No. 4 Teddy Riley
The Harlem-born producer/songwriter began his career as a teenager producing hip-hop hits for stars like Doug E. Fresh and Kool Moe Dee, before he transitioned into R&B an pop. Bringing his hip-hop approach to the glossier world of contemporary R&B, Riley is widely credited with inventing “New Jack Swing” and he crafted genre-defining albums in the late ’80s for Keith Sweat, Bobby Brown and his own group Guy. His sound produced hits for numerous stars in the ’90s as well, including his second group, BlackSTREET, and Michael Jackson.
