Teddy Riley: Producers Represent

“Black music is about innovation,” Teddy Riley says. He would know. As the man who invented new jack swing, the hip-hop/R&B hybrid that redefined the sound of Black music in the '80s and '90s and became the blueprint for much of popular music today, Riley’s place in musical history is cemented. Which is to say nothing of the work he did with icons like Prince, Mariah Carey, Quincy Jones, and Pharrell. Featuring these artists and so many more that he collaborated with, Riley’s Black Music Month playlist is a testament to his own highlight-filled career. “Most of the artists I picked, I’ve had the honor to personally work with in some way and to see their individual genius at work,” he says. “Everyone on this list has created their own unique sound and has shifted or moved the culture forward, each in their own way.”