheduled for a November 1998 release until it was pushed back to March 1999.
"The City Is Mine" is the second single from rapper Jay-Z's second album In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. It was released on February 3, 1998. It features vocals from Blackstreet and production from Blackstreet member Teddy Riley. Riley samples "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else" by The Jones Girls for the song's beat, while Blackstreet interpolates "You Belong to the City" by Glenn Frey and Jack Tempchin for the song's chorus. In addition, a young Chad Hugo plays saxophone on this song. The first verse is dedicated to the memory of his friend, The Notorious B.I.G.
"Take Me There" is a song by American quartet Blackstreet and singer Mya, featuring Bad Boy rappers Mase and Blinky Blink. It was written by Mase, Michael Foster, Madeline Nelson, Tamara Savage and Teddy Riley. Riley also produced the song. The song serves as the theme song for the animated feature film The Rugrats Movie and was released on November 30, 1998, as the lead and only single from the soundtrack. It also appeared on Blackstreet's third studio album, Finally.
My Melody is the debut studio album by American rapper Queen Pen, released on December 16, 1997, by Lil' Man Records, a distribution by Interscope Records and was executive produced by Teddy Riley. The album went to number 78 on the Billboard 200, number 13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number one on the Top Heatseekers, and had three charting singles "Man Behind the Music", "All My Love" and "Party Ain't a Party".
Malice n Wonderland is the tenth studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg; it was released on December 8, 2009, by Doggystyle Records, Capitol Records and Priority Records. Production for the album took place from January 2009 to September 2009 at several recording studios and the production was handled by Battlecat, The-Dream, Tricky Stewart, The Neptunes, Teddy Riley, Lil Jon and Terrace Martin.
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.
Guy III is the third studio album by American R&B group Guy, released on January 25, 2000, by MCA Records. The album reached number five on the R&B Albums chart and peaked at number thirteen on the Billboard 200 chart.
"Booti Call" is a song by American R&B group Blackstreet, recorded for the group's self-titled debut album (1994). The song was released as the second single for the album in July 1994.
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