Blackstreet No Diggity Radio Edit -

In walked Chauncey Hannibal, Levi Little, and Eric Williams. They were , and they were looking for a hit to define their sophomore album, Another Level . Teddy played the beat. The room went silent. The swinging rhythm was hypnotic, but it needed a voice—specifically, a voice that bridge the gap between the gospel-tinged harmonies of the group and the raw energy of the New York streets. Enter Dr. Dre .

The year was 1996, and the air in Teddy Riley’s Virginia Beach studio was thick with the scent of expensive cologne and the hum of a Rhodes piano. Teddy sat at the boards, leaning back in a leather chair, listening to a looped sample of Bill Withers’ "Grandma’s Hands." It was dusty, bluesy, and completely unexpected for a contemporary R&B track. Blackstreet No Diggity Radio Edit

To this day, when that acoustic guitar lick starts and the finger-snaps kick in, the reaction is the same as it was in '96: total, undeniable cool. No doubt. In walked Chauncey Hannibal, Levi Little, and Eric Williams

They went back to the lab to craft the . They tightened the pocket, trimming the fat until every second was a hook. They polished the "hey-yo, hey-yo" refrain until it became a worldwide chant. The room went silent