I really think these artist deserve much Kudos but are passed up.

Wendy and Lisa- Underrated as musicians,vocalists, song writers, etc. Such beautiful music.

Rahssann Patterson (For all of you old school people, he was the little black boy on the show "Kids Incorporated" with Martika). The boy is BAD!!!! He only released two albums in the mid and late 90's but they are MIND BOGGELING!!!! I am bold enough to say his first album is a classic (M'shell Ndegeochello played on it by the way).

Shanice- Incredible vocalist that has been around for a while now but never has been able to get her due props. Her last album was off the chain. Trust me on this (was produced by Babyface).

M'shell Ndegeochello- self explanatory

Amel Larrieux- She is so cool and mello. Her music is a breathe of fresh air

Mint Condition- Wonderful Musicians. Love all of their albums but that first one..... I'm just speechless whenever I think about it. They had some success but deserves much more.

Scene 23- Yes it is the teeny boppy pop group from that show Pop Stars 2. I know some people are going to slam me but those kids actually sound good to me.

Lena- such a fresh new sound. REALLY different. Her voice and musical style is a mixture of Hip Hop and music from the 1920's. I know it sounds weird but you will not be dissappointed.

Anyway that is my underrated list. Who would you guys pick?
[This message was edited Tue Mar 19 22:44:45 PST 2002 by VelvetJ]
[This message was edited Tue Mar 19 22:47:05 PST 2002 by VelvetJ]

Eurythmics/Annie Lennox- she is incredibly diverse and multi-talented. Her talent is limitless, but most people only know her for a few 80s hits and her "Diva" material. She was one of the most experimental artists of the 80s- anyone ever hear "Step on the Beast" or "Charlie Cat"? Incredible!

Blondie- I don't think Debbie Harry gets enough credit. Even though I like Madonna better, Debbie Harry paved the way for artists like Madonna. I simply love her inescapable sexuality that does not rely on overtly sexual lyrics.

The Cure- my favorite band- . I always hear New Order and The Smiths get more props, but Robert Smith is a modern-day minstrel! Anyone check out BloodFlowers? It is incredible! "Disintegration" is simply perfect...

Robert Fripp - guitarist King Crimson

gladys knight..one of the greatest soul singers of all time...

I agree with Moonbeam on Debbie Harry. She is amazing. On the bright side though, too much popularity and props would dampen her cool cbgb punk status

Ive always been a big fan of Hope Sandoval's voice (she was the lead singer of Mazzy Star). Mazzy Star's "Among My Swan" album blew me away as soon as I heard it. Dreamy somber blues. Timeless.

Terrence Trent D'Arby - The ghost of Sam Cooke at times. His voice is gold. His lyrics are insanely beautiful and poetic. He's a pretty multi-talented guy as well. What else I think is interesting, even though alot of his stuff is pretty clean and deeply spiritual, it doesn't come off as heavy handed (ala TRC).

Jack Off Jill

thouy said:

Very true! I don't necessarily wish she had more commercial success (Blondie did have 4 US number 1s), but I wish Debbie were given more credit as a pioneer. Blondie was eligible for the Hall of Fame as well, but was overlooked. What gives? She is just as important as the Ramones and Talking Heads in my opinion.

NIGHTWISH

They're so VERY VERY good, but so unknown.

It's a shame....

Do I even have to say it?

Princess Superstar.

Girl's got her own label and writes all her own stuff, and she's the only female rapper I know of who plays lead guitar at the same time.

Good Morning Everybody. My underrated artist for today is Bobby Womack. Man he has played guitar on some lengendary soul/R*B albums. He was a very introspective songwriter(a lot of his songs were autobiographical)....His song "I Wish You Didn't Trust So Much" was aimed at Otis Redding( he was having an affair with Otis's woman. He's a good guitarist. But it's his amazing soul-stirring vocals that gets me. Bobby always sings from the gut and from his soul. The way he shouts on the climax of some of his songs reminds of a preacher in a pulpit. He is a great artist. Peoplr should check out some of his 70s work. Great soul music.....INDEED!!!

