Teddy Riley in Oakland

Teddy Riley is an American producer, songwriter and performer born in Harlem in 1967. He helped establish new jack swing, an R&B style driven by hip-hop rhythms, and founded the groups Guy and Blackstreet. His best-known work includes Guy’s “Groove Me,” Blackstreet’s “No Diggity,” and production for Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative,” Keith Sweat’s “I Want Her” and Michael Jackson’s album Dangerous. Guy performed on New Edition’s Heart Break Tour in 1988, bringing Teddy Riley’s early group repertoire to arenas. He later presented the Teddy Riley & Friends concert at the Apollo Theater in 2016, featuring performers connected to new jack swing, and led another celebration of the style at the Essence Festival in New Orleans in 2019.