wich do you prefere?
-
DreTam2000 — 18 years ago(September 21, 2007 02:01 PM)
The fact that you have constructed your lists the way you have shows me exactly what is wrong with today's generation's perspective of music.
Mary J. Blige is a soul artist. She's an R&B artist. She isn't pop, although she has fallen victim to having to put out a pop song or two throughout her career. Most of her music is not pop though.
To place her in a list with Ashanti or Ciara, or even Beyonce, is stinging to my ears, and actually makes my heart hurt. I'll admit that Mary has an annoying pop song or two in her discography, but she is, for the most part, a soul artist.
Rather than seperating the genres with artists, I believe you should seperate them based on timeframes. I'll give you some examples
~Mary J. Blige's first two albums
~Usher's first album (the untitled, 1994 one go to Amazon.com and listen to snippets)
~R. Kelly's first two albums
~all three of the Jodeci albums
~the first 112
~the first two Blackstreet albums
~the first Joe
I'll stop there. Go listen to all those artists albums (if you can't, then go hear snippets at Amazon.com), and then listen to all of their post-1997 efforts. The sound for both Hip-Hop and R&B changed drastically during 1997.
That
was R&B.
R. Kelly and Mary J. are examples of artists who have the potential to always make vintage R&B, but are either forced, or choose to make superficial, pop songs that aren't soulful (especially Kelly in hte last four or five years).
Alicia Keys is an example of a soul artist who still sells millions of records, and thank God for her. There's not a pop bone in her body. She's all talent.
She's
the real deal (along with John Ledgend).
Usher is an example of someone who has the talent to make strictly R&B (like his first album in 1994, which I suggest you hear or listen to snippets of at Amazon), but makes pop records so that he can sell more.
Donell Jones is an example of someone who Usher
could
be. ALL of Jones's records are R&B, and all of them are the beep Like the aforementioned Keys and Legend, There's no pop in
his
body either just quality R&B.
Kinda see the difference here..?
Like someone else on this thread suggested, the whole neo-soul thing is funny. What is it? R&B with a little more tranquil jazz in it..? LOL, as much as I like and respect "neosoul" artists though, they still can't sing anywhere near as well as
soul
artists did (Candi Staton, Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, etc.)
The last handful of years have been absolute hell for music.
I'm not a control freak, I just like things my way -
Greattimes — 18 years ago(October 28, 2007 04:03 PM)
TEAM contemperary hip-hop/R&B
mary j blige
beyonce
chris brown
usher
ciara
ashanti
and other similer artists
VS
TEAM neo-soul
alicia keys
anthony hamilton
jill scott
angie stone
joss stone
Cody ChesnuTT
van hunt
d'angelo
leela james
the roots
and other similer artists
Saying Alicia Keys is pure soul is the most hilarious thing in my life. It is238 obvious that she does have pop influences in her music, so I would put Alicia in the (Adult) Contemporary R&B area. Anyway, I would say Contemporary R&B, Neo-Soul is too deep and adult for me.
I do think that Contemporary R&B has taken a nose dive in the last couple of years, Chris Brown's single, Wall to Wall was a hot ass mess and None of Ciara's The Evolution's singles have impressed me. Usher's Confessions album was overrated if you asked me his sales were too much (12 million Worldwide). Ashanti cant sing and her debut was aswell overr5b4ated. Beyonce has disappointed me heavily with her latest, B'Day, it seemed like a cliche Pop/Hip Hop album something Justin Timberfake would put out, Well I guess anything for a sale. Mary J's latest release looks like it is going to flop.
To me, Contemporary R&B is heading into the Pop genre of music by the release, the albums are cheesy with cheesy songs; Upgrade U, Freakum Dress, Kiss Kiss and Ghetto (Kelly Rowland). It will soon be played out and look "uncool" to listen to it.
What would Jesus do? or Que frait Jsus?
W.W.J.D OR Q.J.F -
DreTam2000 — 18 years ago(October 28, 2007 04:13 PM)
Saying Alicia Keys is pure soul is the most hilarious thing in my life. It is obvious that she does have pop influences in her music
Actually, I was just saying to myself the other day that her new single seems to be the most poppish thing she's ever done. Listen to all her previous work. It all seems either previous-decades-of-soul-influenced or 1990s-R&B-influenced. Her new single has more of a pop feel to its beat. So yes, you're right..
I agree with everything else in your post spot-on. R&B of the last five years has been utter terrible. R&B, like rap music, is a thing of the past.
1990s rap and R&B shall always reign.
I'm not a control freak, I just like things my way -
Greattimes — 18 years ago(October 29, 2007 08:47 AM)
Thanks, and especially when you have fake little girls (Ashley Tisdale) saying in their songs, "Wearin' flip flops , listening to hip-hop, YOU FEEL ME!!". Im just in awe at how Commercial, R&B has become.
What would Jesus do? or Que frait Jsus?
W.W.J.D OR Q.J.F -
DreTam2000 — 18 years ago(October 29, 2007 01:40 PM)
there are a few dope-ass posts about this very thing somewhere. I wish I can remember where they were though. One of them is a thread of mine over on the Puff Combs board though. I can't remember where the other one was; perhaps I'll search for it (it was a good one about Jessica Simpson's [not that I give a damn about Jessica Simpson, but her case is a good example of label shadiness] record label forcing her to go back and rerecord one of her albums because they felt she was oversinging her songs, and that it's more marketable to not oversing them, so that fans can feel like they are able to sing along with it now, if they've done this with this white woman, it would not surprise me at all if they've done the same thing with a lot of these modern-day R&B artists I've never heard so many Black singers sing without any soul or ability to blow in all my life: Ciara, Chris Brown, Mario, and yes, even Keisha Cole sounds horrible, despite the fact that she clearly has a slight bit of powerful vocals, she still sounds terrible)..
~definitely check out the one over on the Puff board if you're interested though..
I'm not a control freak, I just like things my way -
Greattimes — 18 years ago(October 30, 2007 10:48 AM)
Yeah I have looked at that P.Diddy kiiling Hip Hop thing but that Jessica Simpson's record label thread would be interesting to look at.
Well it would not surprise me since the only reason Beyonce has blown up as a sucess because of her Record label, the same as Jessica's, I think (I am not a fan of Jessica infact I also dont care for her).
What would Jesus do? or Que frait Jsus?
W.W.J.D OR Q.J.F -
DreTam2000 — 17 years ago(January 29, 2009 07:32 PM)
some had argued real singers aren't marketable anymore.
This is 100%, Positively, Absolutely the mindset of businessmen within the music industry today. You hit it spot on, Urban Prince.
The way Jodeci sang, SWV, BIIM, 112, H-Town, and so many artists in the 90s and before (especially before), wouldn't be seen as "cool" today. It's considered out-of-style to be able to actually sing with soul today. I'm completely devistated every time this truth becomes more and more apparent over the years. Folks actually consider Chris Brown and Keyshia Cole to be singers, for example.
I even heard that there was an artist (her name isn't important) who's record label had her re-record the songs on her album because she 'oversang' in them. LOL, wow sad, sad, sad..
I'm not a control freak, I just like things my way -
Tish-The-Scorpion — 17 years ago(January 30, 2009 01:33 PM)
That's not what I said. I said that Neo-Soul is R&B with a little more tranquil jazz in it.
that's what i meant. neosoul has more than tranquil jass added to it.t he music itself is usually a hybrid of 1970s-influenced soul music with influences from jazz, funk, Latin, African, hip hop and occasionallyhouse music.
Exactly. Neo-Soul is a coaster to set drinks on compared to Soul.
besides the point, as i was never comparing the 2. you wereat the end of the day neo-soul>>>> today's r&b. -
DreTam2000 — 17 years ago(January 30, 2009 01:38 PM)
besides the point, as i was never comparing the 2. YOU WERE
Damn right
I'm comparin' the two and, like I said, Neo-Soul is a coaster to set drinks on compared to Soul.
at the end of the day neo-soul>>>> today's r&b.
LOL that's not saying much at all.
I'm not a control freak, I just like things my way -
DreTam2000 — 17 years ago(January 30, 2009 01:44 PM)
Name two genres in the history of music that are more worthy of comparison than Neo-Soul and Soul are.
Then, explain why (and how those two genres [whichever two you choose] are not apples & oranges)?
[patiently awaits] -
Tish-The-Scorpion — 17 years ago(January 27, 2009 11:44 AM)
Like someone else on this thread suggested, the whole neo-soul thing is funny. What is it? R&B with a little more tranquil jazz in it..?
actually R&B was basically watered down soul music. face it berry Gordy was the puff daddy of the 70's . stax/volt >>> Motown any day of the week. now that was
soul
. and saying soul music is "R&B with a little more tranquil jazz in it" is like saying heavy metal is just rock with heavy guitars.
as much as I like and respect "neosoul" artists though, they still can't sing anywhere near as well as
soul
artists did (Candi Staton, Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, etc.)
never compared neo soul to classic soul. they're 2 differen genre's. -
DreTam2000 — 17 years ago(January 29, 2009 07:29 PM)
saying soul music is "R&B with a little more tranquil jazz in it" is like saying
That's not what I said. I said that
Neo-Soul
is R&B with a little more tranquil jazz in it.
they're 2 differen genre's.
Exactly
. Neo-Soul is a coaster to set drinks on compared to Soul.
I'm not a control freak, I just like things my way