BTW..he did some work on Sly's 1971 album "There's A Riot Going On"!!!!!

* Brother 9/15 aka CR3

***Taylor Dayne---This woman can SING! Remember her big hit "I'll Always Love You" in 1988? She was on top back then....she opened for Michael jackson on his 'Bad' tour,and Prince even invited her onstage during one of his aftershows.She still releases albums,but gets very little attention.

***Lisa Stansfield---Another female vocalist who can sing her ass off! After two hit albums in the early 90s,people just stopped paying attention.That's a shame,because Lisa is an incredible singer!

***Chaka Khan---Her 1998 album 'Come 2 My House' is a gem,and last year,she reunited with her old band Rufus for a huge tour with Earth Wind and Fire.She deserves MUCH more success than she's been having recently.

***Lisa Lisa---This is one artist that I would like to see make a major comeback.Long before J-Lo and Shakira,Lisa Lisa was kicking ass with a bunch of catchy dance tracks that still sound good to this day.
[This message was edited Wed Mar 20 5:21:16 PST 2002 by DavidEye]

I had a tape of Tayor Dayne and LIL MAN performing "Still Would Stand All Time". This was great. I don't know what happened to it.

Lisa Stansfield's debut album "Affection" was one of the first CD's I bought after I bought my first CD player and it's a stunning debut. She got a standing ovation on the tv show "Showtime At The Apollo"(and that's really saying considering how that audience is). I used to love the song "You Can't Deny It". That CD recalled that 70's Philly Sound that legendary producers/songwriters Gamble And Huff ushered in. Great album. Her followup LP was good too. Critics were calling her the 1990's Teena Marie. I used to love her "spit curl" she had on her forehead.

* Brother 9/15 aka CR3

Lisa Stansfield, Soul II Soul, Beverley Knight, Kylie Minogue.
DEbbie Harry/Blondie and Annie Lennox/Eurythmics are not underrated-at least not in Europe.They both hold legendary status over here.
By the way, isn't Prince underrated too?

I don't understand this concept of OVERRATED and UNDERRATED. Who's doing the rating? What's it based on?

micorison requesting radio silence...
[This message was edited Fri May 3 12:19:29 PDT 2002 by micorison]

I always dug Shanice's "I Like Your Smile"!

That song had such a positive refreshing sound and was done at a time before the real thuggy, soap-opera-babys-mama-drama, in-the-bedrooms-freaky-tah-type r &B songs took over everything.

She was so young when she first started in the music biz and came in at a good time, got some of the good music biz lessons to, when they were still grooming young folks a bit, "before the dark times, before the Empire."

Shanice represents someone to me with style, class and grace and talent. She never has to take the hoochie route and be less then herself for many reasons one being she can really sang! She's hung in there!

Immature is a another young group who were young when they got in but the thug thing hadnt taken over yet either, there's alotta yng folsk still in the biz , in their young 20's who still know better!

Peace!

rio said:

I'll second that

I repeat: Princess Superstar.

Go to your local wrecka stow and ask for "Princess Superstar Is..." - it kicks great big muscley ass.

check her out: www.princesssuperstar.com

Terence Trent D'arby/Sananda Maitreya or, as I call him, "T." That brother's mixture of Sam Cooke's smooth wildcat vocals, his James Brown funky feel, his literate writing, his musicianship (though he tends to bog down near-flawless songs with cheap-sounding drum machine patterns. yuck) even his arrogance I'll tolerate -- they all just merge to form this wonderful, underrated artist. Too cool. Wish he'd step up the distribution, the pace and the touring.

Paula Cole -- far more than some scruffy songstress who said she felt African, this woman sings so beautifully, has the talent and the schooling to produce wonderful musical textures and memorable melodies and does a pretty cute beatbox, too.

