I miss the R&B
groups of the late 80s and 90s. They combined great music from producers that
knew how to highlight and expose the talents of the artists with artist that blended
their talents into timeless classics. Most of the groups didn’t have singers
that could survive as an established soloist. But as part of a group, their
sound blended perfectly.
Now everyone wants
to be a solo act. I don’t know how or why the industry took such a dramatic
shift and the R&B group faded away like a dinosaur. But imagine if some of
these artists (a term I use loosely) got together and collaborated, without
relying on a featured hip hop artist to carry the song for radio and club play.
I love hip hop but at one point in the early 2000s I swore Ja Rule was on every
song, then it was Lil’ Wayne and now it’s Drake or Nicki Minaj.
Think about it.
How many soloist really have the talent to carry an album and release something
with more than 2 decent songs in today’s music industry? I can only think of a
few. I’d prefer to see Omarion, Chris Brown, Mario, Tory Lanez and Trey Songz
perform as a super group than to have them release song after song that sound
like remakes of their last radio release.
Just think of all
the talent that we had to listen to in the late 80s and 90s when it came
strictly to groups. I am probably biased but I consider it a really special
time in R&B music. Besides the 60s and early 70s reign of Motown, I can’t
think of a better time period of R&B music. Here’s the roster of “some” of
the talent we had out there.
Boyz II Men
|
Color Me Badd
|
Xscape
|
Jodeci
|
New Edition
|
After 7
|
Silk
|
DeBarge
|
Guy
|
Ready For The World
|
H-Town
|
BBD
|
Troop
|
SWV
|
Blackstreet
|
Soul II Soul
|
Mint Condition
|
TLC
|
Shai
|
Tony Toni Tone
|
Force MDs
|
En Vogue
|
Zhane
|
Brownstone
|
Hi Five
|
Jade
|
Total
|
Changing Faces
|
So yes it’s
Throwback Thursday and I’m sitting at my desk at work, digging in the digital
crates on my mobile phone’s music app and enjoying the music I grew up with.
Just wanted to share my thoughts with you. Anxious to hear your feedback. Peace!
I hear you completely. I fell off with R&B when R Kelly went to feeling on ya booty. Just wasn't the same. Everything progresses and I'm sure our parents said the same when they heard rump shaker..lol. Also, when you went out you would hear a solid R&B set to keep the party going, but it's all 808s and trap music. Need some more variety.
ReplyDeleteVery true. Today's music is too carbon copy. I can't even tell who is who. That's a problem. I know music will always have generational bias. I'm sure my parents didn't wanna hear about me zooma zoom zooming in the poom poom! LOL. But I just think today's music has lost it's soul. Figuratively and literally.
ReplyDeleteI was always told that history repeats itself and there will come a time, not a day, where the new will become the old and vice versa. I, for one, definitely appreciated the ol skool (peep the spellin') music, vibe and uplifting momentum that it carried with it. But we're living in a space where everything, including music has to be catered to the overall change. So if it's nothing but bass and 808 on a track AND it sells, that's what the market is going to push. It's unfortunate though..True Indeed...
ReplyDeleteSak pase? Yeah I know that the industry is pumping out what the masses want. Radio is dominated by empty pop tunes and hip hop tracks that are cookie cutter and simple.I get that. But I think the masses would demand and enjoy more strong R&B groups if that's what the industry produced. You're only hungry for what you've tasted before. So if the music labels focused on R&B making a real comeback then they would try to recapture the magic of the era I'm talking about. But until then I'll just build my playlist and ignore the fact that The Weekend, Bryson Tiller, Tory Lanez, August Alsina and Jeremih all sound THE SAME!
DeleteI couldn't agree with you more. I usually turn off the radio certain times of day because, well, the pickings are nil. :-/ Thank God for iPods - even my children have said, "Ooooo, I love old school music soooo much better." :-)
ReplyDeleteYeah X's playlist is filled with 90s music and Motown hits. Go figure. I don't think his kids (in the way distant future) will be crooning to any songs made by today's artist.
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