sunlite said:

Who are some Black artists that Whites like (that are not blues, rock, jazz r and b or rap)?

Leontyne Price, Audra McDonald, Andre Watts, Denyce Graves, Mahalia Jackson, Charley Pride, Kathleen Battle, Buckwheat Zydeco, Ella Jenkins, Nell Carter, Harry Belafonte, Bob Marley

MickyDolenz said:

sunlite said:

This is the dumbest question ever. We all don't like the same music or anything else. Who are some Black artists that Whites like (that are not blues, rock, jazz r and b or rap)?

The OP is a jokester whose account has long since been deleted, but people keep responding to his threads here and in GD.

2freaky4church1 said:

Blacks like soulful pop songs. There are a few who like Van Halen. Some who like Punk. They certainly love Kenny G but I dont' know the fuck why. lol

Wait...who DOESNT like DLR-Van Halen? Lol some of the most transcending heavy metal ever. Considering how super-heavy they could be at times, they spoke to an awful lot of diverse people, when in theory they shouldn't have if you were to look at it on paper.

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Red Hot Chili Peppers seem to be well-liked and respected amongst black folks from what I've gathered. NIN as well. Radiohead.

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And alot of 80s dance, too. Theres a station in Philly called Old School 107.9 that caters to classic R&B Soul and early hip-hop, and the amount of Kraftwerk that gets played totally astounded me. Never would have thought, truly. D Mode too, but Depeche Mode is the shit so I cant say I'm surprised. Tears For Fears are another. The Police, too. For 3 blonde-haired white guys (Two of which were British), The Police had some serious soul. The Clash too of course.

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And the best for last: Talking Heads. Awesome shit. Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love" has been duped so many times by hip-hop producers, its absurd.

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Good music is good music.

I peek into the Org every now and then.... and the ignorant repsonses to ignorant threads never cease to amaze me.

Comments in this thread rate up there like when I got attacked by several members for not knowing who Trent Reznor was (and yes... in urban cites with predominantly black populations like Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta,etc.. the average person would have NEVER heard NIN/TrentReznor on the radio growing up). Not my fault radio where I lived never played him.

or

Having to debate and prove that Prince songs still get radio airplay where I live (Chicago) esp his slow jams. Proven by linking a coupe of local radio stations play list.

If you're not a black person who is in touch with who your family and coulture really listen to or if you are one of those whites who says, "I have black friends"..... you're responses to this query is way off base.

Yes as a culture black people tend to listen predominanly to RnB, Hip-Hop, Jazz and the Blues... and the artist who make that music regardless of thier race. To say other wise is just trying to be defiant. When if comes to liking artist who create outside of those genres... blacks as a whole will like individual songs... but necessarily the artist.

Right now I can go around my house, to my neighbors house or even call up a local radio staion and ask them to play Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Van Halen, Radio Head, NIN etc etc... I wooud get hung up on or asked who the fuck is that. But if I said... you know tht rock group who made 'Jump'' back in the day...... then they would be like... "oh yeah... I liked that record". During the 80's there were a lot of 'white' groups who crossed over to black radio... Madonna, Culture Club, Duran Duran, Hall and Oats, Wham, Eurythmics, George Micheals.... and yeah people would say they liked those artist... even though they only heard a fraction fo what they actually made. Same can be said of groups like Red Hot Chlli Peppers and others I see mentioned in the thread.... individual records being liked... but that doesnt mean the groups body of work , because they rarely would listen to the body of work.

But being that this is a Prince fan board... on which people of diverse taste dwell... the answers ar ging to be skewed.

Peronally I like David Bowie, Queen, Maroon 5 as artist and a ton of individual tracks... but I dont proclaim to like the artist just because of one or two tracks I like.

