Blackstreet

Biography

Blackstreet (often stylized as BLACKstreet) is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by Virginia Beach, Virginia-based record producers Chauncey "Black" Hannibal, Joseph "Street" Stonestreet, and Teddy Riley. The group released four albums with Interscope Records between 1994 and 2003. They achieved moderate commercial success leading up to their 1996 single "No Diggity" (featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen), which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks.
In 2025, Jeff Mezydlo of Yardbarker included the band in his list of "20 underrated bands from the 1990s who are worth rediscovering".

History

Their debut album, Blackstreet, featured the hit singles "Baby Be Mine" "Booti Call", "Before I Let You Go×Before I Let You Go22 November 1994 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1Before I Let You Go (Main mix one)5:032Before I Let You Go (Main mix two)5:023Before I Let You Go (instrumental)5:044Before I Let You Go (Acapella mix)4:535Before I Let You Go (Reggae dub mix)5:026Before I Let You Go (T.R. mix)5:007Before I Let You Go (Blackstreet live version)5:14" and "Joy". "Baby Be Mine", "Booti Call" and "Before I Let You Go" were all Top 40 hits, with "Before I Let You Go" hitting the Top 10. In 1996, they released their second album Another Level×Another Level9 September 1996 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 26 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Black & Street Intro1:152This Is How We Roll3:313No Diggity5:054Fix4:055Good Lovin’4:326Let’s Stay in Love4:157We Gonna Take U Back (lude) / Don’t Leave Me5:178Never Gonna Let You Go5:019I Wanna Be Your Man4:0610Taja’s Lude (interlude)0:2711My Paradise (interlude)2:1112Deja’s Poem0:2413(Money Can’t) Buy Me Love3:3014Blackstreet (On the Radio)3:2315I Can’t Get You (Out of My Mind)4:4516I’ll Give It to You4:1717Happy Song (Tonite)5:3818Motherlude4:3719The Lord Is Real (Time Will Reveal)4:14Disc 21No Diggity (video)5:062Fix (video)4:443No Diggity (Jungle mix)8:064Don’t Leave (Goodbye remix)6:035Fix (Linslee mix)5:15Video1No Diggity4:37Video2Fix5:46. It was a breakthrough success due to the top single "No Diggity" (with Dr. Dre), which was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1996. In 1998, Blackstreet won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
Another Level eventually went four times platinum in the United States and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard chart. "No Diggity" was later ranked at No. 91 on Rolling Stone and MTV: 100 Greatest Pop Songs. Another Level featured Mark Middleton and Eric Williams in place of Dave Hollister and Levi Little. Both Middleton and Williams were in groups prior to joining Blackstreet. Middleton was part of the short-lived Motown Records group Brik Citi. Williams was part of the trio The Flex, a group that sang on songs produced by their mentor Marley Marl. The success of Another Level landed them a guest appearance on Jay-Z's "The City Is Mine" and they teamed with Mýa and Mase for the hit "Take Me There" from the Rugrats soundtrack. The success of Another Level would also land them a spot on New Edition's 1997 Home Again reunion tour.
Blackstreet had a top ten album with Finally×Finally19 March 1999 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Blackstreet Intro / Can You Feel Me4:232Girlfriend/Boyfriend4:033Yo Love4:434I Got What You On4:125Drama / Misery (interlude)7:396I’m Sorry5:267Think About You4:368Black & White3:389In a Rush4:0910Hustler’s Prayer4:4811Finally4:5412Take Me There (remix)4:1513Don’t Stop3:48. The first single from the album, "Girlfriend/Boyfriend", was a collaboration with Janet Jackson featuring Ja Rule and Eve. Riley recorded a reunion album with Guy in 2000 and subsequently began working on material for his first solo record. Riley had second thoughts about disbanding Blackstreet and patched things up with Hannibal. Middleton and Williams returned to restore the Another Level lineup, and Riley's solo project became a Blackstreet reunion. After rumors of legal action and a preemptive countersuit, the group re-banded and released Level II.

Later years

After several failed attempts to keep Blackstreet together, all members eventually continued with solo careers for a time. However, in 2014, it was announced that past members Black, Little, Middleton, and Williams were back together under the Blackstreet moniker. They continue to perform with this lineup currently, and embarked on their second Australian tour in April 2015.
In 2015, Middleton and Williams were backing vocalists for Eurovision Song Contest 2015 North Macedonia's entry "Autumn Leaves" performed by Daniel Kajmakoski.
Joseph Stonestreet died of congestive heart failure on June 25, 2018 at the age of 56.

Current

Chauncey "Black" Hannibal (1991–2005, 2007–present)
Levi Little (1992–1995, 2005–2006, 2014–present)
Mark Middleton (1996–1998, 2002–2011, 2014–present)
Eric Williams (1996–1999, 2002–2011, 2014–present)

Former

Joseph "Street" Stonestreet (1991–1994; died 2018)
Teddy Riley (1992–2016)
Dave Hollister (1994–1996, 2009–2016)
Terrell Phillips (1998–1999)