Robert Barisford Brown Sr. (born February 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and dancer. Alongside frequent collaborator Teddy Riley, he is recognized as a pioneer of new jack swing: a fusion of hip-hop and R&B. Brown rose to fame as a founding member of the R&B/pop vocal group New Edition, contributing to hits like "Candy Girl", "Cool It Now", and "Mr. Telephone Man". He left the group in 1985 to pursue a solo career but later reunited with them for their Billboard 200 number-one album Home Again (1996). Brown's debut album, King of Stage (1986), featured the number-one R&B single "Girlfriend". However, it was his second album, Don't Be Cruel (1988), that brought him commercial and critical success, producing five Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles, including the number-one hit "My Prerogative" and the Grammy Award–winning "Every Little Step". In 1989, Brown contributed…
