I'm riding round with my nephews and my niece and every so called new R&B CD i got, they cussing so much they might as well be rapping. it's a shame



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...that leave nothing to the imagination, yeah, if it weren't for the crooning aspects, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between it and hip hop.


Since 1976

but the only person that can cuss in his songs is Dave Hollister, that's the OG. everybody else is just lame. what makes it really funny is I threw on the Solo joint and they old butts cussing. guess I gotta buy some Kidz Bop joints



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now...he's forced to make super trendy ass songs.

Like, peep this song my boy produced for him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwDqVn3anIQ

I heard the album and that was the song that stood out immediately. Then, they tell me that song was actually the oldest song on the album, and it helped him get buzz, but wasn't "poppin enough" to push as a single. I did like "I don't want her" as a club-R&B song, it was a good concept that worked for the most part...but I'm not a fan of "Valet" right now. "4 digits" was pretty good too, but still all very trendy with juvenile topics.

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and their songs are trash.


---------------------------

"Where was the peace when we were getting shot? Where's the peace when we were getting laid out?
Where is the peace when we are in the back of ambulances? Where is the peace then?
They don't want to call for peace then.

>and their songs are trash.
>
>
>---------------------------
>
>"Where was the peace when we were getting shot? Where's the
>peace when we were getting laid out?
>Where is the peace when we are in the back of ambulances?
>Where is the peace then?
>They don't want to call for peace then.

I listen to an obscene amount of music from these artists (there's a reason I have well over 200GB of music on my DAW PC, around 80GB on my primary laptop, and about 40GB on my secondary laptop). Some (like Fetty Wap) fall through the cracks, but I hear just about every new artist coming out at some point.

The R&B artists are the worst of the bunch. The songs sound like they were written for rappers, but no one wanted them so they gave it to a singer.

Their singing is atonal and sounds more like yelling most of the times. There's no melodic sound in their voices, no way to distinguish what key they're singing in.

Shit is trash, and if that means I'm labeled as an old curmudgeon that's not "with the times", then I'll be that.

*listens to "Joy and Pain" by Maze feat Frankie Beverly*

---------------------------

"Where was the peace when we were getting shot? Where's the peace when we were getting laid out?
Where is the peace when we are in the back of ambulances? Where is the peace then?
They don't want to call for peace then.

I love R&B but the problem with the genre is that it hasn't evolved since the late 1990s, early 2000s.

So most of the artists releasing albums sounds like something you sort of liked 15 to 20 years ago.

It's so stale and uninspired that it's often a real burden to listen to. Simple, repetitive verses and chorus progressions, blah, followed by labored, half-hearted 'bridges.' Barf. I often find myself stopping R&B albums at around the 3rd or 4th song, bored and exhausted, frustrated with the artist and wondering aloud who's liking this sh*t.

It's as if the artists, writers and producers sit around listening to nothing but throwback R&B radio stations and it's really a shame. Meanwhile, hip hop, pop and alternative artists are incorporating innovative R&B sounds into their work, parting out R&B like it's an old car destined for the junkyard.

I do love what Jazmine Sullivan did this year, Jhene Aiko's pushing the vibe-out sound, King, the Internet, James Faunterloy, Emily King, Bilal, James Davis and Frank Ocean have new approaches that are refreshing but 90% of R&B albums are if I'm to be honest...torture. And a lot of the torture is coming from established artists we know and love and the newbies you guys are talking about.

R&B as a whole needs to open up some windows and let some fresh air into the studios or else it's about to get Jurrasic Parked out of contemporary music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj7AOYwo8vA

Chain Smoke & Something About You stay on repeat



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Miguel (well, his last album is kinda weak)
The Internet

all I can think of right now

>Miguel (well, his last album is kinda weak)


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson


"One of the most important things in life is what Judge Learned Hand described as 'that ever-gnawing inner doubt as to whether you're

>Miguel (well, his last album is kinda weak)


