STANDING
OVATION
Teddy Riley on Guy, Blackstreet and the future of
New Jack Swing
As told to TERRY WYNN II
Published: March 24, 2008
Derek Blanks
I always had an interest
in music. One day, I met a band of older guys at a community
center and asked if I could play for them. They told
me, "If you can't play
shorty, we're gonna take your keyboard!"
Let's just say I kept my keyboard.
We started playing on the NYC and Atlantic City circuit and met Gene Griffin
who became our manager. I got noticed by Royal Bayyan [an affiliate of Kool and
the Gang], and he showed me the ropes about the entire industry. Then, I started
hanging out at the studio at the Rooftop in NYC and met Doug E. Fresh. A friend
told him I could help with a track he was doing called "The Show." I
couldn't make it to the studio the day they recorded, so I helped arrange the
song over the phone. From that, I produced Kool Moe Dee's "Go See the Doctor"
and his second and third albums. Then came Heavy D and Keith Sweat. When "I Want
Her" came out, everyone knew who I was and that's when everything really started
happening.
Timmy Gatling didn't want me in Guy at first, but when Aaron heard me playing
the piano, he said he wouldn't do the group without me. We had no money, so we
talked to Gene Griffin about working with us. It's funny how life works. If we'd
waited two days later, Andre Harrell would have signed us and it would have been
another story. We would have had better management and better assistance.
There was a lot of negativity [with Gene.] He and Andre Harrell had a nasty confrontation,
and I heard a lot of things later on in my career that made me look bad when
really it was about things Gene had done. There was a lot of bullying, and he
wanted to take over a certain market in a gangsta way. Actually, Suge Knight
patterned his life after Gene Griffin. He was suave and a well-dressed incredible
guy, but to a lot of people he had another side.
We modeled Guy after people like the Gap Band, Donny Hathaway, and Stevie Wonder.
It was about putting all genres together from gospel, funk, and R&B with
a little jazz and blues. Gene kept us all together and focused. But when he got
out of our life, I was making more money than everyone else in the group [as
the producer] and that created a lot of jealousy and animosity. So, I left the
group. I wanted to be with some people who would be loyal and have my back. We
did our last date at Madison Square Garden and I announced it on stage. It's
ironic, because MSG was also the first place we performed when we got back together.
I met Chauncey [of Blackstreet] while recording the demos for Bobby Brown's album.
I liked his voice and wanted to start a group for him. I didn't want to be in
it, because I still had hopes that Guy would get back together. But after I heard
the Hall brothers were moving on without me, I decided to go with Blackstreet.
We did a song for the CB4 soundtrack, and Jimmy Iovine [of Interscope] came to
my hotel room and offered us a deal. Though the music was originally intended
for Guy, I imagined Blackstreet to be Guy taken to the next level, a new style.
Next, I hope to get music out there that does well even with downloads, so the
record companies and artists can all be financially successful. It is very hard
when you are not on the same level financially with your friends. They tend to
either hate you or love you with the wrong intentions, and you don't know what's
real or not. I make my own decisions now, but I still deal with trying to figure
out who's down with me and who's not.
I've always believed music is the freedom to our souls. People still sing my
songs to this day, and that's what I love to see. We've got to make tomorrow's
music today. T-Pain is a great creator, but he needs to do a little more creatively
to make real music. He can be one who comes and goes or one who stays. He's now
in his prime and having fun like I did. But in the midst of me having fun, I
made classics.
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