Craig David

The British dance genre two-step (a.k.a. U.K. garage) rose out of the clubs and blew up across the British Isles at the end of the '90s, combining elements of pop, R&B, and dance music over a quickened, jagged breakbeat. Craig David was among the scene's first personalities and certainly its first bona fide superstar -- while still in his teens, no less. Two-step producers the Artful Dodger featured David's vocals on two of their biggest hits, "Re-Rewind" ("The crowd say Bo! Selectah!") and "Woman Trouble." A solo career followed and his slick debut, Born to Do It, featured two of the year's best singles, "Fill Me In" and "7 Days." Both tracks featured David's playfully smooth vocal flow and dealt playfully with the single life. The young, sexy star also struck a chord with America's R&B audience, ultimately selling over 7 million copies. Followup Slicker Than Your Average found David both trying to defend his street cred while also making a more obvious stab at mainstream pop/R&B. As on his debut, among the best tracks are the production/writing collaborations with the Artful Dodger's Mark Hill. Less interesting is the album's one duet, featuring (gulp) Sting. (DEV SHERLOCK)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide