The Neptunes were an American record production duo composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1992. Williams often provides additional vocals on records and appears in the duo's music videos, while Hugo tends to stay behind the scenes.
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 singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer 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.
Wreckx-n-Effect is an American new jack swing group from Harlem, New York City most known for their No. 1 Rap songs, "New Jack Swing" & their multi-platinum hit "Rump Shaker".
"Drop It Like It's Hot" is a song by American rapper Snoop Dogg featuring fellow American rapper Pharrell Williams. It was released on September 27, 2004, as the lead single from Snoop Dogg's seventh studio album, R&G : The Masterpiece (2004). The song was produced by Williams alongside Chad Hugo as the Neptunes. It is regarded as an iconic song, with Snoop performing the chorus and the second and third verses while Pharrell performs the first verse.
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.
"This Is How We Do It" is the debut single of American singer-songwriter Montell Jordan. It was released by Def Jam Recordings on February 6, 1995, as the lead single from his debut studio album of the same name (1995). The single was Def Jam's first R&B release, and is Jordan's signature song.
"Passin' Me By" is a song by American hip-hop group The Pharcyde, released in March 1993 through Delicious Vinyl Records. The song was the second single released from the group's 1992 debut album Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde. The song, produced by J-Swift, samples "Summer in the City" by Quincy Jones, "125th Street Congress" by Weather Report, and "Are You Experienced?" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
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 the second half of their album, Stonestreet left the group in 1994 due to his creative differences with the rest of the members of the group which led to him being 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.
"Wait A Minute" is a song performed by American singer Ray J, which served as the lead single from his second studio album This Ain't a Game (2001). The song features guest vocals from then-Atlantic labelmate Lil' Kim, and production by duo the Neptunes; member Pharrell Williams performs its chorus. Ray J's first single since "Let It Go" (1997) to reach the top 40 of the Billboard charts, the song peaked at number 30 and reached number 8 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Wrecks-n-Effect is the debut album released by Wrecks-n-Effect. It was released on September 12, 1989, by Motown Records and featured production from Markell Riley and Redhead Kingpin. The album cover bears a winged symbol like Guy, as it bears the genre's anthem. It was released after the departure of Keith KC.
Hard or Smooth is the second album released by Wreckx-n-Effect. It was released on November 24, 1992, for MCA Records and featured production from Teddy Riley, Ty Fyffe, Riley's engineers Franklyn Grant and David Wynn and Wreckx-n—Effect. This marked Wreckx-n-Effect's first album following the death of member Brandon Mitchell, who was shot to death in 1990.
Redhead Kingpin and the F.B.I. was an American hip hop/new jack swing group best known for its debut single and highest-charting song, "Do the Right Thing" from its album A Shade of Red, which peaked at No. 13 on the UK Singles Chart in 1989. The song was featured on the soundtrack of Wes Craven's horror film The People Under the Stairs.
"Just Got Paid" is a 1988 single by Bahamian R&B singer–songwriter Johnny Kemp.
"Right Here" is the debut single of American R&B girl group SWV, released on August 20, 1992 by RCA Records, as the lead single from their debut album, It's About Time (1992). The song was written by Brian Alexander Morgan, who also produced it. A remixed version, referred to as "Right Here (Human Nature Remix)" and based around a feature of Michael Jackson's 1982 song "Human Nature", was released in July 1993, and charted on the US Billboard charts as a double-A-side with "Downtown". This version, produced by Teddy Riley, became a number-one R&B single, selling 1,000,000 copies and earning a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was also a number-one hit in Zimbabwe. The music video for the song was directed by Lionel C. Martin, featuring SWV riding horses and fishing.
"Ruffneck" is a hip hop song recorded by American rapper MC Lyte. It was published on May 27, 1993 by First Priority Music and Atlantic Street, as the lead single from her fourth studio album, Ain't No Other (1993). The song was produced by Aqil Davidson with Walter "Mucho" Scott, who along with Lyte have songwriting credits.
"Lemon" is a song by American band N.E.R.D. from their fifth studio album, No One Ever Really Dies (2017). The song features vocals from Barbadian singer Rihanna, and was released as the album's lead single on November 1, 2017.
"I Go On" is the second and final single from MC Lyte's fourth album Ain't No Other. Produced by Tyrone Fyffe, Franklin Grant and Wreckx-n-Effect's Markell Riley, it was released on November 4, 1993.
Aqil Davidson, sometimes socially referred to as A-Plus or Empra, is an American lyricist, hip-hop artist, and record producer. He is known for being front man and lead rapper of hip-hop / new jack swing brand Wreckx-n-Effect and writing, producing, and being featured on songs by Michael Jackson, Bobby Brown, MC Hammer, MC Lyte, and Guy.
