Mindless Behavior is a young boy band group who made decent waves within the music industry back in the early 2000’s. Now in 2023, where are they, and are they making more music? When the group first began, they were hardly out of their teenage years. Below we’ll take a look at the Mindless behavior timeline to see the extension of their talent with hip hop, pop, and R&B.
The band Mindless Behavior includes four members, most of which change around the mid-2000’s. Because of many shifts within the band’s schedules and expectations, many members either dropped off of the project or were fired well into 2011. However, the initial performance of the first members of the band make Mindless Behavior what it is today in retrospect, as each member contributed heavily to the development of hits like My Girl and All Around The World.
Raquan Tanyae Smith
Raquan Tanyae Smith, also known as Ray Ray in the band, is the second oldest member of Mindless Behavior. Hailing from Los Angeles just like some of the other members of the group, Ray Ray is the same age, being born in 1997. Ray Ray contributed heavily to Mindless Behavior’s success, acting as a lead in the band under many circumstances. He was not only a backing vocalist for Mindless Behavior in the timeline, but also acted as a sub-rapper and lead rapper. Despite only holding that lead rapper title for a little while, Ray Ray still made iconic movements within his own group, helping bring Mindless Behavior to the reown it witnessed during the 2000’s.
Ray Ray not only influenced the group with his skills on the mic, but his talent on the stage as well. He understood dance basics before joining the group, partnering with dancer Tommy the Clown. His lessons helped evolve his style, eventually budding into the energetic hype that the entire group generates on stage.
Craig Crippen Jr.
Craig Crippen Jr. was the elder member of Mindless Behavior in the timeline. Also called Prodigy, Craig was born in 1996, hailing from the East Coast. As opposed to the other members, Craig came from the east side of the USA, and as a result had a much different outlook on the band as a whole. While he is the eldest member of the band, he was the last member to be brought in, bringing the band to its beginning stage in the early 2000’s. Prodigy was discovered on YouTube that he ran while in Philidelphia. The nickname he uses flor the band, Prodigy, stems not from himself, but the other band members. He gets this nickname from his ability to take on new talents for the band, including music styles, singing roles, and dance moves.
Chresanto August
Roc Royal, real named Cresanto August, is the youngest member of Mindless Behavior, born on July 23, 1997. While he is the youngest, his specialty lies in his vocal addition that he brings to the band. Roc Royal serves as a backing vocalist and main rapper in Mindless Behavior. His well honed rapping skills definitely made an image within the band. Roc Royal was a dedicated member, beginning his rapping career at an early age of eight years old. On stage, he was an energetic and impression-giving member, always bringing hype to the audiences, whether it be through a music video or live performance.
Jacob Perez
Jacob Perez, or as his name within Mindless Behavior goes, Princeton, was born in Los Angeles in 1997. He stems from a Latino and African American heritage, getting an early start in life before a screen by being in commercials for products such as Nike and McDonalds. Before he was even five, he was on the screen.
His nickname Princeton comes from his almost obsessive love for both music theory and history. Even in his earliest days of performance, Princeton was a part of music videos for popular brands. His professionalism in the field as well as his great fan-knowledge of music made him a great member of the group, which helped Mindless Behavior become a hit during their hottest track releases.
There are many tracks that made Mindless Behavior a notable group in the 2000’s. Tracks like My Girl and All Around The World made for great waves in the public eye and ear, bringing Mindless Behavior up to a very mindful audience degree. Despite having a relatively short arc in success and noteriety during the 2000’s, none can deny Mindless Behavior’s influence during their highest time.
My Girl
My Girl was the beginning of the best time in the Mindless Behavior timeline. For the entire group, My Girl meant a stellar music video as well as multiple live performances where the group was given the chance to show of their skills. It hit record heights, coming through with over 30,000 copies sold during just the first week of release. Thanks fot the work by Interscope Records, it hit number 7 on the U.S. charts relatively shortly after release.
All Around The World
Their second hit album, All Around The World, made for a second big wave in Mindless Behavior’s work. While it was the only peak since 2011, the impact it made in 2013 made for a great hit on the United States album charts. During peak release time, the second album hit number six on the charts. This was more or less the end of Mindless Behavior’s popularity, because the third album saw significantly less public acclaim. The Third album #OfficialMBMusic, arrived in 2016, but came with little fanfare.
Partnership with Diggy Simmons
In 2011, during the height of the band’s time, Mindless Behavior had the opportunity to partner up with Diggy Simmons to create the song Mrs. Right. The song features rapping talents from Simmons, as well as lyrical support for writing in addition to Dee1 and Rickey Deleon. At the time, all the members were anywhere from 13 to 15 while the song was being made, making it an iconic piece. While Mrs. Right didn’t stand out as much as the first breakout release, it still made big waves and is known as a siginificant notch in the timeline for Mindless Behavior.
Later Band Changes
As the lead vocalist for Mindless Behavior, one of the first changing aspects in the timeline was Prodigy’s decision to leave. While he did later rejoin in 2015, ties between the band members were strained. There’s some speculation that internal strife and bullying were the cause of the band’s sudden upheaval despite great success.
Other changes included Roc Royal’s position in the band. He was fired in 2014 for supposedly stealing a producer’s car. Accusations that confirmed his seperation from the band include starting fights and jail time. In 2018, he began serving time in prison, right after he became the first member of the band to become a father. Despite setbacks, he has since released solo tracks under a new name, Santo August.
Despite some good success, the band is no longer together. After Prodigy’s leaving in 2013, the group was a trio in peformance until another member, EJ, was brought on for his role as a vocalist. While Prodigy did come back to the band very briefly in 2015, it wasn’t enough to make an impact on the band’s future. The end of Mindless Behavior’s timeline came in 2017, when they officially disbanded.