Tony! Toni! Tone!

Though this R&B trio eventually succumbed to a fraternal feud, the career of brothers Dwayne and Raphael Wiggins and cousin Timothy Christian Riley also exemplified a much rarer pop phenomenon -- sustained artistic growth that led to a truly original sound.

At the beginning, Tony! Toni! Toné!'s most distinguishing characteristic was the wry black comedy that spiked their standard-issue New Jack...