poetbear68 said:

Nuh Uh, you know what the beginning of the end was? I will tell you. It was the SIMULTANEOUS explosion of Gangsta Rap and 2 Live Crew. IMO, that event shifted the entire scene and is the source of a lot of what we hear and what we see in videos today. Many may disagree with me but that was it I tell ya.

VelvetJ said:

Isn't funny how there is a market for gansta rap, but hardly a market for R&B?

poetbear68 said:

I love that song especially because I couldn't relate to it

shorttrini said:

sorry. still disagree. there is also a TON of creativity out there as well. seriously. if you know where and how to look you will find a wealth of new material from fresh, hardworking and innovatively creative artists

if you listen to mainstream radio of course, you don't find this stuff. those channels are geared for mass appeal
[Edited 12/6/05 11:38am]

XxAxX said:

Main stream radio, is what I am talking about. Main Stream radio is hardly listened to, due to the fact that it plays the same old thing hour after hour. This is one of the reasons why I stopped listening to it.

There is actually a lot of good music out there if you look at WHITE MUSIC, there I said it, the dreaded w word. I mean look at James Blunt, Maroon 5, Phil Collins, the Stones even ur grandma can listen to (do exclude the "she could see I was fucken high part from a James Blunt hit").
Its black music thats hit a cultural, neo soul and gospel are neglected as the record companies can see the purchasers of it as they are usually older and more educated are not as big consumers as the teens and preteens that buy Chingy, Akon, Usher and Bow wow. Also these poeple are so disposable that if they go off (average span 2 albums- Usher has lasted longer) there are new heroes waiting in the wings complete with, bling, attitude, bitches, cars and a grab bag of 70s and 80s tracks to sample. And for young attractive girls black and white its the skanky underfed, underclothed Jessica Simpson, Britney, Shaniqua, Dominika. Chiemeka, Tamika Beyonce uhuh So so def types. Music is a social void today and just expounds the trashy capitalism it is built on.

tane1976 said:

I could not agree with you more!! I have the Maroon 5 cd and in some ways it beats the hell out of some R&B cd's that I have heard. In some ways it is a darn shame. In fact, the reason why I started listening to "white" music, is because some of it had elements of "soul". Maroon 5 being a good example. Their CD is a very "soulful" sounding cd. I feel as though some white artist study our music, while we, exploit it.

You all should take a lot at my new thread in the Non Prince music area. Its called "Gangsta rap, enough already" and Maroon is definetley blue eyed soul.

Krystal666 said:

Most people form goal relationships. They don't just get together for the intensity of it all. There are reasons why they date or marry. The songs Prince mentioned reflect the not so nice issues that couples have deal with. It is about being real. If everyone sang about the romantic aspect of relationships exclusively, it would be like ignoring that problems exist.

Newsflash Yesterday a couple kill their baby with a mixture of vodka and milk. Women strolls a baby carriage in a store ripping off mechanical cars. People have no food..No Homes . Government don't help them..Times....Sign of The Times. A Young Teenager boy pulls a Machine gun out kills Momma and Popa Pop Pop don't like their Rules....CRIME..... He laughs in Court . An Old Man goes Shopping and a Dummy come running with a Machete and Cuts him...CRIME...Sign Of THESE TIMES.....Peace....

Rinluv said:

THANK YOU!!!!! I'm glad someone else said it this time.

I think he is made that statement based on what R&B used to represent.
[Edited 12/6/05 19:43pm]

But you shouldn't have to look for it. You never had to look for it in the 1970s and 1980s. The radio brought it to you. If it's good, it should be played on the radio.

As far as the "you're just getting older...that's what your parents used to say" arguement. Well, my mother and many of her friends who were teenagers in the 1960s, loved a lot of R&B in the 1980s and went clubbing every weekend. Today, I'm the age they were then and I hate everything current on the radio. It's definately not an age thing. Let's just face it, the present day music just sucks worse than it ever has in the history of music.

I don't agree with Prince. Alicia Keyes, Floetry, Kip Blackshire, Cody Chestnutt, Vivian Green, Martin Luther, KC & JOJO, Jill Scott, Angie Stone, Joss Stone, Maxwell, Eryka Badu, Keisha Coles, KEM, Musiq Soulchild are all holding it down for good r&b. It's just that none of them are considered mainstream. Yet less talented artists like Ashanti, Mario and Ciara are getting all the air time and making most of the money. Go figure.

I don't hear no funk coming from those guys.

