by Gaby Whitehill | Photos by WENN
The 10 biggest stars of 90s R&B and hip hop: Where are they now?
What happened to your favourite stars?
Boyz II Men - then: The Philadelphia quartet were one of the biggest bands in the world thanks to their roof-raising emotional ballads - most famously, 'End of the Road', which stayed at No 1 for 13 weeks in 1992. They released 3 studio albums during the 90s.
Boyz II Men - now: Now a trio (member Michael McCary left in 2003 due to health issues) the band continue to perform around the world, and released their tenth studio album, Twenty, in 2011. It charted at No 20 in the Billboard charts.
SWV - then: SWV (AKA Sisters With Voices) stormed the charts in 1993 with their Michael Jackson-sampling summery anthem 'Right Here', which stayed at No 1 for 7 weeks. More hit singles followed. They released four albums before disbanding in 1998 to pursue solo careers.
SWV - now: Inevitably, those solo careers didn't quite work out. In 2012, the trio reunited for comeback album I Missed Us, which debuted at No 25 on the Billboard 200. 2014 saw SWV star in their own reality show, SWV Reunited, which detailed the band's career, personal and professional strifes and their subsequent reunion. It has since been renewed for a second season.
Blackstreet - then: The R&B quartet, fronted by Teddy Riley, are best remembered for their 1996 smash 'No Diggity', which featured a verse from Dr Dre. The band released 3 albums, breaking up after 1999's Finally failed to make much of a splash.
Blackstreet - now: In 2003, the Another Level-era lineup of Blackstreet reformed to release LP Level II. Unfortunately, it sank without a trace as the label it was released on, DreamWorks Records, was in the process of folding. In 2011, Riley and co-founder Chauncey Hannibal sued the other two members for continuing to perform using the name Blackstreet. Whatever happens, 'No Diggity' remains to be a massive tune. [Photo: TR Music Group]
Brandy & Monica - then: Sure, the two R&B singers were artists in their own right but they had the greatest success when they came together for the 1998 worldwide smash 'The Boy Is Mine'. It was the biggest selling song of that year in the US, and won the Grammy Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group.
Brandy & Monica - now: Brandy has released 5 albums since 'The Boy Is Mine', all varying in critical and commercial success. Monica has released three records since, featured in her own reality show in 2010 and has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. Brandy and Monica reunited in 2012 for the empowering anthem 'It All Belongs To Me'.
Sisqo - then: As well as fronting R&B group Dru Hill, the flamboyant Sisqo enjoyed worldwide success with his debut solo collection Enter the Dragon, which spawned hit singles 'Incomplete', and, of course, 'Thong Song'. 2001 follow up Return of Dragon was a relative commercial failure. On the bright side, he starred in an episode of Sabrina The Teenage Witch.
Sisqo - now: After unsuccessfully reuniting with Dru Hill in 2003, Sisqo started work on his third album Last Dragon. It was slated for release in 2008, but is still yet to see the light of day. In 2010, he appeared on Celebrity Big Brother, placing 5th beneath the likes of Stephen Baldwin, Dane Bowers and Alex Reid :(. He's now back on the road with Dru Hill.
Mark Morrison - then: In 1996, German-born and Leicester-raised Morrison enjoyed a worldwide smash with 'Return Of The Mack'. His debut album of the same name was also a hit, spawning singles 'Horny', 'Crazy' and er, 'Moan and Groan'. In 1997, he was convicted of attempting to bring a firearm onboard an airliner and was imprisoned. At the 1999 Brit Awards, he announced his return to music and became the first British artist to sign to Death Row Records.
Mark Morrison - now: Whilst Morrison has failed to revisit the global success 'Return Of The Mack' achieved, he has enjoyed some minor hits in the UK (including the independently-released An Innocent Man), between bouts of criminal charges. He has since announced a greatest hits album and a third album, but both have failed to materialise.
TLC - then: Energetic, fresh and full of attitude, T-Boz, Chilli and Lisa Left-Eye Lopes were one of the biggest groups of the 90s, achieving worldwide success with the likes of 'No Scrubs', 'Creep' and 'Unpretty'. Tragedy struck in 2002 when Lopes was killed in a car crash shortly after releasing her solo album Supernova.
TLC - now: Remaining members Chilli and T-Boz released the band's last album, 3D, seven months after Lopes' death (she had recorded vocals for it prior to her passing). T-Boz and Chilli have since made several performances as TLC, and even launched a reality singing contest, R U The Girl, in 2005. They have not released an album since 3D, but have recorded new songs for reissues of TLC Greatest Hits compilations.
Skee-Lo - then: Who doesn't love Skee-Lo's self-depricating, breezy smash 'I Wish'? It was a global hit for the rapper in 1995 and even earned him two Grammy nominations. An album of the same name followed, and was certified Gold in the US.
Skee-Lo - now: The rapper and producer released subsequent albums I Can't Stop and Fresh Ideas, but neither were a commercial success. Skee-Lo, real name Antoine Roundtree, now runs his own label, SkeeLo Musik. In a 2013 interview with LA Weekly, he said: "For those who try to say I'm a one-hit wonder, they're wrong."
En Vogue - then: One of the most successful acts of the 90s, the R&B quartet enjoyed international success after the release of anthems 'Hold On' and 'Don't Let Go'. They released three albums in the 90s before member Dawn Robinson abruptly left the group. Poor sales of the group's fourth record Masterpiece Theatre saw En Vogue dropped from their label in 2000.
En Vogue - now: Robinson returned to the group in 2005 and the band toured briefly and released the Steve Wonder-featuring 'So What The Fuss'. Robinson left the band again 2011, followed by Maxine Jones in 2012. Robinson and Jones then announced they would be touring as En Vogue and potentially releasing another group album. Unsurprisingly, the remaining members weren't happy with this development, and a lawsuit ensued. Robinson and Jones have now started a new group called 'Heirs To The Throne'. Phew.
Ginuwine - then: R&B crooner Ginuwine was one of the biggest-earning artists of the 90s, thanks to the success of male strippers' favourite 'Pony'. He also worked extensively with Timbaland and Missy Elliott.
Ginuwine - now: Ginuwine has continued to release records throughout the early noughties, although he never saw the same level of fame that 'Pony' achieved. In 2007, he formed an R&B sex-hunk-trio with Tyrese and Tank. They released a Grammy-nominated album in 2013, which featured the single 'Sex Never Felt Better'. He's also a spokesman for Adult Chocolate Milk, a vodka-based version of chocolate milk.
There's no doubt about it - the 90s was the golden age of R&B and hip hop, and the classic, definitive tracks of the decade still sound amazing today.
We all know what happened to the likes of Jay Z, Nas and Destiny's Child, but what about those who we haven't heard from in a while?
Here are 10 R&B and hip hop stars who enjoyed massive success in the 90s - whether it be with just one track, or a roster of hits - and where they are now.