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson


"One of the most important things in life is what Judge Learned Hand described as 'that ever-gnawing inner doubt as to whether you're

lol

they all kinda merged the genres together and it evolved from there with acts like Jagged Edge and Jaheim...and so on and so on. gradually it started to sound less and less like traditional R&B

partynextdoor is aight to me but i'm not sure he's a singer
i heard these from pnb rock but again he ain't really a singer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0_eTIpEaog
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8k7d_iIDUs
sam smith and ed sheehan shitting on all these dudes

Even with Tyrese's album and comments, regardless of how good you think his album is...Steve Harvey (actually) made great points. The White boys just get a whole different type of pass. Black singers "HAVE TO" either make Trap/Club R&B, or go all the way EDM, even those who can truly sing. Tyrese could make a song just as good as Sam Smith or Ed Sheeran, yet those Pop stations won't play it. But Black stations will play Sam and Ed's songs...and the trendy 12-25 Rap stations won't even play the Tyrese type songs because it's not "for their target demographic."

Not many have the balls to make music that not the latest trend.

I see black guys with guitars at open mics in my medium size city often enough to bet there's way more in the bigger cities, enough that the lack of their presence even on the mid-tier music scene feels like a little more than a coincidence.


~~~~~~~~~
"This is the streets, and I am the trap." � Jay Bilas
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517
Hip Hop Handbook: http://tinyurl.com/ll4kzz

last time I checked, John Legend and Dangelo are doing find not cursing every five seconds. Black peole dont have to be ratchet. its simple.


Hip Hop and R&B had a one night stand that they have been trying to turn into a rleationship for the last 30 yrs. Hip hop's infuence is all over todays R&B. as much as hip hop is an artform and has talented people, its mainstream talent has been watered down by people seeing it as a "hustle" instead of something I am good at, and want to share with the world.
R&B is the same now, even to the point that the writing mimics HIP HOP, albums comes out more frequently with less of an effort, and yes, there are curses because no one is brave enough to take chances. If u were told that spend the next ten years lead your 7 albums with a single about fuckin in the club, dancing in the club, or getting drunk in the club would get you more money thant selling yourself as socially aware Marvin Gaye, what would you do?

Not every single singer is necessarily cussing every five seconds, but what I say still stands. Are you hearing D'Angelo on the Top 40 stations right now??? Do you even hear him on the hot trendy Rap/R&B stations?

There's always plenty of artists who make true R&B, but they aren't the ones getting major deals or promotion, and if so, it's sort of an all or nothing, "they're here to save R&B and bring it back to the days of ."

It's not even about what the artists themselves decide or choose to make...that's my point. Many of them have to go along with whatever the newest BS trend is, while those who don't normally don't get enough exposure to even be discussed in a post like this.

Fuck a top 40 when you have to do club dates for a tour.

and I dont see Jhene aiko by herself on SNL(she was there with drake but whatever).

yeah, they are KINDA forced to follow the bullshit becasue of the record label pressure, but you can still singing a song ala Omarion's new shit without cursing, in fact you can sing about butterlies and shit and get a verse from Schoolboy Q. Even tho ratchet R&B is the lane that someone signed to a major label is guided to go, there is still a commercial empowering lane(Janelle, Alicia keys), so anyone can go there.

a male singing can sing about sleeping around and use his vocal range, and have some melody, and not talk about champagne and cars.......and sound good.

curses, lack of vocal range, and lack of melody is what the problem is.......but even if you fixed one of the three, you can still be better than whats on the radio now.

This is not how ANY of this works....

Major Label pressure does not exist like it used to... they have less invested no A&R depts and rarely sign an act w/o a song/movement that isn't already working..

The pressure is the public..

I don't wanna go on a diatribe but even just 15 years ago u had variety. Ten yrs even. Every body wanna sing about street shit that rappers usually do. Not that it was all good, but they killed neo soul.

Why is r and b so cookie cutter if they are not pressured?

>The pressure is the public..

The people want this shit.

The hell we do! LOL!

If this makes me old, I'll be every bit of the almost 37 years I am.

But we're a niche market over here. We are far from the main buying market.

You probably haven't peeped previous posts but...

