Blackstreet (album)

Blackstreet
Studio album by
Blackstreet
ReleasedJune 21, 1994
Recorded1993–94
StudioFuture Recording Studios
(Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S.)
Genre
Length73:06
LabelInterscope
Producer
Blackstreet chronology
Blackstreet
(1994) 		Another Level
(1996)
Singles from Blackstreet
  1. "Baby Be Mine"
    Released: February 23, 1993
  2. "Booti Call"
    Released: July 28, 1994
  3. "Before I Let You Go"
    Released: November 22, 1994
  4. "U Blow My Mind"
    Released: December 28, 1994
  5. "Joy"
    Released: March 21, 1995
  6. "Tonight's the Night"
    Released: August 1, 1995

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.[3] 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.[4] They recorded one song for the soundtrack of the Chris Rock film CB4 called "Baby Be Mine".[5] Before they could record an album, Stonestreet left the group[3] and was replaced by former Force One Network singer Dave Hollister.[6] When they re-recorded "Baby Be Mine" for their self-titled debut, Hollister's vocals were added on the album version of the song.

Hip hop producer Erick Sermon co-produced the first single "Booti Call",[3] which was a response to the rape trial and conviction of professional boxer Mike Tyson at the time of the album's release.[7] Riley, who was a close friend of Tyson,[7] referenced his incarceration in the album's liner notes: and to our main man Mike Tyson "we can't wait".[8] The song's opening was done by stand up comedian Bill Bellamy, who popularized his infamous saying on an episode of Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam.[9] The second single "Before I Let You Go" was released with a music video that featured appearances by actors Omar Epps[10][11] and Shari Headley.[12]

Also on the album is former member of The Sylvers songwriter and producer Leon Sylvers III, who collaborated with Riley on the writing and production of several songs on the album. Riley's proteges The Neptunes make one of their earliest appearances on Blackstreet as well, with Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo receiving a co-writing and assistant producer credit on the song "Tonight's the Night",[3][13] while Hugo plays the saxophone on the ballad "Happy Home".[14] Singer Michael Jackson helped with the composition of "Joy"- a song that was originally intended for Jackson's 1991 album Dangerous.[3][15] Blackstreet would be the first and last album with members Hollister and Little, who left the group at the end of 1995.[16][17]

The album peaked at number fifty-two on the Billboard 200 chart. By April 1995, it was certified platinum in sales by the RIAA, after sales exceeding 1,000,000 copies in the United States. Blackstreet's cover of the Stevie Wonder song "Love's in Need of Love Today" was featured in the 1995 Harrison Ford film Sabrina, but it does not appear on the film's soundtrack.[18]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference CDUniverse was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference AllmscRvw was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c d e Ivory. "SoulBounce's Class Of 1994: Blackstreet 'Blackstreet'". soulbounce.com. Soul Bounce. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  4. ^ Brown, Bobby. "Bobby". studio album credits. discogs. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
  5. ^ "CB4". soundtrack. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
  6. ^ Huey, Steve. "Blackstreet". biography. allmusic.com. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
  7. ^ a b "Radio Scope". Newspaper. No. Page B4. Hoosier State Chronicles. The Indianapolis Recorder. August 27, 1994. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  8. ^ Blackstreet - Blackstreet (CD liner notes). Interscope Records. 92351-2
  9. ^ Williams, Stereo. "Drake wants money for 'YOLO;' should other celebs be paid for slang?". rollingout.com. Rolling Out. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  10. ^ "Hollywood Leading Men In Music Videos". BET. BET Interactive LLC. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
  11. ^ "Omar Epps - biography". tv.com. TV Guide Digital Network. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
  12. ^ Shari Headley [@shariheadley] (June 16, 2011). "@PimpDaddii : Blackstreet/"Before I Let You Go"-It's on You Tube!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  13. ^ Bassil, Ryan. "THE EVOLUTION OF THE NEPTUNES". noisey.vice.com. Vice Media, LLC. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  14. ^ Williams, Chris. "Interview: Teddy Riley on His Virginia Years". redbullmusicacademy.com. Red Bull Music Academy. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  15. ^ Allah, Dasun. "When Heaven Can Wait: Teddy Riley Remembers Michael Jackson". hiphopwired.com. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
  16. ^ "Blackstreet". biography. answers.com. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
  17. ^ Neal, Mark Anthony. "Blackstreet Level II (review)". popmatters.com. PopMatters Media, Inc. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  18. ^ "Sabrina (1995)- Soundtracks". imdb.com. Retrieved May 12, 2012.