Another Level

Performer: Blackstreet
Artist: Dr. Dre; Queen Pen
Producer: Teddy Riley
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Blackstreet: Teddy "Street" Riley, Eric "E" Williams (vocals, various instruments); Chauncey "Black" Hannibal, Mark L. Middleton (vocals). Additional personnel includes: Dr. Dre, Queen Pen, Beverly Crowder, Karen Anderson, Shaquanna Elam, Darryl Adams, ELAN, Lamenga Ford, Shannon Cooper, Deja, Taja (vocals); William Stewart, Sprague Williams, Serban Ghenea, Eric Williams, Wesley Hoggs, Tommy Sims (various instruments); Frank "Nitty" Pimental, Roosevelt Harrell (programming). "No Diggity" won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal and was nominated for Best R&B Song. Teddy Riley's fans were begging for a reunion of Guy, the trio with which he brought deep-soul music back to the R&B genre, but Riley chose to forge ahead with his new band, Blackstreet, instead. Wise move. Blackstreet's second album really does take the Riley R&B sound to ANOTHER LEVEL. It's one of the best R&B albums we've heard in a long time. The tracks here are unbelievably funky, and though two of Blackstreet's four singers have turned over since the debut--the new ones are Eric Williams and Mark L. Middleton--the vocal harmonies are breathtaking. Classic Stevie Wonder would be an apt comparison. Riley evokes old-school soul a number of times here--"Don't Leave Me" and "The Lord Is Real" sample the DeBarge tunes "A Dream" and "Time Will Reveal," respectively. But that's not to say Blackstreet doesn't move forward to ANOTHER LEVEL, because with super-producer Riley, of course it does.

Rolling Stone (12/26/96, p.186) - "...stunning four-part vocal interplay--imagine a West Coast, low-ridin' blend of the Temptations' Motown vitality and the Delfonics' smooth Philly croon--and the virile thump of Riley's jeep-beat programming..." Muzik (11/96, p.128) - 3.5 out of 5 - "...superb talents....The exquisitely wonderful 'Happy Song' somehow resembles a black version of 'Mr. Sandman', while 'Paradise' is so concise, Quincy Jones could have created it..." Vibe (11/96, p.135) - "...a hybrid of old-world soul and new-school hip hop....ANOTHER LEVEL marks Riley's positive reentry into the universe of soul music....Teddy still jams..." The Source (11/96, p.140) - "He's back....Teddy Riley...bombards the R&B world....ANOTHER LEVEL is a welcome change from the recycled beats plaguing the current generation of R&B songs....the other level."

Teddy Riley invented New Jack Swing in the late 1980s as a producer and with his group, Guy. Blending the silky smooth vocal harmonies of contemporary R&B with the beats and musical edge of hip-hop, Riley created a whole new genre in black music. He continued his hot streak with his next group, Blackstreet. Founded in the early 1990s, the group scored several R&B hits before hitting number one across the board with the 1997 smash "No Diggity." The group's blunt loverman lyrics, slick beats, and undeniable grooves provided a template for subsequent R&B ensembles such as Pretty Ricky and Jagged Edge.

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