Most of the younger generation has grown up on hybridization of r&b/rap. If you are 25 yrs old.. you were in high school 2006-2010... That means you were a kid listening to Nelly, 50, Ja Rule and Lil Jon on the radio....

Neo Soul was looong dead by then. That's their parents music. It's telling when Tyler the Creator said his mom used to bump Jill Scott...

now.. industry internally

R&B suffered the greatest from the retraction in major label budgets and destruction of a&r depts..

R&B just costs too much for very little return.

Take lets say.... errrr a typical 2001 female r&b artist... They need(ed) everything a pop artist needs... hair, nails, outfits, dance rehearsals, vocal coaching, producers, songwriters, tour budget, dancers, background singers, band, big video budget etc...

There are no million dollar budgets for beginners anymore

So... why do ANY of that.. when Drake & 1,2 producers can deliver a smash R&B song with none of that above. Drake as a rapper (pretty much) writes his own tunes gets beats/features for free (until the get released) and can handle himself internally. He delivers a complete product. Same with The Weeknd. He moves like a rapper.. small camp all in house.. deliver product for the low.

On the flip side you have songwriters and producers who used to get paid JUST to walk in a session. you could live on getting only upfronts so if someone paid you were in there. That shit is a wrap soooo you save your best tunes for big vehicle projects. If you are IN the fold you can get in on a writing camp for Rihanna but most of the time you'll only get placements on the ppl JUST outside Rih, Bey, Nicki.. Score a hit and you get in anywhere

So if you have a smash are you gonna give it to Keyshia Cole or Ariana Grande? You are gonna rock the sure fire path. So all the best songs go to the most likely to win and everyone else is stuck with scraps..

On the Rhythmic side you are gonna go with who can get on the radio or the club... so Trey, Chris etc... get the club tunes

Now

What this has led to is a burgeoning indie r&B movement that took the rap ideals and made it their own.. The Internet, Frank, Jhene, Kehlani, Twigs etc...

and thats why they are winning..

>Even with Tyrese's album and comments, regardless of how good
>you think his album is...Steve Harvey (actually) made great
>points. The White boys just get a whole different type of
>pass. Black singers "HAVE TO" either make Trap/Club R&B, or go
>all the way EDM, even those who can truly sing.

Sam Smith's biggest song TO DATE is Latch by Disclosure.. The english have breaking singer/songwriters down to a science. Put singer on dope EDM/House cut, blow it up, then hit em with the pop smashes. Emile Sande, Labrinth, Sam Smith are the biggest examples of this. Keisza also came up off this.

The "pass" white singers get is they don't languish on Urban Radio. Urban Radio is the broken part of this system. Emile Sande sold 2 million records before they tried to break her in the states. They went the same route they did with Sam Smith but she got stuck because she had pop radio presence but Urban wasn't accepting her. And w/o the co-sign she isn't seen as legit enough in America..

Tyrese could
>make a song just as good as Sam Smith or Ed Sheeran, yet those
>Pop stations won't play it.

Tyrese doesn't have songs as good as Sam Smith or Ed Sheeran though... not in his career. Has HE ever written a song as good as A-Team?

But Black stations will play Sam
>and Ed's songs...and the trendy 12-25 Rap stations won't even
>play the Tyrese type songs because it's not "for their target
>demographic."
>
>

Stay With Me is a pop song. It is not a traditional R&B song at all. It has elements the same way that JL's All of Me is a pop song with R&B Elements.

The problem is (much like urban radio) the non-rhythmic R&B vehicle is broken. The system that Sam, Emeli, Ed and even Keisza take is locked in place. The system that Drake, The Weeknd, Fetty Wap take is in place.

Eric, Tinashe, Jidenna, Ty$, Chris all work the shit out of the Rhythmic R&B system because it is intact. It scales where young people are at (clubs) and pop radio.

Ariana Grande was her own system. Tested and succeeded on nickelodeon. Harmony Samuels giving her Jordin Sparks records was genius. They reverse Mariah'd her by starting in Puffy Era Mariah since she is pop enough just on background alone.

Traditional R&B basically means 90s-ish R&B. No one is making Anita Baker records or Aretha records. That time period resonates with a specific age group so it gets thrown to the 35+ boat cruise ass niggas

tbh

I think the problem with most R&B cats is they are extremely uninteresting as people... This is the age of the individual... Every success story Jhene, Ty$, Fetty, The Weeknd even Rae Sremmurd has been because their music reflects some layers in personality that I think people connect with.

A generic song about turning up in the club is "cool" but it doesn't get past the club

People love the "booty like groceries line" cuz its very zeitgeisty .. but Jhene spitting it also packs a big punch