When I stumbled upon this thread, it definitely piqued my interest and I thought it was a cool topic. Never once did I think that either the author of the thread or whomever decided to write in it with good intentions deliberately created a sensitive racial dust-up. Of course, you're going to have people perceive this topic in a potentially negative, hurtful light (and post something out of defense because it's an obviously sensitive topic to some, considering wtf is going on in Baltimore and Ferguson a few months back and the overall unfortunately tense race relations happening these days) when I feel it's clear as day it was meant to be not only a peculair topic, but an insightful one as well. Nobody was trying to instigate nor pick a fight intentionally, it only became a little awkward when people started to read a little too deep into the subject.

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With that being said: In my experience, more white people listen to music created by black folks than black folks listen to music created by white folks. Please understand that I'm not poking a sleeping giant when i say that. Just being honest. So when I saw a topic like this, I thought long and hard about what groups I know for a fact reached a more diverse audience more so than others. And I have to admit (as corny as this may seem): Reading the prior comments and seeing all sorts of folks from all corners of the world chiming in and sharing certain bands and groups warmed my heart. It immediately told me that music in general has no ulterior motives. Music is built upon a colorblind foundation. A good song is a good song is a good song is a good song. And that good song is going to reach you and resonate with you however it will.

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But you know whats REALLY special? When you come across and take a liking to a song or genre of music you never really paid attention to before, and you surprise yourself over how much it affected you. That my friends...is the true power of music, a universal means of communication. Hence, this topic. You stick with the music you know and love, but you always keep your ears close to the ground and you try to constantly educate yourself on sorts of music that are seemingly new (perhaps foreign) to you.

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I mean come on: We're all here on a forum dedicated to Prince, one of the most diverse, eclectic motherfuckers to ever grace our ears. Oh, you're a major Prince fan? You know what that tells me right away? Your taste is vast, and you're open to whatever sounds may creep into your earholes. Prince's catalog of work is a perfect jump-off point of whats out there and what you might come across.

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And I'll end this like I did with my last post: Good music is good music.

Superstition said:

I knew you'd do it But I agree with both of you. Ultimately, it highlights everyone's annoyance with people who listen to music others think they should like rather than simply listening to what they like.

Well, it's not like this is the first time this kind of thread has been posted.

http://prince.org/msg/8/402270

http://prince.org/msg/8/412887

http://prince.org/msg/8/407758

http://prince.org/msg/8/398498

http://prince.org/msg/8/402093

http://prince.org/msg/8/413740

http://prince.org/msg/8/351234

http://prince.org/msg/8/405528

http://prince.org/msg/8/396144

http://prince.org/msg/8/405283

http://prince.org/msg/8/405125

http://prince.org/msg/8/117009

http://prince.org/msg/8/381058

http://prince.org/msg/8/412589

http://prince.org/msg/8/364552

http://prince.org/msg/8/398655

http://prince.org/msg/8/167974

http://prince.org/msg/8/404301

http://prince.org/msg/8/378020

http://prince.org/msg/8/235140

http://prince.org/msg/8/238663

http://prince.org/msg/8/160791

MickyDolenz said:

mrgone777 said:

I think Kenny Gorelick started out in an R&B band BUT he did some very good work with the Jeff Lorber Fusion which was a prototypical Jazz Fusion 1970s outfit. Kenny G can play....the 1980s smooth jazz stuff (which was watered down versions of really excellent musicians like Bob James, Ronnie Laws, Grover Washington Jr, the Jazz Crusaders, even Donald Byrd's Black Byrds ) really was a bore and Kenny became a millionaire in the process. But even with that medoicre stuff, he can play....you don't see it in live performances because he performs all that smooth jazz garbage...but listen to him on "Galaxian" from the Jeff Lorber Fusion.

Kenny's earlier records were a bit more uptempo, but since he was on Arista, I guess Clive Davis had him change his style to a more adult contemporary sound and that's when Kenny crossed over and started selling big. Those albums were popular with the middle aged R&B crowd, the ones who were less interested in rap. The same ones who were more likely to buy Freddie Jackson, Luther Vandross, Anita Baker, & Sade.

