Internationally acclaimed DJ/producer duo Lucas & Steve has revamped one of the biggest songs from the 90’s, transforming Blackstreet’s ‘No Diggity’ into a hot blooded piece of dance music. Featuring the vocals in a fresh, re-recorded version, the track blends its timeless R&B sound with sturdy house rhythms and warm piano chords. It’s a classic taken to new heights, teaming up two different acts, as well as the sound from two different decades, turning into something quite unique – available now on all streaming platforms.
Call it one of those omnipresent tunes, back in ’96, the hip-hop-infused ‘No Diggity’ by US act Blackstreet. With a featuring of none other than Dr. Dre, the record turned into a #1 Billboard hit, leading to a Grammy for Best R&B Performance in ’98 as well as giving the accompanying album Another Level wings towards four times US platinum.
Safe to say, Blackstreet has never left the public eye since then, as ’No Diggity’ remained an indestructible song throughout the years. Globally acclaimed artists like Prince, Ed Sheeran, and Darius Ruckers have covered the track, while it’s appeared on many occasions, from Super Bowl and Winter Olympic commercials to a team-up with Aloe Blacc at Jimmy Kimmel Live.
And now, here’s a duo renowned for its lively productions in contemporary dance music, providing this notorious tune with a completely fresh makeover. Being responsible for quite some festival highlights throughout the years, Lucas & Steve made it big with instant hits like ‘I Could Be Wrong' (featuring R&B singer Brandy) and ’Say Something’, but more recently scored widespread acclaim with debut album Letters To Remember. Released in 2020, this album included smash hits like ‘Where Have You Gone (Anywhere)’, ‘Perfect’ (feat. Haris), and the Deepend collab ‘Long Way Home’.
So yeah, ‘No Diggity’ is in good hands here. Even better, Lucas & Steve have not simply covered the original but teamed up with Blackstreet for a brand new version. The record still builds its timeless sound on the melody and vocal approach but receives an additional gust of energy thanks to a series of upwinding piano chords, tasty house rhythms, cool bass sounds in the lower regions, and sweet electronic effects.
It’s a blast from the past, with a twist from the future – underlining how a team-up between two acts from completely different decades works wonders. ‘No Diggity’ has been a powerful, uplifting song since its first release back in the day, and now re-appears in an exciting new guise, taking the tune back to the dancefloor again. You’ll love the way it sounds there.
Lucas & Steve reflect on how the collaboration came to life:
“We are extremely proud of this special collaboration with Blackstreet. Their hit No Diggity is of course legendary, what a hit!! The idea for this new version was born in one of our hotel rooms during a tour in Portugal almost two years ago. After the necessary edits, we dared to send it to Blackstreet. The first reaction without listening to it was: don't touch our Grammy award-winning record! Of course, you always risk such a reaction if you tackle a hit of that size. After the group actually heard our version, they were immediately on board. We then went to work together to optimally revitalize ‘No Diggity’ and recorded the final vocals. It was really cool to include this with these legends. You just hear the musicality and old-school hip-hop influences in their way of working. You don't see or hear that often anymore. This is definitely one of the highlights of 2021 already!”
Here’s how Blackstreet’s Chauncey Black tells the story of this unique project:
“I originally said ‘no’ to Spinnin’ Records when asked for permission to use ‘No Diggity’ in one of their releases. It’s such a massive hit of ours that I just want to make sure it’s on the right platform and everyone involved is able to make it as exciting as the original version. In turn, Spinnin’s CEO Roger reassured me that this record will be treated with the utmost respect. I visited the Spinnin’ office, the setup there is beautiful and the vibe was so right. I had also done my research on the guys, Lucas & Steve. They are huge and they are great artists. This record is massive and is going to be a great launch for them. This can really be something. At first, I believe all of us wouldn’t have imagined this. But it really has turned into something great. How amazing the record sounds with the touches on us redoing our vocals, it’s just incredible. I love the guys and I wish them all the success with ‘No Diggity’.”