Like how Blues had to move out of the way for jazz which moved out of the way for Soul and so on.

well it already has... I mean these hybrid artists are moving on to something new...

and EDM is exploring the world of 90s R&B and flipping it into the future... so sometime extremely soon a SANGER who writes awesome lyrics and can jump on one of these future bass tracks and kill will emerge..

better than Sam Smith tunes.. very close

better than A-Team? Thinking Out Loud..

Nah

tbh sweet lady aint better than ordinary ppl though

they curse but they make great music

but I tolerate that from them in a way I don't with so many. I think it might be because the actual MUSIC and songwriting doesn't suck.

that last one is fire. Had "Get Away" on repeat.

shit is just tacky

I'll start with the somewhat positive..

There are 4 "true" R&B albums I'm digging this year: Jazmine Sullivan, Tamia, Kenny Lattimore, Tyrese

But that's still kinda wack because out of the abundance of music that continues to be released, that's a "one hot album every 2 month average".

The singing in urban music these days isn't singing. It's this monotone "vibe out" music (ex. Jhene Aiko).

It seems that part of the fallout of the fall of traditional record labels is the actual recording process. Listening to Teedra Moses' latest album frustrated the hell out of me. The production sucks, the songwriting sucks, and it's obvious that there's no one really challenging her vocally in the studio.

The fact that R&B (that actually has some soul) has become a 30+ only genre in the urban market is sad, especially when you consider that for decades there was always a strong youthful (i.e. under 25) presence.

Maybe one day it will come back. But unfortunately there's a lack of accountability in urban music, so a lot of half-ass demo-sounding records is what you get.

that was on point

so n point and I got all those joints you named too



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or that acoustic Ledisi? Or that Joe??

I haven't gotten to get a good listen to Joe, Tamia or Jill yet....


...it's funny how alotta r&b singers don't even wanna sing r&b anymore

He's had R&B on his back for a minute and doesn't get enough credit.

Ledisi was this year, you're right. Forgot about that.

Didn't check for Dave Hollister, but I think that was last year too.

http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=4&topic_id=12857436&mesg_id=12857436&listing_type=search



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***
I'm tryna be better off, not better than...

She's extremely talented and has her own distinct musical "voice". Plus, she has a devoted and borderline fanatical cult following (I consider myself a member).

But I think the pressure to come up with something as tight as Complex Simplicity might have gotten to her, a bit. The Anthony Hamilton featured song is the only thing close to a single on this album. The rest is stuff that devoted fans will largely enjoy, but won't win any new fans. I doubt any of her old fans are ranking this new album above CS.

This new album seems to have the mark of Beyonce's last album all over it, to me. I realized that yesterday, listening to it in the car. Alot of the melodies have that Beyonce-esque wandering, with no definitive direction or aim. Almost sort of freestyled melodies. Well, I would say that of the least enjoyable, most skippable songs on the album, of which I'd there are about 5. That's a step down for Teedra (and one of the reasons Beyonce only has 3 or 4 all-time classic solo songs, despite such a high-profile for such a long time.)

Teedra can easily bounce back from this, but she probably needs someone challenging her songwriting, not so much her actual voice (not the figurative "voice" I mentioned earlier) - the voice is still superb and distinct.

What worked so well on the first album was that the melodies always felt like they were headed somewhere, and when they got there, there was a payoff. That's something she should get back to.

I was really looking forward to the album, and then when I listened to it, I could only make it through half of it first go round.

Picked it back up the next day and could only get through a couple of songs.

She really needs the right people in the studio with her.

The world isn't getting the most out of her talent with that one.

because they can't even sing

thats what it sounds like to me
every average person on earth trying to sing and this is the result

when i'm in the shower i sound like larry graham hahahaha

I'm feeling this low-tempo wave right now

not the only one, but one of my favorites over the past few years.

I dig it a bunch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MgILrIn0XQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rai3RY8nwOo

I've heard good things.

Don't Wake Me Up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDRUcFfy_0Q

IYLBE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcXl6CDqpvY

Grow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCdSXQEApbI

