Busta Rhymes is expanding
the sounds of his Flipmode Squad to include R&B and has inked a deal with
former Blackstreet frontman Chauncey Black. Black’s
solo debut Church Boy features guest appearances by The Game, Young Buck,
Rah Digga, Labb, Spliff Star and Busta Rhymes, while Dr. Dre, LT Hutton, Davel
"Bo" McKenzie and Teddy Riley handled production of the album. “Seeing
what he did with Blackstreet and knowing dude’s talent first hand, I knew
without a doubt he would represent the Flipmode squad well,” Busta Rhymes
told AllHipHop.com in a statement. As
a member of Teddy Riley’s group Blackstreet, Black hit the charts with songs like
"Before I Let Go" and "Booti Call," which were featured on
the group’s 1994 self-titled debut. Blackstreet
found mainstream success in 1996 with the #1 single "No Diggity," which
featured Dr. Dre and Queen Pen. The group won a Grammy Award for "No Diggity"
in 1998, taking the Best R&B Performance by a group or duo category.“I’ve
been all over the world with Blackstreet and I feel good about stepping in my
own lane and showing people what I can do,” Black said of Church Boy,
which will be released through Flipmode/Motown/Universal. The
first singles from the album are "Ride or Die" which features Young
Buck and Rah Digga and a balled titled “Everyday Is Your Birthday.”
Church
Boy is slated to hit stores in early 2007.