Prince just needs to get in the Clubs and have some women sit on his Dick. Fuck the Talking start the Fucking and Sucking. I think he has BLUE Balls and Shit. My Man Prince NEEDS some Freeing Up. He's kinda VERKLEMPT.... UNLEASH the Beast INSIDE....So help me GOD! PRINCE NEEDS to COME he has DIAREAH of the MOUTH and NEEDS a GOOD SWALLOW.....Nobody is pleasing him he's on the Prowl..Not enough Blowjobs....

vainandy said:

I agree with most of what you said. I just have to go back to the fact that in the 70's and early 80's, radio was not as formatted as it is now. As I stated before back then, it was not uncommon to hear the doobie brothers and the Jackson 5 on one station. Now, due to radio having to follow a certain format, that kind of station does not exist anymore.

You know what? F*ck ALL you R&B haters. Half the muthaf*ckas that listen to Prince don't seem to listen to REAL R&B anyway. I'm sick of threads bashing a whole genre (R&B) and championing everything else when you don't even know the music. Yes, they play acts like "Omarion-of the-month", "Chris Brown-of-the-week" and "Lil fill-in-the-blank" way too much but to completely ignore artists like Anthony Hamilton, Jill Scott, Jaguar Wright, Angie Stone, Van Hunt, and so many others while repeating the same ol' broken record ass sh*t is downright contemptable. F*ck y'all. And f*ck Prince for saying that mess, too. No romance? Listen to Musiq's lyrics. Dude is a hopeless romantic. He doesn't play the double entender/metaphor game like Prince did. He straight up says whats in his heart - no games. You gotta respect that.
The music game has changed and people know this now. R&B was forced into the same category as rap by the rich racists (YES I SAID RACISTS) who run the business by making the claim that the same people who listen to R&B listen to rap (a big assed lie) and when rap sells a zillion copies because its marketed to white suburbia and R&B doesn't then R&B suffers and the artists are forced to play the same game of sensationalism in order to keep a record deal.
R&B artists have to use sex the same way that rappers have to use street life to sell records. The rule is sell a million or get dropped. Prince chose to do this; he didn't HAVE to. If Prince came out today he wouldn't get a deal. He looks like a beyotch. That ain't gonna cut it today because the "powers that be" have collectively decided how they want their "negroes" to present themselves right now in order to sell and Prince ain't it. Think I'm lying? Name the light-skinned pretty boy types in the biz that are successful today. I rest my case. That is why there are so many good artists getting passed over - they don't fit a STEREOTYPE. Then you f*ckers come on here and compartmentalize R&B, citing the same stereotypes and overlooking the good to bitch about the bad. I'm as old skool as it gets but I at least have the audacity to actually look for new music (hello...myspace.com - search "funk" "R&B" ) before I condemn a whole GENRE of music. Like so many black folk, R&B doesn't pass the paper bag test. As long as there's a "crossover" element, then an artist gets respect around here. Let a nigga drop some pure R&B and they get hated to hell (boring, etc.) and all the same ol' noise about no new, good, creative artists existing gets regergitated. Here's a newsflash: Prince never was pure R&B, so he's not one to talk and a lot of you are pop R&B listeners. If you've never looked elsewhere other than the short ends of Clear Channel to find new music then this means you. Yes you, too. Flame all you want. The TRUTH is what it is. Real R&B heads KNOW there is good R&B and creative artists and real R&B heads know they have to look further than their noses for GOOD R&B because Clear Channel is satisfied peddling formulated wattered-down BS and passing it off as R&B because surburbia buys it and accepts it and that's who they care about selling to. 14-24 year old girls/women. THAT is the target market - ALWAYS. QUIT BITCHING, BITCHES and look for some new music on your own instead of posting about how there isn't any.
I'll get black with you posers later.

Blaque out.

The man Needs Blowjobs and Anal Manipulations .....I swear Nobody is Doing it Enough to him..I bet ya no one is attacking him like a Wild Animal. He Better get Sweaty at least 2x a day for the PROPER BRAIN ENERGY FLOW.. Whomever is Working his Cock better be doing it Right. Keep Prince Happy.Young and Hard.... Make him Smile.Kill YOURSELF for HIM.... Kill that PUSSY..YEAH!!!!

tane1976 said:

Absolutely Right, The most innovative, creative, and even soulful music seems to come from our white brethren. As a black gospel musician, I believe my African American brothers and sisters should be ashamed of themselves for allowing our musical and lyrical gifts to be exploited and reduced to mindless babble about how great it is to be uneducated, violent, disrespectful to women, and then gunned down once you finally become popular.