MickyDolenz you are right about the market for Kenny G. In the 1990s when my dad was in his 70s....he loved the guy. In the 1990s hip hop was extraordinary and going through a tremendous growth phase utilizing jazz riffs and paralleling the development of bebop. Hip hop along with acid jazz and downtempo Nujazz/Bossa Nova made smooth jazz sound ancient and very unimaginative....very safe. However, I liked Kenny on Galaxian which was on Arista but I think he had more freedom in the context of a solid band. Here's the funny thing (and I'm 54 by the way).....when I was peeling out my fingernails anytime I heard a Kenny G joint on a smooth jazz/quiet storm station in the 90s it didn't dawn on me until the end of the decade that this was kenny gorelick from the Jeff Lorber Fusion. Had to grudgingly give him respect based on what I remember about the JLF.....one of my favorite coming of age jazz fusion bands.

Well, at least I like him . But why does it matter what race the artist is? Music is just music.. right?

[Edited 5/17/15 20:46pm]

mrgone777 said:

Here's the funny thing (and I'm 54 by the way).....when I was peeling out my fingernails anytime I heard a Kenny G joint on a smooth jazz/quiet storm station in the 90s it didn't dawn on me until the end of the decade that this was kenny gorelick from the Jeff Lorber Fusion. Had to grudgingly give him respect based on what I remember about the JLF.....one of my favorite coming of age jazz fusion bands.

I listen to smooth jazz, it doesn't bother me. Sometimes listened to The Wave radio station that used to be here in town a few years ago. I think I'm the only one here who likes soft music and don't think it's bland or "cheesy". I like songs like Feelings by Morris Albert and bossa nova tunes. I used to listen to the local easy listening stations before they were discontinued.

JasonWill1980 said:

Well, at least I like him . But why does it matter what race the artist is? Music is just music.. right?

People in general tend to primarily listen to acts of their own race/ethnicity. I'd say most of my relatives listen to mainly black performers, and ones who make R&B or hip hop at that. There's a lot of Mexicans where I live, and the older ones are more likely listen to tejano, ranchera, & Tex-Mex and watch Telemundo and watch Cristina Saralegui & José Luis rather than Oprah & Jerry Springer. Some may listen to acts of other ethnicities, but if they have a record collection, in general most of it will be their own race, unless they're Michael Rapaport.

MickyDolenz said:

mrgone777 said:

Here's the funny thing (and I'm 54 by the way).....when I was peeling out my fingernails anytime I heard a Kenny G joint on a smooth jazz/quiet storm station in the 90s it didn't dawn on me until the end of the decade that this was kenny gorelick from the Jeff Lorber Fusion. Had to grudgingly give him respect based on what I remember about the JLF.....one of my favorite coming of age jazz fusion bands.

I listen to smooth jazz, it doesn't bother me. Sometimes listened to The Wave radio station that used to be here in town a few years ago. I think I'm the only one here who likes soft music and don't think it's bland or "cheesy". I like songs like Feelings by Morris Albert and bossa nova tunes. I used to listen to the local easy listening stations before they were discontinued.

I hear you and believe it or not I like soft music but I don't like unimaginative music and much of that smooth jazz lacked energy, at least for me. I LOVE bossa nova on the other hand, very light pleasant but full of soul. Name a bossa nova artist and you will get a smile in reply from me! I like bossa nova influenced music too like Bebel Gilberto and Ceu. Here are some of the softer jazz musicians I like and prefer ten times over to Kenny G because there is alot of great music within that description: Ramsey Lewis, David Sanborn, Grover Washington, Bob James, John Klemmer, Ronnie Laws, George Benson, Patrice Rushen, Michael Franks. Even though they are considered more jazz-blues I loved Ben Sidran and Mose Allison. I just can't get into Kenny G and all of those clones that followed like Gerald Albright, David Koz, Boney James etc.

MickyDolenz said:

JasonWill1980 said:

Well, at least I like him . But why does it matter what race the artist is? Music is just music.. right?

