Music history is set to be told from the perspective of one of its most influential creators. Grammy Award–winning producer and songwriter Teddy Riley will release his memoir, “Remember the Times” — named after the Michael Jackson hit — on Feb. 10, offering a personal account of the career that helped redefine R&B, Hip-Hop, and pop music over the past 40 years. The book will be published through Simon & Schuster.
The memoir takes its title from “Remember the Time,” the Michael Jackson classic Riley co-wrote and co-produced during the singer’s “Dangerous” era. Throughout the book, Riley traces his role in shaping multiple generations of popular sound, from the emergence of New Jack Swing to its influence on contemporary global pop music.
Written in collaboration with award-winning biographer Jake Brown, “Remember the Times” follows Riley’s path from a young musical talent in Harlem to a defining architect of modern Black music. The book revisits his early experimentation with merging hip-hop beats and R&B melodies—an approach that evolved into New Jack Swing and set a new direction for late-20th-century music.
Beyond commercial success, the memoir examines the realities of working in a fast-changing industry. Riley details moments of creative collaboration, professional tension, and perseverance, while recounting the formation of his groups Guy and Blackstreet.
He also reflects on the making of influential records such as Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative” and Doug E. Fresh’s “The Show,” projects that helped establish new sonic standards.
Riley’s story is also shaped by his work with some of the most recognizable names in music. The book includes reflections on collaborations with Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, Lady Gaga, and Michael Jackson, whose partnership with Riley remains one of the most celebrated of his career.
When the memoir was first announced, Riley described it as an effort to protect and document musical legacy. “I successfully created the New Jack Swing genre 40 years ago so we could have our own generation of music, not their generation, and our own history,” he told Rolling Stone. “I’m so excited to share that history with my fans around the world.”
Early reactions suggest the book delivers a vivid portrait of both the man and the music. Pharrell Williams praised Riley as “an incredible mixologist of so many different styles,” while Library Journal said longtime fans will be “wildly entertained.” Another outlet noted the memoir’s accessible tone and its broad look at how popular music evolved alongside Riley’s career.
With “Remember the Times,” Riley offers readers a front-row seat to the sounds, stories, and decisions that helped shape modern music.
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