Who Was in Mindless Behavior and Where Are They Now?

Members of Mindless Behavior

Mindless Behavior was a group of four highly driven and gifted young men who broke onto the popular music scene back in 2008. When they first began, they were barely in their teens. Each member had a different place in the group, either as a singer, rapper, or dancer—one was even the band's spokesperson. There is no question these young men were talented, and their music was an exciting fusion of pop, hip-hop, and R&B.

During their time together, they released three albums, two of which reached the top 10 in the United States. They also toured with the '90s boy band the Backstreet Boys and Justin Bieber during the early years of his career.

When they debuted, there were just four members, but over time a few took breaks or quit and were replaced. When the group officially disbanded in 2017, there had been six members in total. Here's a bit about each of the original four members.

Craig "Prodigy" Crippen Jr.

Prodigy was the oldest member of Mindless Behavior. His real name is Craig Crippen Jr. and he was born on December 26, 1996. He is the only East Coast member of the group, hailing from Philadelphia. He was discovered on YouTube and was the final member of the band to be found. His nickname came from the other members and was inspired by his ability to pick up on new dance moves, music, and singing styles quickly.

He was both the lead vocalist and the first to leave Mindless Behavior, though he rejoined just briefly in 2015. It was originally stated he'd left to pursue a solo career, though there is speculation he left due to bullying from the other members.

Raquan "Ray Ray" Tanyae Smith

Raquan "Ray Ray" Tanyae Smith was the second oldest member. He, along with the other band mates, hails from Los Angeles, California. He was born on January 6, 1997. Prior to joining the group, Ray Ray honed his dance skills with the help of dancer Tommy the Clown, known for bringing krumping into the mainstream. While in the band he was a backing vocalist, the sub-rapper, and (briefly) the lead rapper.

He left in 2015 to pursue a solo career as well. In the years since there hasn't been much heard about Ray Ray, though he did announce he and his partner were expecting their first child in January 2017.

Jacob "Princeton" Perez

Jacob "Princeton" Perez also hails from the Los Angeles area. He was born April 21, 1997, and is of both African American and Latino heritage. He got his start early on at the age of four when he began appearing in commercials for companies like Skechers, McDonald's, and Nike.

He got the nickname "Princeton" because of his love for musical history and has been called a virtual encyclopedia of musical facts. While his first love was acting and he hoped to break into television and movies, he was dedicated to music and the group. He was the only member to stay in the band the entire time they were together and served as both a backing vocalist and the group's spokesperson.

Chresanto "Roc Royal" August

The youngest member of Mindless Behavior was Chresanto "Roc Royal" August who was born July 23, 1997. Although the "baby" of the four, he packed a lyrical punch and served as both the main rapper and backing vocalist while in the group. He began rapping at 8 years old and honed his skills during his time with the band. His nickname came from his dedication and drive to give 100 percent while on stage (Roc), while also being known for his softer side and his desire to look good (Royal).

He got in trouble with the rest of the band and was eventually fired in late 2014. He was caught beating someone up, and there was speculation he stole one of the producer's cars. That same year it was announced he was having a child, making him the first member to become a father. He's been arrested several times since leaving the group and has been in jail since around 2018. Despite this, he's released a few solo tracks from prison in recent years under his new stage name Santo August.

What Did Mindless Behavior’s Career Arc Look Like?

The group released their debut album, #1 Girl, in September 2011 through Interscope Records. It hit number 7 on the U.S. charts after selling over 30,000 copies in its first week alone. The album featured their most popular singles, "My Girl" and "Mrs. Right," the latter a collaboration with Diggy Simmons. These are still their most popular songs, and each has over 10 million streams on Spotify alone.

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All Around The World was their second album; when released in March 2013, it reached number six on the United States album charts. Their third album, #OfficialMBMusic, came over three years later and saw much less commercial success than the previous two.

Lineup Changes

Despite their initial success, Mindless Behavior is, unfortunately, no longer together. Prodigy was the first to leave in late 2013. The other three were just a trio until EJ was brought in to be the new lead singer. Prodigy did rejoin the band briefly in 2015 but left again soon after.

