Remember the Times
A Memoir
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Feb 10, 2026
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- $20.99
Publisher Description
Grammy Award–winning R&B and hip-hop legend Teddy Riley recounts his journey from growing up in the projects in Harlem to inventing the genre New Jack Swing, selling out shows at Madison Square Garden, and creating music for Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg, Pharrell, and more.
Since the early ’80s, Teddy Riley has revolutionized the music industry, from his creation of New Jack Swing to his work in R&B, hip-hop, gospel, soul, and pop that forever changed the industry. His profound influence still resonates today, and he has been inducted into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame, awarded the Soul Train Legend Award and given his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Now, Riley—with coauthor, award-winning biographer Jake Brown—lifts the curtain on his fascinating and inspiring journey with this unforgettable memoir of talent, resilience, collaboration, betrayal, and creativity.
With heart and humor, Riley reflects on his beginnings as musical prodigy growing up in Harlem and the highs and lows of working with some of the biggest names in the industry. From masterminding his own acclaimed groups, such as Guy and Blackstreet, to producing groundbreaking hits such as Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative” and writing and producing with legends like Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, Lady Gaga, and more, Riley takes us on a remarkable journey that parallels the explosion of new genres and Black influence in the contemporary music landscape.
Remember the Times also candidly illustrates the evolution of popular music through the ’80s to today, taking us behind the scenes directly from the man who grew “to define the sound and reinvigorate contemporary R&B and hip-hop” (Mixdown Magazine, Australia).
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Grammy-winning producer Riley chronicles his more than 40-year-long music career in this down-to-earth debut. Riley grew up a musically talented kid in a 1970s and '80s New York City gripped by the crack epidemic, an environment that shaped his music as he took "everything from the hustler lifestyle I was seeing and hearing around me" and poured it "into the sound I was crafting," a mix of rap beats and R&B melodies and vocals that came to be known as new jack swing. Riley sticks close to his professional relationships throughout, recalling time spent in the studio with R&B group Blackstreet along with stars Kool Moe Dee, Bobby Brown, Snoop Dogg, and Michael Jackson (he describes the pedal-to-the-metal production of 1991's Dangerous). Plenty of space is also devoted to rehashing his toxic working relationship with former manager Gene Griffin, with whom Riley cut ties in 1990. Riley's tone is appealingly conversational, and colorful behind-the-scene details are interwoven into a big-picture look at how popular music has evolved, from hip-hop to K-pop, during his time in the industry. The result is a candid, illuminating window into the career of one of rap and R&B's major players.