Rich Mullins -- the singer/songwriter whose accessible songs about loving God and living for Him always managed to avoid writing trite, corny songs. He helped jump-start Amy Grant's career was also a pretty noteworthy star who eschewed fame and fortune for a vow of poverty and to do mission work in Southwestern America. He was killed in a freak traffic accident, about 4 years ago.

Phil Keaggy -- another Christian artist whose guitar playing could easily stand against that of Eric Clapton, Prince, Steve Vai, John McLaughlin and others. Saw him wreck shop in a solo acoustic set where he still left me floored. Perhaps the most complete guitarist I've ever seen/heard: blues, funk, fingerstyle, jazz, rock, etc., etc.

YES, TOO MANY ARTISTS ARE UNDERRATED, WISH WE KNEW THEM ALL.
[This message was edited Thu Mar 28 22:52:43 PST 2002 by purpleleaf7]

The Flaming Lips: The Soft Bulletin will sear your neurons.

VelvetJ said:

Uhhh... HELLO!! I totally agree - I have his debut cd & it is some of the best music I've ever heard - He does not get enough love!
:^)
[This message was edited Fri Mar 29 9:34:20 PST 2002 by darababyd]

Up in coming artists who are getting enough love:

Dig This

You can check them out at
http://www.trufonk.com

OR play their music at MP3.com

Dig This

*****RAZE*****

Moonbeam, I feel you on the Cure and Blondie. I would also throw in Chuck Brown(the Godfather of Go-Go), Bill Withers, Cat Stevens, Guru, and too many others to name...

darababyd said:

HEEEEEYYYYY Darababyd, I can't believe someone else on this board knows about Rahssann Patterson, let alone digs him. The boy has soul. Did you know he wrote "Baby" the hit single from Brandy's first album. Anyway, unfortunatly I believe he no longer has a record deal. He used to have a website but it has disappeared. You also need to check out his second album it is excellent as well.

GeMiNiSFuNkYJaMs said:

Well alright!!!!! I could not have said it better. I actually met her when she was touring for that album and she is very sweet. You are right, the girl can SANG!!!! She is definitly one of those old school type SANGERS. No disrespect but Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson, and yes, even Mary J. Blige, aint got nothing vocally on Shanice, in my eyes. GeMiNiSFuNkYJaMs, if you don't have her last album on LaFace Records, you better RUN and get it. It is one of the Best albums of the past 5 years and her best album to date, and that is saying a lot.

Also did you know she is married to the actor Flex?

thecloud9mission said:

Although I can see where you are coming from, I must disagree a little. I absolutely LOVE Gladys and thinks she is one of the greatest vocalist of all time, but Gladys gets much love and respect. I wouldn't really clasify her as underrated because I'm sure she will be in the Rock n Roll hall of fame (I think she and the Pips are already in there. Someone correct me if I'm wrong). There are a lot of people that know about her and she can still bring in a nice crowd. Though she is not known world wide say like Diana Ross, she is by far known and respected in most places where it counts.

GeMiNiSFuNkYJaMs said:

I just had to let you know your post was hilariously stated very well and unfortunately true. When her first album was released I remember BET doing a special on her and one of the record company (A&M) executives went to her mother and her's apartment and he was giving her tips on presentation and giving interviews. She was being groomed which was great. Boy do I miss those days. In those days you would have never heard a R&B artists refer to somone in an interview as that terrible word N****R. Now days artists do it all of the time and try to justify it as just "keepin it real".

Wow, Before the Dark days, before the Empire is right.LOL

*note* I didn't mean to go off like that. The point of all of this believe it or not is Shanice is underrated. :^)
[This message was edited Sat Mar 30 22:04:22 PST 2002 by VelvetJ]

Hmm let me see...


Andre Cymone (where the fuck he go?) He wrote so much with Prince he was not credited for.

Bernie Worrell from Parliament/Funkadelic ( this guys influence is everywhere and no one knows who he is)

Just listen to rap,all forms of modern day music it's all him. Father of synth bass.