Classic or Dud - Blackstreet's "No Diggity"

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You like the way they work it? Did they have any other songs that were worthwhile? Does this song have no dignity? Discuss.

― My name is Kenny, Monday, 2 September 2002 15:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Classic tho i wasnt really keen on it at all at first cos i wasnt into this 'sort of thing' much at the time (despite liking a lot of Riley's older stuff) but over the years my appreciation of Teddy Riley has grown and i began to appreciate the production of this track masterminded by both Riley and Dre who are both pioneers of the sort - the former with 'new jack swing' and the latter with funk-influenced gangsta rap.

Riley was interviewed by MTV years back and mentioned how the track was laying down the foundations for a 'heavier r n' b' sound. the guitar lick and 'mmm hmmm' vocal are lifted straight from old blues and you get the impression Moby has spent a while now trying to imitate what they've done here. addding a Dre style beat and the ragtime-ish piano...its such a great hook - total head nodding booty shaking stuff.

as for other good Blackstreet stuff - 'U Blow My Mind' is as good as new jack swing comes...the version of 'Fix' with Slash on guitar and ODB on rap is also worth a listen...and the Janet Jackson collaboration 'Girlfriend Boyfriend' is pretty hot too -cant help you with album tracks tho

― blueski, Monday, 2 September 2002 16:47 (twenty-two years ago)

classic
the video is good too cause of the bobbleheads.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Monday, 2 September 2002 16:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I swear this has already been done before. It was called, maybe, The Best Single, or One of The Best Singles of the 90's. And I COULD NOT disagree.

― A.V. Alexandre (Keiko), Monday, 2 September 2002 16:52 (twenty-two years ago)

The Dewealle Brothers bootleg that puts the vocals from this track over "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash is truly classic. The originally always pissed me off in a way I couldn't quite put my finger on. I think it was the puppets in the video, actually.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 2 September 2002 16:54 (twenty-two years ago)

i heard/saw DJ Harvey years ago (either Tribal Gathering or Homelands, cant remember) and he played a really good mix of 'No Diggity' that sped up the vocal a fair bit over a 2-step style breakbeat of around 115bpm...really put a smile on everyone there's face...there's a very similar take on this on DJ Spec's 'vexed episode' mix (www.base58.com/spec) where its mixed with Super Collider's 'Darn Cold Way Of Lovin' - in an ironic twist - the Harvey remix

and DOm i agree, that puppet in the video WAS annoying!

― blueski, Monday, 2 September 2002 17:05 (twenty-two years ago)

This is one of my favorite songs ever.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Monday, 2 September 2002 18:13 (twenty-two years ago)

listen to dom! the bootleg, get it, it's great.

― minna (minna), Monday, 2 September 2002 21:30 (twenty-two years ago)

does anyone know the name of the song the sample it's built around is from?...i heard it today,but it was on a mix tape without a tracklist,so i couldn't find out what it is...
the blackstreet track itself,by the way,is absolute quality...

― robin (robin), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 00:38 (twenty-two years ago)

5th best single of the 90s!

― jess (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 00:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Dud. I find it one of the most irritatingly overrated singles ever. Never saw what all the fuss was about, in the slightest.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 07:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't think of single released in the 90s that is better. In fact, I think its a modern Good Vibrations - there is so much going on, so many ideas fitted into a song

― Robin Goad, Tuesday, 3 September 2002 08:14 (twenty-two years ago)

very classic.

the moby point had never occured to me before, but you're spot on.

mind you, the 'we're all stars' thingy sounded more like 'motorcycle emptiness'....

― adam b (adam b), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 08:38 (twenty-two years ago)

the 'mmm' and guitar are Bill Withers ('Grandma's Hands'...?)

― michael (michael), Tuesday, 3 September 2002 09:59 (twenty-two years ago)

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