Tokyo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH8t4jVVGsg

What you won't do
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNLkD8QEnAM

he nice with it

he could be just as dope without the cussing, so can The Internet



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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGIWLiO5058

Nx Worries (Anderson .Paak & Knxledge)... I really like this song, but do cringe a bit with all of the cursing... Like, man, you can sing... be more creative with your lyrics... That's my same issue with the songs he's featured on Compton...

That "my bitch" line is terrible.

its the idea of imagery and instilling an idea vs flat out tellin.

a lot of singers do that now. they will sing "that pussy was good" where as ROn Isley sung about "i love the way you receve me, love the way you release me"





yu obviously know what he was talking about, but have a little veil and melody to it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVo2i-epajs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG3MfoGRtS0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uubK9YV2f0k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ5UqwEmoXU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ4ogiMoya0

https://soundcloud.com/thejamesfauntleroy/sex-high


His page has been mad active lately:
https://soundcloud.com/thejamesfauntleroy

https://soundcloud.com/thejamesfauntleroy/magic

Who Are You
https://soundcloud.com/thejamesfauntleroy/who-are-you

There is so much good stuff out there off radar. When I was a teen, I didn't like mainstream hip hop, in my 30s now I don't like mainstream hip hop. When I was in my teens the first wave of neo soul was going and that was my thing.....now in my thirties it's gotten boring, mainstream r and b has gotten worse BUT I dig now like I did then.

Don't go into the whole genration gap nonsense UNLESS you were into commercial R and b back 15 yrs ago.

>There is so much good stuff out there off radar.


Let's turn this into a celebration of the good stuff out there.

like James Fauntleroy & SiR, yeah they talented and bumping but the point was, most of these new singers be cussing like rappers


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guess I should have said those artists other material


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You don't have to play an entire album or mixtape.

Hell Prince has songs with profanity in them.... even Stevie Wonder and the Isleys do.
You don't listen to any of them tho?
Aight then I see where u comin from.

it's obvious some of these folks have talent but I'm noticing more and more people are cussing in songs and most of the time it's unnecessary.
now take for instance, Eric Bellinger's new joint. I was really digging the dude's music but I had to edit almost every song just to be able to play it when I'm driving my moms or my nieces and nephews around

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That's one of the reasons I can't deal with most of the Weeknd's work.
The cursing is unnecessary and just plain juvenile... and I don't even mind cursing
as long as it doesn't sound like some kind of curse quota is being filled.
I tend to buy individual songs from alotta artists work these days, outside a select few
who get the automatic purchase.

except I ain't about to waste my time editing The Weeknd



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of old school funk and soul. VIntage Trouble, who will be at Afropunk in NYC. St Paul and the Broken Bones.

Seen that lead singer cover Sam Cooke and it was dope

.

more Fauntleroy:
https://soundcloud.com/thejamesfauntleroy/broken-heart-broken-eyes

It's terrible. I find myself riding along confused as a mug now just listening to smooth jazz lol.

Bottom line, above the curses, is what's missing.

I can hear a maroon 5 song 1 or 2 times and sing a along just like that. Have you ever listened to how quickly Beyonce sings ,especially in her heyday.....and how many mock that unrhymey style? Smokey robinson songs that I have never heard and can sing along because of the stress towards melody. Try that with miss aiko. It's scattered.

Also, there is a lack of soul. You don't feel that the singer is really going through what they are singing about. Mary J live sounds like I just ripped her cell phone away from her after an argument with her husband and gave her a mic. Some singers sound listless like they're texting while they're singing to you

dude actually has melodies in a good majority of his songs and he can be a pretty good songwriter when he wants too. Marsha Ambrosius too, but even she can be vulgar. this could have been a monster jam but can't nobody play it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdSqbrfjriA



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her singing and her image is super annoying to me

for awhile I was seeing so many people on my social media bigging her up as a hot R&B artist

She's not R&B though....

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMvTXgp-6Ao