People in general tend to primarily listen to acts of their own race/ethnicity. I'd say most of my relatives listen to mainly black performers, and ones who make R&B or hip hop at that. There's a lot of Mexicans where I live, and the older ones are more likely listen to tejano, ranchera, & Tex-Mex and watch Telemundo and watch Cristina Saralegui & José Luis rather than Oprah & Jerry Springer. Some may listen to acts of other ethnicities, but if they have a record collection, in general most of it will be their own race, unless they're Michael Rapaport.

MickyDolenz I think you are right up to a point, from what I've seen in my life its all about exposure and socioeconomic status. I lived in the SW for most of my life and you are right people "stay in their lanes" but much of that has to do with not having the exposure that money or life experience can bring. Also not having the "privilege" to say...."yeah, thats my music too." For example the biggest Funkadelic fans up here inthe PNW are all White kids....hippie Kids and hippie 20 or 30 somethings. Most rap fans up here are White and its about the privilege to choose whatever you want without recrimination. I think the more exposed Black and Latinos become to other communities and music forms the more they explore. In LA I remember a huge group of Korean American kids loved rap....the gangsta kine especially.....but they didn't like Black people. Again feeling empowered to like what you want and define it in your own way [but they are missing out by not reaching out to the Black people who would be great friends for them]. BTW you should check out the afro-punk.com site to see what I mean. Also when I lived in L.A. there was a huge "rock in espanol" movement which fans would also embrace rock [meaning mostly White...not my definition...music industry definitions] acts like Morrisey back in the day.

mrgone777 said:

MickyDolenz I think you are right up to a point, from what I've seen in my life its all about exposure and socioeconomic status. I lived in the SW for most of my life and you are right people "stay in their lanes" but much of that has to do with not having the exposure that money or life experience can bring. Also not having the "privilege" to say...."yeah, thats my music too." For example the biggest Funkadelic fans up here inthe PNW are all White kids....hippie Kids and hippie 20 or 30 somethings. Most rap fans up here are White and its about the privilege to choose whatever you want without recrimination. I think the more exposed Black and Latinos become to other communities and music forms the more they explore. In LA I remember a huge group of Korean American kids loved rap....the gangsta kine especially.....but they didn't like Black people. Again feeling empowered to like what you want and define it in your own way [but they are missing out by not reaching out to the Black people who would be great friends for them]. BTW you should check out the afro-punk.com site to see what I mean. Also when I lived in L.A. there was a huge "rock in espanol" movement which fans would also embrace rock [meaning mostly White...not my definition...music industry definitions] acts like Morrisey back in the day.

Isn't the terms "afropunk" & "Latin rock" separating it into ethnicity? It's not really any different than "blue eyed soul" or "J-Pop". There's "hick hop", in which the acts are mainly white males, but it isn't called "white rap" and neither are the Beastie Boys or Eminem. Elvis wasn't called "white rock" & Chuck Berry "black rock", it was just rock n roll or maybe rockabilly.

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Today the audience for blues today is usually more white than black, but the main audience for "soul blues" acts like Ms. Jody, Bobby Rush, Sir Charles Jones, & Mel Waiters tend to be middle aged blacks.

Oh I live for the Beatles, have almost all of their albums.

Hall & Oates

David Bowie

Madonna

Britney Spears

Christina

New Kids On The Block

Maroon 5

Kylie Minogue

Daft Punk

basement jaxx

Chicago

KC & The Sunshine Band

Justin Timberfake

Blood Sweat & Tears

Kate Bush

KC & The Sunshine Band is really a black band with a white singer.

wildgoldenhoney said:

Graycap23 said:

Everything under the sun.

The Carpenters?

I know 4 different, unrelated black people that love The Carpenters. And I don't know that many black people or people in general.

To clarify that comment, a lot of times people appreciate The Carpenters' music because their mother did.

