In this special reported feature, writer Amaya Graham speaks with former members of the boy band Mindless Behavior as their debut single “My Girl” celebrates its 15 year anniversary, and, with them, contextualizes both their skyrocket rise to fame and their eventual disbandment — and potential reunion.
Got them girls talking ‘bout. After forming in 2008 via open call auditions and completing rigorous artist development, Mindless Behavior burst onto the scene on August 24, 2010 with their debut single “My Girl.” Following the premiere of the song's music video one week later on September 3, the boy band swiftly became a cultural phenomenon, enticing audiences — and specifically captivating the Black teen demographic — with infectious songs and impressive choreography.
Mindless Behavior consisted of four multihyphenate heartthrobs, all age 14 upon their debut: Prodigy, Ray Ray, Princeton, and Roc Royal brought unique personalities and distinct aesthetics, from hair to fashion, to the group's dynamic.
Prodigy, whose real name is Craig Crippen Jr., served as lead singer, with an easygoing demeanor and explosive stage presence, often sporting the letters “MB” shaved into the side of his mohawk. Rayan Lopez, better known as Ray Ray, was known for sporting two plaits and goggles for style, the fashionable, artistic, silly member. Jacob Perez, better known as Princeton, was instantly recognizable by his voluminous curly ‘fro and outgoing persona. And Roc Royal, whose real name is Chresanto “Santo” August, was the flirtatious, charming rapper of the group known for his curly ponytail — which he big chopped soon after the band’s debut.
Together, the R&B and pop teen sensations reached heights many can only dream of. Backed by a dedicated fandom dubbed Team Mindless, the quartet opened for renowned acts throughout the 2010s, including Justin Bieber, Janet Jackson, and Backstreet Boys, achieved two Top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart for their debut and sophomore albums #1 Girl and All Around The World, headlined successful arena tours, and even performed at the White House.
They also had numerous on-screen appearances, performing at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and on Disney Channel's So Random! in 2011, and consistently connecting with fans through shows like BET's legendary music video series 106 & Park and their vlog series, MB Cam and Mindless Takeover on AwesomenessTV. The band even got their own concert documentary in 2013, Mindless Behavior: All Around The World, with a limited theatrical release.
The group as fans knew it began shifting in late 2013 with Prodigy’s departure. Over the following years, membership underwent numerous changes before Princeton eventually stood as the lone original member alongside newer additions Mike River and Elijah “EJ” Johnson. The trio maintained moderate support for the group's final studio album, 2016’s #OfficialMBMusic — but the sentimental attachment many fans had to the original band members severely impacted their success. Mindless Behavior officially disbanded in 2017.
Prodigy and Ray Ray are now both in their late twenties; the sweet nostalgia of the band's heyday and the sheer cultural significance of Mindless Behavior resonate with them in different ways.
Before auditioning and joining the group, Prodigy created dance videos on YouTube, which led to his discovery by their former choreographer, the late great Dave Scott. While Prodigy was unsure of what Mindless Behavior would become, he knew he loved to entertain. “I was just really going with the flow at the time and just putting in the work," he tells Teen Vogue over Zoom one late summer evening. "It was just one thing after the next — and next thing you know, [we were on] 106 & Park. It just all came so quick.”
Before Mindless Behavior, Ray Ray danced with Hip-Hop luminary Tommy the Clown. He thought MB was another dance crew until they began to record music, yet still predicted the band could be legendary once they really took off, especially with guidance from the Interscope music execs who built and managed the group, Walter Millsap III, Vincent Herbert, and Keisha Gamble. (Along with Scott, Gamble helped form the iconic Black boy band B2K.)
“I used to say it all the time, and Prod knows this," Ray Ray says. "I used to be like, ‘Oh, we’re gonna be the last, greatest African American boy band of all time.’ And I was pretty right. We haven’t had another group after us.”
