Teddy Riley
Edward Theodore Riley (born October 8, 1967) 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.
With Blackstreet and Guy, Riley has released four and three commercially successful studio albums, respectively. He has produced three Billboard Hot 100-number one singles: "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)" by Hi-Five, "Stutter" by Joe, and "No Diggity" (featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen) by his group, Blackstreet. His other productions include the singles "Remember the Time" (1992) by Michael Jackson, "My Prerogative" (1988) by Bobby Brown, and "Right Here (Human Nature Remix)" (1992) by SWV. Beginning with his work on the extended play Teddy Riley, the First Expansion In Asia (2011), Riley has since worked on releases in the Eastern pop market, having produced the singles "Call Me Baby" for Exo in 2015, "The Boys" for Girls' Generation in 2011, and "Mamacita" for Super Junior in 2014.
Riley, a two-time Grammy Award winner, is recognized for his influence on the production of contemporary R&B, leading to further usage of samples, sound effects, and rapping segments as well as singing—a practice which in part was reminiscent of the Jackson family. He is also credited with popularizing modern use of the talk box vocoder, and discovering fellow Virginia-based musician Pharrell Williams in 1991.
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