MickyDolenz said:

mrgone777 said:

MickyDolenz I think you are right up to a point, from what I've seen in my life its all about exposure and socioeconomic status. I lived in the SW for most of my life and you are right people "stay in their lanes" but much of that has to do with not having the exposure that money or life experience can bring. Also not having the "privilege" to say...."yeah, thats my music too." For example the biggest Funkadelic fans up here inthe PNW are all White kids....hippie Kids and hippie 20 or 30 somethings. Most rap fans up here are White and its about the privilege to choose whatever you want without recrimination. I think the more exposed Black and Latinos become to other communities and music forms the more they explore. In LA I remember a huge group of Korean American kids loved rap....the gangsta kine especially.....but they didn't like Black people. Again feeling empowered to like what you want and define it in your own way [but they are missing out by not reaching out to the Black people who would be great friends for them]. BTW you should check out the afro-punk.com site to see what I mean. Also when I lived in L.A. there was a huge "rock in espanol" movement which fans would also embrace rock [meaning mostly White...not my definition...music industry definitions] acts like Morrisey back in the day.

Isn't the terms "afropunk" & "Latin rock" separating it into ethnicity? It's not really any different than "blue eyed soul" or "J-Pop". There's "hick hop", in which the acts are mainly white males, but it isn't called "white rap" and neither are the Beastie Boys or Eminem. Elvis wasn't called "white rock" & Chuck Berry "black rock", it was just rock n roll or maybe rockabilly.

.

Today the audience for blues today is usually more white than black, but the main audience for "soul blues" acts like Ms. Jody, Bobby Rush, Sir Charles Jones, & Mel Waiters tend to be middle aged blacks.

So Afro-punk, to my understanding, is a response to Black musicians being "defined" out of rock music. It captures alot more than punk rock and even serves as a way of publiciizing folks like Saul Williams who do spoken work with a rock edge or hip hop artists not caught up with the pointless commerical rap game. Rock in Espanol is just that so if you speak Spanish you are good...but its not explicitly tied to race because an Afro-Latin dude lie myself could make this music if bilingual and a rock artist.

Unfortunatley the music industry has been wrapped up in "mislabeling" for years and years and years since Elvis made rock ok for White people (thereby losing the descriptor N#gg#r Music) and the Beatles arrived. Blacks still made rock, it was just now called soul/r&b/funk even though the music might not fit those categories as well as the overall category of rock. You are a knowledgeable cat so you can see past the definitions, but I bet if I go back to my old home, Los Angeles, and hang out in the record stores and ask an average Angelino what "Rockabilly" is .....they won't put Chuck Berry in the that category. Rockabilly for a lot of folks down there is Brian Setzer etc. with Elvis of course being the "King."

Please, don’t categorize Hall and Oates this way: ‘It’s a racist term’

May 10, 2015 by Something Else!

Rock Icons - April 2015 episode

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For years, maybe from the beginning, the music of Hall and Oates has been described by the same musical term — and Daryl Hall despises it. They are not, he forcefully argues, playing so-called “blue-eyed soul.”

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“I fucking hate it; it’s a racist term,” Hall tells VH1. “It assumes I’m coming from the outside. There’s always been that thing in America, where if you’re a white guy and you’re singing or playing in a black idiom, it’s like: ‘Why is he doing that? Is he from the outside, looking in? Is he copying? What’s the point of it?’ C’mon, it’s music! It’s music.”

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That frustration grows out of Daryl Hall’s unique history, something which informed everything that Hall and Oates did through a barrier-jumping run of six chart-topping singles, six platinum or multi-platinum albums, and some half dozen more Top 10 hit songs.

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Daryl Hall emerged from an integrated experience — both in life and in art — as a child of Philadelphia, and that deeply impacted him forever. Hall grew up among both races, and ultimately failed to accept the common distinctions drawn between so-called black and white music. His professional life began around the Temptations, and around Thom Bell, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff of Sound of Philadelphia fame.

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A key piece of the Hall and Oates sound was in place, long before they began a march toward both the Rock and Roll and Songwriters halls of fame. “I don’t believe in destiny, but I don’t believe I had a whole lot of choice in the matter,” Daryl Hall concludes. “I was given a certain gift, I was put in a certain place — with both family and region. So, it was the natural path.”

Country Music in Jamaica

By David Katz on May 25, 2015

read here