THE group behind one of the 90s’ most memorable lyrics are back and performing next month in London.
R&B icons Blackstreet are returning to the UK at the OVO Arena Wembley – 24 years after they first split.
Blackstreet shot to fame in the Nineties with their huge hit No DiggityCredit: Getty
The band will perform in London next month with Levi Little, Mark Middleton, Chauncey ‘Black’ Hannibal and Eric Williams
The No Diggity singers formed in 1991 with founding members Teddy Riley, Chauncey Hannibal, Levi Little, and Dave Hollister – who replaced singer Joseph Stonestreet.
They combined Stonestreet with Chauncey’s nickname Black to form the band name and released their epnonymous album in 1994.
Two years later they achieved massive international success with their earworm hit No Diggity that climbed the charts with the catchy lyric: “I like the way you work it, no diggity, I got to bag it up, bag it up … “
The song, penned by Teddy, has proved enduring even to this day – with singer Peter Andre and his pop star son Junior belting it out in their kitchen on Instagram in lockdown.
Blackstreet went on to release albums Another Level in 1996 and Finally in 1999 before Teddy quit and the group disbanded.
However, they gave it another shot in 2011 when Chauncey reunited the group, but without Teddy, and sparked a legal wrangling over the name Blackstreet.
Chauncey ended up winning the rights to it in 2014, and Teddy spoke out against them at the time.
He said: “I created Blackstreet, I funded Blackstreet, I did everything with Blackstreet. But all at a sudden, (Chauncey) came from under me and owned the name.
“It’s just so sad the way people treat you sometimes. I’ve been taking stabs all my life but I’m a warrior and I have to keep it going.”
The celebrated producer went on to have his own success and moved to the UK where he produced albums for Boy George, Billy Ocean and Jonathan Butler.
He said in 2014: “I used to stay in Lancaster Gate and I hung out in Piccadilly Circus a lot.
“There were a lot of restaurants out there and we’d hang out at the clubs. I hung out a lot with Mark Morrison and he always showed us a good time. He was a real baller.
“We’d go out and he’d buy up the bar – even though I don’t drink!
“But hanging out with him was a lot of fun and the people there were so cool.”
Blackstreet now perform with Chauncey, Levi, Eric Williams, and Mark Middleton, and continue to sing the band’s hits Baby Be Mine, Before I Let You Go, the co-written double platinum sensation Joy by Michael Jackson.
Teddy Riley was inducted into the 2023 Songwriters Hall of FameCredit: Getty
Blackstreet reformed without him and will perform at London’s OVO Wembley on October 24
