Okay,

Modern RB sounds so generic that I don't think it's all that great, but maybe that's just age talking.

Spent the weekend with my teenage cousin, and among other things, she loves Chris Brown.

To me, it sounded like he was "out-Ushering" Usher.

Any opinions on what this kind of music is called these days? It's not neo-soul. What is it? Who's considered the "best" at it?

what's "2100" refer to?

chris brown is a usher remake on crack usher will always be the best even when he is crappy


!!!!!does not compute!!!!!

PFunkjazz said:

21st Century.

Both are wack, but I'll admit that Usher was much better at Chris Brown's age.

Hate both....I find it offensive that people like Usher think/portray themselves as superstars when they have 1/100th the talent of a Marvin, Stevie, or Al.

I guess they can dance, but that doesn't make it music.

I remember watching a special on Usher and how he "prepared" for a show..


No, he didn't warm up with scales or play on the piano, he did pushups and sit ups...

That sums up almost all new rnb for me... all flash, no funk...

I despise this with all my heart.

I dislike both of them with a passion. I'd take Ne-Yo and Robin Thicke (actual talent artists) over Chris Clown and Usher anyday.

Both are altho I'd pay to watch 'em have a dance off

I would classify both of them as pop and also throw Ne-yo into that mix because that’s what’s accessible and mainstream. If you’re really searching for artists that typify the movement, retro, quiet storm, neo-soul, etc. (yes its not dead), then you just need to stratch beneath the surface, check out the following release by the following artists just to name a few, raheem devaugh, rahsaan Patterson, jill scott, duffy, james Morrison, Emily king, calvin Harrison, al green, soul ID, erykah badu, tomi, angie stone, ledisi and dont forget musiq had one of the best albums to come out of the past year. i wouldnt call anyone out there the best at it because the ones that do it well and do it credibly don't need a title to fit what they do. the ones that go chasing mindless hype and games always talk the talk but fail to deliver anything circumstantial.

Brown is not the future of rnb as some have suggested and credibility is questionable and Usher is by no means an icon in any sense of the word. His new album was just lazy and lacking and recent childish antics reinforce this - the more you talk about it the more the lies begin to shine. The best way to possibly address all these concerns and haters was through the album, every emotion he was feeling should have been in there, every thought, amount of love he feels for his new wife should have been in there, everything that has happened in the past 4 years, all his energy, sweat and amount of angst should have been transferred into making the album as solid as it could have been – that should have all have been in there - this is the thing that really annoys the shit outta me, if it was all good then the album should have reflected that - instead of taking a stand he came off as childish, testing the patience of observers and supplying the media with more shit to write about - what he did instead was distract people from how mediocre the new album was and masking it — all the time he spent rehashing quotes about the sanctity of his “situation” he should have been geared towards the promotion of the album, talking about the album, the video and the motivation behind the album concept, the type of songs on there and the direction overall - that in my eyes would have shown a level of maturity unbecoming.

I expected this type of album from an artist who was on album #2 not 5 deep into a career. It wass far too safe, too bland and lacking emotional consistency for where he is as a major established artist. It’s a flash in a pan grab attempt at extorting dwindling profits, falling flat on its face. Here I stand is not indicative of where he is at this point in his life nor is it the most aptly titled statement he should have given to the new album. Despite the album budget, it also represents the fading star potential he has when it comes to enlisting A-list producers and colloborators, many of whom have equipped him with left-over second-rate material. Perhaps he was too over ambitious and over-calcuating, wanting to do too many things which eroded him of consistency. Its very easy for you to get others to write for you but you’ve got to OWN the material when it comes down to it - he failed on most accounts.

I’ve gone back numerous times to re-listen to the album and everytime i do its just a hassle/tedious exercise to sit there listening to usher whine and waddle his way through his attempts to walk between lessons of grandeur, infidelity and domesticity; its too uneven for my tastes and audibly clustered. “Trading places” is just pure homo-erotic I cannot stand to listen to this ever again . “Appetite”, “Whats your name”, “Love you gently” are all tracks that should have been remained on the cutting room floor. I fail to comprehend anyone who says that they can never outdo what they did previously - its just a matter of talent, direction and using it to your advantage. He should have easily trumped his last album considering the numerous inklings and undertones that were apparent on Confessions with tracks such as “Truth Hurts’, “Follow Me” and ‘That’s What its Made for” that were begging for that one great album of a classic. There’s a level of credibility at stake here, this time round, which is insincere when usher delivers lines such as “believe me when I say” or “true story”. “Before i met you” has been done numerous times before and not by the same one artist. “Whats A Man to Do” and the hidden track “Will Work for Love” are the standout tracks for me. ‘Lifetime” was promising at first listen but its missing far too many components- degree of difficulty, a key change, measured falsettos and genuine earnestness - to keep people interested long enough. I’ve heard “His Mistakes”, “Love in this club part 1 & 2″ far too many times, that any sparks that may have flowed out and interest have worn out.
[Edited 6/12/08 10:41am]

i liked a few of Usher's songs in the past, but his latest stuff doesn't hold my attention. Chris brown isn't bad....i can see why teenage girls like him. even i like him somewhat.

WaterInYourBath said:

Now that's the truth!

LaCienega said:

yep

Usher was the shit back then ...