BLACKstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1992 by Teddy Riley, the inventor of New Jack Swing known for his work as a member of Guy. The band members are: Teddy Riley, Eric Williams, Mark Middleton, and J-Stylz. Former members of BLACKstreet are Joseph Stonestreet, Levi Little, Dave Hollister, Terrell Phillips, and Chauncey Hannibal. Their debut album, BLACKstreet, was a moderate success due to the singles "Booti Call" and "Before I Let You Go", both Top 40 hits ("Before I Let You Go" hit the Top 10). The follow-up, 1996's Another Level (see 1996 in music) was a breakthrough success due to the top single "No Diggity" (with Dr. Dre), which was a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1996, and won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, along with the Top 40 hit "Don't Leave Me". Another Level eventually went four times platinum in the United States and peaked at #3 on the Billboard chart. "No Diggity" is ranked at #91 on Rolling Stone and MTV: 100 Greatest Pop Songs, while BLACKstreet comes in at #214 of the Top 500 Pop Artists of the Past 25 Years.
BLACKstreet has also collaborated with Jay-Z on his single "The City is Mine".
The debut single from their third album, "Girlfriend/Boyfriend", a collaboration with Janet Jackson featuring Ja Rule and Eve -- BLACKstreet finally had a top ten album with Finally. But personnel shifts wrecked the group and contributed to the relative failure of Finally (1999 in music) and BLACKstreet soon broke up. After rumors of legal action and a preemptive countersuit, the group re-banded and released Level II in 2003 (see 2003 in music).
