15 Of The Most Thug(ish) R&B singers

They don’t look like the R&B singers your parents grew up listening to but they still can sing. We take a look at R&B’s most thuggish singers.

Sisqo

In the late ’90s Mr. “Y’all ni**as gone make me” sang about another woman creeping in his bed with the other members of the R&B group Dru Hill before leaving them to go solo. Sisqo released the monster hit “Thong Song” and his solo career took off. Once his debut album Unleash The Dragon was released, Sisqo was everywhere but soon after he a good run, Sisqo disappeared from the scene. Behind closed doors, Sisqo had reportedly knocked up a 14-year-old Kenyan girl who was living in Switzerland and was refusing to pay child support. Dru Hill has been trying to pull off an official comeback for several years now. Dru Hill is currently on tour and expect to release a new album within the year.

August Alsina

August Alsina’s “I Luv This” has been heating up the Billboard charts all winter long and by the time his debut album dropped, it grabbed the second spot with over 67,000 albums sold in the first week. Alsina’s beef with fellow singer Trey Songz may have helped Alsina maintain a buzz. He was apparently turned off by Trigga Trey’s ego when the duo was supposed to perform at a show together and he left before hitting the stage. When asked further about his beef with Songz, Alsina snapped at BET’s “106 & Park” interviewer Keisha Chante by responding: “So, you just gon’ against the grain and go against everything that I just–…. I just told y’all not to ask me that s*** when I got up here.” He’s been through some thangs in the N.O. y’all.

Jodeci

Few R&B singers had such a hardcore edge to them as K-Ci, JoJo, Mr. Dalvin and Devonte with their all black baggy clothes and Timberland boots. Contract disputes with the label and personal problems plagued the group in the end, but K-Ci and JoJo went on to form their own group and sold more records as a duo than they did with Jodeci. They were also the stars of their own reality show, which chronicled their separate battles with drug and alcohol addictions.

Jaheim

No other singer fully embraced being labeled “ghetto” more than Jaheim. The New Brunswick, NJ native dropped his debut album Ghetto Love in 2001 and immediately won over a throne of female fans. And they loved his thuggish looks. It was common to see the “Put That Woman First” singer pair a wife beater tank top, baggy jeans and Timberland boots with a fur coat and diamond earrings in his ears. After selling millions of copies of his first three albums, Jaheim struggled to find an audience that he had during the beginning of his career. His most recent album was released last fall.

Jagged Edge

Jagged Edge emerged on the scene in the late 90’s. Signed through Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def, the four-member group had a surefire hit on their hands when they released “Let’s Get Married.” The group regularly wore hoodies and fitted and knit hats and looked more like rappers than singers. Despite their previous success, the group has struggled to sell albums the past several years and hasn’t released any new music since 2011.

Ray J

Ray J started out as Brandy’s adorable little brother but over time, he grew out of her shadow and into his own spotlight. The “I Hit It First” singer may actually be known more for his many reality shows than his actual music. Ray J may also be known for his infamous throw down with rapper Fabolous during a night out at a club in Las Vegas or for him calling into a New York radio station to taunt the “Throw It In A Bag” rapper after the fact. He’s not above poking fun at the fact he was with Kim Kardashian before Kanye West and all of the others.

Bobby Brown

The original bad boy of R&B, Bobby Brown eventually left the boy band New Edition to pursue a solo career. While he made a name for himself as a solo artist, he also made a name for himself in the court of law. The “Don’t Be Cruel” singer stacked up his criminal record with a slew of arrests throughout his career, including drug possession, DUI, DWI, and misdemeanor battery for hitting his then wife Whitney Houston. And who could forget his infamous 2003 arrest after a high-speed police chase that ended with him crashing Houston’s car and urinating while in the back of a police car.

Chris Brown

If there was any doubt about Chris Brown’s thuggish ways then his current location should clear that all up. Brown has violated his probation more than a couple times and his actions are finally catching up to him. On probation stemming from felony assault against Rihanna since 2009, Brown was arrested for allegedly hitting a man while taking photos with a fan in Washington, D.C. He was also involved in a couple fights, one with fellow R&B singer Frank Ocean and the other with Drake. The last straw came when the “Don’t Judge Me” singer was kicked out of rehab. He was then transported back to jail where he is expected to remain for a couple more months.

Tyrese Gibson

Tyrese Gibson first started out as a young, skinny kid singing on a bus in a Coca-Cola commercial. Since then he’s gone on to have a successful singing career and even more stellar career as an actor. Not to mention growing into his frame and packing his body with hard muscle. These days when he’s not filming scenes for the never ending Fast & Furious franchise, he’s releasing music and performing with fellow R&B singers Ginuwine and Tank as part of the group TGT.

Justin Bieber

Who knew when a small and scrawny Canadian singer dropped his song “Baby” several years ago, he’d be hanging out with some of the hottest rappers today? Justin Bieber went from an adorable teen idol to a tattooed, hard partying club-hopping artist who loves his green and can be found in Lil Wayne’s entourage. His recent arrests haven’t done anything to help his newly formed public image. Bieber currently has open investigations in California, Florida and Canada.

Bell Biv DeVoe

For three singers who were originally part of the boy band New Edition, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe were as hard as they could get. After the group split up, the trio continued on as Bell Biv DeVoe. They released their debut album Poison in 1990 and it combined R&B with hip-hop, funk, soul and pop and featured more rapping then any of their previous work. The album also contained the title track song that warned “never trust a big butt and a smile.” The group released two more albums but none nearly as successful as their first one. Bell, Bivins and DeVoe still perform together with the original group New Edition.

Nate Dogg

For years, if a rapper wanted to get a male singer on the hook to create a hit song, Nate Dogg was the one to go to. While he’s collaborated with artists from all over the country, he regularly worked with his fellow west coast rappers including Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Warren G. He also released three solo albums of his own. The hip-hop world was stunned to find out that at not even 40 years old, the bandana-wearing singer was left paralyzed after a stroke in 2008. Three years later, Nate Dogg passed away due to complications.

Guy

Sure, all Guy wanted to do was come over and “chill” but even though they were R&B singers, their style of music and looks helped usher in the New Jack Swing era. Teddy Riley and brother Aaron and Damien Hall emerged on the scene in the late 80’s and early 90’s giving R&B singers a brand new look. Colorful leather suits, an abundance of gold jewelry and dark shades was the uniform for Guy. Like many musical groups, Guy eventually split up and Riley went on to start his own group, Blackstreet.

Blackstreet

With the success from his former group Guy under his belt, Teddy Riley decided to recreate magic and form another one. As the brains behind Blackstreet, the group surpassed the success Riley ever had. The group had numerous hits including “Joy,” “Before I Let You Go,” and “Girlfriend/Boyfriend.” Not to mention their biggest song “No Diggity” became a part of urban lexicon. Blackstreet was also plagued by problems within the group and they went there separate ways after their third album. Although they tried to get the band back together, each attempt failed.