I wouldn't be so bad if all the songs didn't sound alike: recycled MPC tracks, a two note bass line from a 1980's Casio Keyboard, and 35 guys who sound like they're all yelling into a garbage can at the same time.

Just plain sad

Peace, read the signature.....that's what it's all about

Kem is great...just thought I'd throw that in there.

bodank35 said:

Well said!! Like I always say....White people study our music...some of our people expliot it.....

BlaqueKnight said:

I am a black musician and I spend lots of time with other black musicians of all musical genres. Anyone can see that I obviously am not directing my comments at those in the game who still do seek to create, and in some cases, recreate real music; no matter what genre it is of or what race of the person. It is directed at the corporate powers that be and the poor black masses who accept whatever is force-fed to them. There are still some of us who ain't drinkin' that kool-aid.

Which brings me to my next point.

I officially blame BET for the fall off of quality R&B music in the mainstream. Remember, for the most part it was BET who continued to showcase, up & coming, talented musicians, as well as our own legends: Patti, Luther, and was a vital part of keeping P in the mainstream when many others chose to showcase cookie cutter boy bands and purposely instigate the not so serious feud between east and west coast rappers.

Watching BET's so-called 25th "Celebration",it seemed to my wife and myself that the audience and fans at large should be lamenting the days when you could hear an entire spectrum of music from rap, r&b, neosoul, gospel, and raggae (remember Rachel? Who in their right minds would get rid of her??!!) all in the same day. It seems that Viacom, with their multiple music channels could have preserved this format instead of subjecting it to the same drudgery as the others: 10 yr olds screaming to 30 second clips of music videos on TRL 4 niggaz and sleazy reality shows.

I highly doubt there are talented black musicians who spend years honing their craft, indulging in the finer points of Jazz, blues, gospel, soul, and r&b who just can't wait to hit it big with a 8 bar, 3 note, sampled loop.

Peace
[Edited 12/6/05 21:32pm]

BlaqueKnight said:

I feel you.

I choose to school the young cats not only on the finer points of music, but also encourage them to get that education to have the good business sense to choose their own artistic destiny instead of having it being dictated to them. I've already seen the results; Once you expose these poor, musically deprived kids to a room full of instruments, the sky's the limit.

Peace

After reading everyone's comments, I had to respond and give my two cents. I agree with just about all of you. I personally have more respect for artists who can actually play their own instruments and master them, instead of using machines, not that Prince did not use them. Of course there were classic artists back in the day that did not play, but their music was different. Teddy Pendergrass played drums, but his songs made the girls throw their underwear on the stage at him! That's how sensual his music was. If I'm not mistaking, I know that he did not write many or all of his songs, but, damn, enough said.

I for one, being a black female, would love to start my own female rock band, and am planning on getting back to playing music again. I took a 13 year hiatus, but that will change. I am a fan of music in general, but I really love rock'n roll. It would really be cool to see more black people get back into playing music instead of just singing and dancing only.I would also like to see more black females playing guitar and digging rock too. Just my opinion.Thanks for hearing me out!

shorttrini said:

I'm a huge fan of Jamiroquai and Remy Shand.Oddly enough,I find their music to be funkier and more soulful than much of the R&B crap that they play on US radio today.Go figure.

DavidEye said:

U mention Remy Shand....I have his debut CD which was good, it could have been better. The next thing that I knew, he disappeared. Maybe it was due to the fact that they did not know how to market a "White" soul singer...To that I say, how did you do it when you signed Tina Marie? She was one of the first white artist, signed to Motown. Of course, this was 25 years ago, when there was no such thing as formatted radio.

vainandy said:

i'm sorry but imo that's not true either.

there was a fair amount of total and utter crap being played on the radio stations 'back in the day'

i just don't buy into the argument that 'the man' has ruined music for mainstream audiences. and i'm fucking tired of these paranoid rants against 'the man' and the industry.

people, it's the same way it's always been. no one gives anyone a free ride in this world. you want mass marketing and mass exposure? better give your publisher and agent a major cut of your profits. that's how it works. this is how prince became a publicly known figure. warner brothers invested heavily in him and promoted his work. prince voluntarily signed his contracts with WB and there was no 'slavery' involved.

don't like what you hear on mainstream radio? think outside the box. find the artists who aren't publishing with the major publishing houses and enjoy their work.
[Edited 12/7/05 6:38am]