Since fame arrived so suddenly for the band, Prodigy admitted they “had no choice but to just navigate” it, despite being so young. Even now in adulthood, he says he feels like's still processing that whirlwind period of his life. “I was not a confident kid at all," he shares when asked what advice he would give his teenage self today, knowing what he knows now. "I would say to probably have more self-confidence.”
“If I could tell my younger self anything, [it would be to] never watch myself," Ray Ray offers after some reflection. “'My Girl' is the reason I’ve never watched another Mindless Behavior music video, and it’s because of the intro. [Prodigy] goes ‘Dang, we text each other a lot,’ and I’m in the background, I’m kinda blurred out, but I’m in the background and I’m [mouthing] his words. I remember everybody laughing — they thought it was so funny, but in my own head, I’m like, ‘I messed up!’ And after that, I’ve never watched myself [on-screen] again.”
For a moment, the two continue the walk down memory lane, bonding over more stories from their early “My Girl” days. Prodigy remembered that Ray Ray's dynamic krumping skills always impressed music executives; Ray Ray recalled the enthusiastic reception they received while performing at his former middle school and getting to put his close friend in multiple music videos.
“Remember when we were on stage performing ‘My Girl’ for the first time at the White House for the Obama family, and Santo ripped his pants?” Ray Ray asks Prodigy.
“Oh, I do remember that! Oh boy — see, you’re unlocking memories for me, Ray,” Prodigy adds.
Witnessing Ray Ray and Prodigy’s endearing dynamic immediately took me back to my first connection to the group years ago. Mindless Behavior united young Black girls during my elementary and middle school years. We obsessed about which member we claimed (with my bias being Roc Royal back then). Girls raved over their K-Mart collab — a friend and I became trendsetters in our class by wearing coordinating ones, influencing other Black girls to buy them. At 13, my dad took me to my first-ever concert to see Mindless Behavior at New York’s Beacon Theatre on their 2013 All Around The World tour. It was exhilarating being around young Black girls just like me, dancing and singing their songs lyric-for-lyric.
Mindless Behavior exemplified the essential need for more Black representation in pop spaces, still holding the mantle as the only mainstream Black boy band of the 2010s. Unfortunately, Black girls today have not experienced anything like Mindless Behavior, or the Black boy bands who preceded them in the ‘80s, ’90s, and early aughts. Few have emerged since and none have surpassed Mindless Behavior’s cultural impact and significance.
“[It seemed like] every culture at the time had their group. One Direction had their fans, even if you were a solo artist, Bieber had his. Everyone had their lane," Ray Ray says. “And we were the only ones, I guess, in the boy band space [for] beautiful Black little girls [who] didn’t have anyone. So, I feel like we filled in that space cause no one had done it really on a big scale since B2K.”
In a 2025 interview with Jamaica's CVM Television morning show Sunrise, Princeton addressed the group’s positive contribution to Black culture. “Black girls and Black boys needed representation," he said during his guest appearance, "And I feel like we were young, we were positive, and we just wanted to spread positivity.”
The band was intentional about sharing encouraging messages about confidence, staying true to oneself, and embracing individuality with their fans. In turn, their mainstream success allowed their fanbase, predominantly comprised of Black girls, to see that anything was possible.
“It only felt right to give that message to the people that loved us because we loved them just as much. You know what I mean?" Ray Ray explains. "And specifically for Black women, it’s important because no matter who you are or where you’re from… Black culture, we don’t get a lot of love. Only if it’s from us.”
“Every time I’d see the tears, that would just get me," adds Prodigy. "Like, it would just make it so real. We see [ourselves] everyday, so we don’t look at ourselves as any [more] special than anybody else.”
Their talent, inspiring charting success, and humble relatability touched Black girls in a special way, leaving a mark on the hearts of their fans that has yet to fade well into adulthood.
