[T]he classic track “No Diggity” has legs for a song that no one wanted to record. If you follow basketball, you’ve probably heard the song in a Fruit of the Loom commercial titled “No Pants,” which debuted during March Madness and continued to be run during the NBA Playoffs.
According to Teddy Riley, the producer behind “No Diggity,” which features Dr. Dre and Queen Pen, he could not get any of his multiplatinum groups to record the tune. Teddy led the way, by laying down his vocals to convince other members of Blackstreet to take part in the recording, since Aaron Hall and the group Guy rejected “No Diggity.”
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8oW8hgsggg |
| Writing a hit record can pay off, even if it’s later down the line. There’s no way Teddy Riley could have predicted “No Diggity” would end up in an underwear commercial! |
The song was released in 1996 and immediately shot to #1 in the United States, New Zealand, and Canada. According to Riley, trusting his ear was one of the many lessons he has learned over the course of his 25-year career.
Now, Teddy Riley, who was featured on the last season of “Love & Hip Hop New York” (his daughter dated rapper Soulja Boy) is giving the knowledge away, to students at Georgia Piedmont Technical College (GPTC).
Teddy Riley will be the college’s 2015 Spring Commencement Speaker at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta on Saturday, May 30.
After that, Riley will continue his relationship with GPTC, by working with Dr. Jabari Simama, President of Georgia Piedmont Technical College and Mrs. Zaundra Brown the college’s Director of Public Relations.
Teddy Riley wants to help GPTC and its Music & Technology students accelerate their knowledge of the most current software and hardware on the market.
“It is a huge honor to be involved with the music & technology department of Georgia Piedmont Technical College creating a new platform for students to become more proficient using software and hands on,” Teddy Riley said. “I am humbled and deeply touched to be this year’s Commencement Keynote Speaker. It is my hope I will embrace each graduate and attendees with a memorable legacy on what my professor of music taught me as a producer, composer, and human being.”
Teddy Riley brings a deep well of business and life experience to GPTC, having worked with artists like Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg, Lady Gaga, Robin Thicke, Usher, Bobby Brown, Guy Blackstreet and others. On the production side, his Norfolk, Virginia studio Future Records, molded the early careers of The Neptunes, Timbaland and more.