Roc Royal was the second to leave after he was fired in 2014. During this tumultuous time for the group, the final member Mike was added as a backing vocalist. Ray Ray then left in late 2015, and the group was a trio again. It consisted of Princeton (the only member to be part of Mindless Behavior the whole time), EJ, and Mike until they officially disbanded in early 2017.

Boy Bands Through the Decades

It seems like every decade or so the music world is turned upside down by a new group of young pop phenoms. The late '60s and the '70s had The Jackson Five, the '80s had New Edition and the '90s had Jodeci, the Backstreet Boys, and NSYNC. Through the early 2000s, the boy bands rage died down, though it seemed in 2008 that Mindless Behavior might revitalize that trend.

Looking back, the rage seems to have reemerged slightly later with One Direction or even 5 Seconds of Summer around 2010 and has continued into the 2020s with the takeover of BTS and other K-Pop groups. Having originally been compared to The Jackson Five and New Edition, the boys of Mindless Behavior had very large shoes to fill to reach the same level of megastardom, especially during a time when boy bands weren't necessarily "in."

Though there have been many highly successful groups over the decades, there are countless more who've watched their stars burn bright and fade just as quickly, only to never be heard from again. Bands falling more within that range include Another Bad Creation (ABC), Color Me Badd, Day 26, and B2K.

Mindless Behavior had the potential to take over the music industry, but due to internal conflicts and the ever-changing pop music scene, the band struggled to stay relevant.

Questions & Answers

Question: Are the members of Mindless Behavior still communicating with each other?

Answer: It does not appear that they are in much contact with each other since the group broke up. All are pursuing solo careers.

Question: Is Mindless Behavior still in a group?

Answer: No, the group broke up back in 2017. Individuals from the group are still trying to make music, but with much less success than they had as a group.

Question: How did Prodigy get to join Mindless Behavior?

Answer: He auditioned and was selected.

Comments

tyanna on February 02, 2020:

Princeton is the best out of all the rest of them

Mariah on January 03, 2020:

My favorite is all of them I don't have a favorite and they love there fans♥️♥️♥️♥️ ps.the hearts are for all of them

Saniyah on December 21, 2019:

I love Mindless Behavior i wish i new them

misty on December 19, 2019:

prodigy is good and I like there songs to and let's not forget the good looking man ray ray and u to prodigy they are both good looking and roc rayal is too good looking also...

misty on December 03, 2019:

I love ray ray and prodigy

Kandice on November 02, 2019:

Ray ray is is fine

ak122569 on October 11, 2019:

princeton you are fine so fine that i what to be your GF and you my BF

Auzanaye Harris on October 09, 2019:

I love mb too my. Favorite is prodigy. He’s awesome cool and handsome

lee lee on September 25, 2019:

princeton i love you so much

lee lee on September 25, 2019:

hi princeton perez i love your songs and you so hot can we go out i the one for you and i love you love lee lee

khyla on September 16, 2019:

yall make awesome music and i want yall to make more yall´s dancing are on point and singing is on point

Nyokona william on September 02, 2019:

I luv MB too.

the way they do sing and their dancing take me there really

i approciate u guys keep it up may God add more and more talent to your group members

if i were there i could have to join u guys thanks

Kamryn on August 25, 2019:

I love Ray Ray

Yukikuran on August 10, 2019:

ray ray is the best

Fanai on June 11, 2019:

I love them all but if I really had to pick it would have to be Princeton only because his hair is so beautiful and he is hottt and I love his dancing and I’m black too

nyesha on June 05, 2019:

Nyesha Howard

Lex on May 17, 2019:

Roc is my FAV

Rey on April 09, 2019:

I love ray ray he is daddy all the way I’m so obsessed with him that I made five drawings of him and I have a poster of him in my room

zay on April 03, 2019:

how old is ray ray tho

Micah on February 09, 2019:

hit man

Selena on January 28, 2019:

I love ray ray he is my love

joy money on December 13, 2018:

roc is daddy like all the way

ELena on December 09, 2018:

i love ray ray so much i listen to ur song.