We have truly waited long enough. And Monday night we will finally see the battle of the uncles (we kid!) No seriously, we will finally see the battle of two producers who have created the R&B soundtrack of our lives.
Since the eighties Teddy Riley and Babyface have given us hit after hit, working with musicians such as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige. A list of singers doesn’t get better than that.
Before we all tune into Instagram Live Monday night at 8 p.m. Eastern, we figured we give Riley and Babyface some suggestions—just in case the two went back to their corners to redo their strategy (after Saturday night’s botched livestream). Here are nine songs we have to hear tonight:
01
Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative”
After the King of R&B left his iconic group New Edition he looked for producers who could give him an edge. That’s when he met Babyface and L.A. Reid. This collaboration gave us the 1988 hit, “My Prerogative.”
02
Blackstreet’s “No Diggity”
Listen, Blackstreet had the 90s bops we all loved and even though Teddy Riley could play a number of hits, “No Diggity” stands out. No doubt.
03
Whitney Houston’s “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)”
Remember when soundtracks were coveted standalone albums? Well that had a lot to do with Babyface. He produced the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack, which produced many Grammy-earning singles, including “Exhale (Shoop Shoop),” which Babyface wrote.
04
Michael Jackson’s “Remember The Time”
Teddy Riley has long boasted his relationship with the late King of Pop and when he produced “Remember The Time,” he gave us not only a bop but Jackson gave us a head-turning music video that we cannot forget. (Anytime Iman is a queen, we stan!)
05
Johnny Gill’s “My My My”
Johnny Gill made sure he got some fire under his belt with this Babyface-produced 1990 hit.
06
SWV’s “Right Here (Human Nature Remix)”
First of all, nobody samples Michael Jackson. It’s nearly impossible but Teddy Riley made that all possible for one of our favorite groups, SWV, when he produced “Right Here (Human Nature Remix).”
07
TLC’s “Diggin’ On You”
TLC is one of the biggest girl groups of all time and a lot of that had to do with LaFace. Babyface wrote and produced a number of hits for TLC, but “Diggin’ On You” is a smooth groove that we love.
08
Toni Braxton’s “Seven Whole Days”
It’s no secret that Babyface helped launch Toni Braxton’s career. The two have collaborated in the studio so many times, including a joint album, Love, Marriage & Divorce that earned the two a Grammy. Still, we’d love to hear her classic “Seven Whole Days.” Face could even play “Breathe Again” or “Love Shoulda Brought You Home.”
09
Babyface’s “Whip Appeal”
Seriously, there’s no battle without playing one of Babyface’s biggest songs, “Whip Appeal,” released in 1989.
