I'll say that technology played a part too. But it's hard to deny hip hop has played a big role since it became the dominate form of black music. It's not just about preserving R&B either... we've gone from jazz to swing to rock and roll to soul to funk... the type of music black folks listen to has never remained static. Each and every one of those built off what came before. But each and every one of those we're built off certain talents that remained unchanged until hip hop took over. So when we talk about the struggles of making it on the road today it's just dishonest to gloss over the fact that what's being sold today is much different than what was sold in the past.
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Reunion Radio Podcasts
Bringing Together Five Decades of R&B/Funk/Soul/Dance

http://reunionradio.blogspot.com/