Guy

About

Guy are the Harlem outfit widely credited with pioneering new jack swing, the genre that defined a whole era of R&B and hip hop. Formed in 1987 by producer Teddy Riley alongside Aaron Hall and Timmy Gatling, the group hit hard with their self titled 1988 debut on Uptown Records, which reached number one on the Billboard R&B album chart and went double platinum on the back of four serious R&B hits including "Groove Me" and "I Like". They also contributed "My Fantasy" to the soundtrack of Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing, and even turned up in New Jack City performing the title track. After splitting acrimoniously in the early nineties, partly due to fallout with manager Gene Griffin, Riley went on to form Blackstreet while the Hall brothers chased solo careers. The reunion came in 1999 with Guy III, and it threw up a surprise: "Dancin'" became their biggest ever pop chart hit, peaking at number 19 on the Hot 100. The album faded fast due to poor promotion, but the group has continued to reform periodically, keeping the new jack swing legacy alive.