IME EKPO • JUNE 27, 2018

After over 30 years of dawning dynamic measures amid the Hip-Hop, R&B, and Pop music genres, Teddy Riley will be honored on the 2019 Hollywood Walk of Fame receiving the official prestigious star, according to Billboard.

Starting off as a hip-hopper, Riley was crafting hits as young as 17 years of age during Hip-Hop’s true school era. He played a hand in the production on Doug E. Fresh and The Get Fresh Crew’s “The Show” featuring Slick Rick of 1985 and the following year did the work on Kool Moe Dee’s “Go See the Doctor.” His signature style was not detected until his responsibility for hits such as Johnny Kemp’s “Just Got Paid” and “My Prerogative” surfaced, triggering a demand audience for the Hip-Hop and R&B infused sound. Together with Aaron Hall and Timmy Gatting, he went on to form R&B group Guy and became automatic legends for officially pioneering the New jack swing genre with their 1988 eponymous debut. Of course, Riley couldn’t simply drop the Hip-Hop scene. He produced one of Big Daddy Kane’s top hits “I Get the Job Done,” and ran the handles of all gems presented by Heavy D and the Boyz, who are both Hip-Hop acts that are acknowledged for their R&B flair. The New jack swing pioneer even went on to produce tracks for Hip-Hop pioneers Spoonie Gee, D.J. Hollywood, Divine Force and several more throughout Hip-Hop’s golden era.

Hitting the early ’90s, Riley co-produced a fractional part of Michael Jackson’s Dangerous, assisting the King of Pop with burgeoning and dominating the profound New jack swing genre. Dangerous remains statistically recognized as the most successful New jack swing album of all time. Throughout the ’90s, he managed to create songs that are heralded as timeless Hip-Hop classics while upholding the torch for the identity of New jack swing. Wreckx-N-Effect’s “Rump Shaker,” Blackstreet’s “No Diggity” featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen, Jay-Z “The City Is Mine,” to name a few.

The Grammy award-winning producer is being recognized for his countless accounts of groundbreaking musical gems across the genres of Hip-Hop, R&B, and Pop along with his part in awakening the culturally infused New jack swing. The honor is respectfully deserved by Riley as he has created grooves that will forever shake up and embrace the vibes of those who own souls of gold.

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