“When we were on tour with Bieber, his fanbase was, you know, clearly different. A lot of white girls. But as that tour gradually grew, we started to see more and more of our fans," Ray Ray said. "Black girls [were] coming to a Bieber concert [too]. And that was a moment for me where I was like ‘Oh, we're actually really connecting with our people.’ And again, we respect all our fans… But Black girls have always been the prominent fanbase for us. So even to this day, when we see Black women [fans], Prod and I know, ‘Alright, it’s time to take some pictures.’”
Cultivating special bonds with fans has been pivotal throughout their career. In recent years, Prodigy and Ray Ray have continued to connect with their fans with in-person experiences. Ray Ray began instructing dance classes on his own in efforts to maintain that connection — and soon after one video of his class went viral, he decided to take the suggestions of fans in the comments and recruit Prodigy as a co-instructor. Now, the two host meetups and dance classes at universities and dance studios across America, teaching their original choreographed dance challenges and old Mindless Behavior choreography.
“People started asking, ‘Can you teach us ‘Mrs. Right’?’ And I was like, ‘Bet, let’s do it,'" Ray Ray says. "So then, I went to New York [to teach] ‘Mrs. Right,’ and it was my second time [teaching] in New York. Me and Prod have always had a really close relationship, and I was like, ‘Yo, it’d be crazy if we could give these people in the world at least 50 percent of Mindless Behavior.’”
“I was working at Amazon," Prodigy remembers. "Ray started doing the dance classes, and then he called me and was like ‘Yo, bro! I think it would be dope if you come join me.’”
The friends and former bandmates have taught classes, separately and together, for the choreography to some of their biggest hits, including “Girls Talkin’ Bout,” “Hello,” “Keep Her On The Low,” and of course, the aforementioned “Mrs. Right.” They say they plan to continue adding songs to their class list. “I was thinking about us doing a ‘Future’ class," shares Prodigy. "I think that would be tight.”
Last month, Prodigy's vision came to fruition through multiple fan-oriented events in New York City. The duo indeed taught “Future” and “#1 Girl” and hosted a meet and greet on September 20, the 14th anniversary of the release of their debut album #1 Girl.
Fans eager for new material from the group should keep an eye on their separate endeavors: Prodigy has an exciting era of new music coming soon, while Ray Ray remains focused on filmmaking, acting, fashion, and giving back to his community; Princeton recently announced that we can expect his sophomore EP to be released this month.
Along with these projects, the long-awaited Mindless Behavior reunion — one Ray Ray even teased after a recent link-up with former collaborator and The Chi star Jacob Latimore — seems closer than many think.
They are patiently waiting for Roc Royal, who is currently incarcerated after being sentenced to prison in 2016 for robbery and battery, to be released to conduct a proper reunion tour. Ray Ray confirms during our conversation that Roc Royal is set to be released in 2026 — and they have special plans brewing.
When ruminating on their dream reunion, Prodigy reveals his hope to give fans a fresh concert experience. “I would definitely wanna perform more songs that we never performed before, just to make it a new experience," Prodigy says. "We can sing some of the more mature records that we had.”
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As Prodigy and Ray Ray reflect on both their past and their bright future ahead, they remain grateful for the song that started it all, their group’s legacy, and the dedicated fans who are still supporting their journey. “Even though ['My Girl'] wasn’t my favorite song, it’s the one I respect the most because it gave us our start,” Ray Ray says. “I think we did something special. I think we were the last era of true [artist] development [in the U.S.]. I think that’s what differentiated us. So, when I think about our legacy, I think about true artistry.”
Although Prodigy temporarily distanced himself from the entertainment industry after leaving Mindless Behavior, his heartfelt appreciation for Team Mindless never wavered. “I’m just glad people still even care, for real. 'Cause I stopped caring for a little bit," he admits. "So, the fact that people still care is real dope to me. It just shows that we had, and that we have, real supporters.”
“Thank you to everyone who has supported and still supports [us]," Ray Ray adds near the end of our conversation, before uttering the band's signature sign-off. "And most importantly, stay mindless.”
