Teddy Riley is back on the hunt for the next star to sign to his label. Teddy Riley Experience is back in full effect and there are several artists Riley has been eyeing to sign to his label. Approximately six acts showcased their talent in Atlanta.
Riley is probably the most underrated producer who basically created an entirely new genre of music. He created the “new jack swing” which Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines as: “pop music usually performed by black musicians that combines elements of traditional jazz, electronica, smooth jazz, funk, rap, and rhythm and blues.”
Through his production work, Riley reinvigorated the music of artists such as Doug E. Fresh, Keith Sweat, Michael Jackson, Bobby Brown, Heavy D, Usher. We still rock out today to the music from groups he created like Guy and Blackstreet, who still sell out shows. What other producer can take credit for being able to get Michael Jackson to rap for the first time while co-producing half of the Dangerous album? Yep, it was Teddy Riley.
Most don’t realize that it was Riley who discovered the Neptunes, Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams at a local competition in Virginia and signed them right after their high school graduation. It was no wonder this showcase was filled with such talented artists anxious to be the next artist to be signed to Riley’s label.
At the end of the showcase, Riley addressed each group and told everyone what made them special, why they were chosen to perform and his personal opinion on the direction they were headed. The artist that stood out was Rudy Currence. According to Riley, he’s been watching Currence transform since the age of 13 years old. The way he handled that keyboard during his performance as he serenaded the audience, took everybody to church and then back to the jukebox; Currence had everyone in the room’s attention throughout his performance.
Riley describes Rudy as a musical beast bursting with genius talent that’s now ready to be reintroduced to the world. Can’t wait to see the outcome of who made the cut. Rolling out will definitely keep you posted. Check out the photo gallery after the cut
