Don't get it twisted, I like this music but I can't stand this term.

Its overrated and quite frankly there's nothing creative about it . Whoever made that name, ripped the "70's RnB/funk/soul" and replaced it as "Neo Soul". Nothing new about this type o' music, they're using live instruments and the rhodes arrangments are same as the 70's style, so whats so new about it?? Some of them claim that they mixed the hip/hop beats with the 70's along with fender jazz style and called it Neo-Soul but thats no Neo-Soul?? Thats mix of different type of music thats all.

I hate it when ppl claim that they don changed the game by creating a so-called music genre and take the credit 4 it.


LOL sorry, just had 2 get a lil' sum sum outta my chest.

Agreed

Just now? That term was over-used from the get go.

Even artists like Jill Scott, India.Arie and others that have been classified as "neo-soul" don't like the term.

funkyslsistah said:

I remember reading an interview by Rafeal Saadiq where he says that he hates the term and he doesn't classify himself as a Neo-Soul artist despite what ppl think of his music genre.

Been there; done that. Got the tee-shirt.

'bout time you woke the hell up!

Harlepolis said:

Hates labels but he'll classify his music as "Gospeldelic" at every possible opportunity on his solo LP?

Essence said:

I noticed that too, I think the reason why he hates lables is "The Instant Vintage story" LOL he was going 2 name it Gospeldelic but according 2 his lable "Instant Vintage" is more of a commercial title thats why they choosed it on the 1st place. So, I kinda anderstand his negative vibe against lables

I just think most of it is incredibly boring.

Most of the Artists Sound like CLones&it has pretty much the same Groove IMHO.also it was Created&Pimped by a White Label Owner&then Black Artists Allowed it too go on&it hasn't stopped.the Music Industry with it's Racist Self Names you&Places you&then if the Acts are willing to be down they have too go along with it.

Neo-what?!

:I: heard the term and the a4mentioned is exactly what :I: said.

'dre

TRON said:

That's Neo-Boring.

Join the club...I'm already there from day 1.

i would agree with everything said about the term but I think it's used to separate these artist from today's r & b.


VH-1 did an entire show on 'neo-soul' and most of the artist on there said they hated the term as well.

Lastly, mistermaxx, I know you're not talking about Maxwell and Erykah like that!! Where do you live? I can see I'mma have to cut ya!!!

Rhondab said:

I Easily dig Maxwell over badu.I like some things of Badu&Find Her a Babe,but Her Albums are Hit&Miss with me overall.Maxwell Needs too Call up Leroy Hutson&get it right.Maxwell has that Vibe but it's not coming fully out Right all the way through IMHO.

mistermaxxx said:

HA! Leroy Hutson!! Damn, I love his jam "So In Love"!

Lookin' fo my knife...send me your address mistermaxx...I'm tired of this shit...LOL

Sure some peeps will think that type of music to be boring. Alot of what they sing is about self-realization, spirituality, changes in life, and romance while using funk, gospel, jazz, and rock. It's nothing new. If you don't normally listen to the R&B ofthe 70's, then you may not listen to this type of music. Practically everything that is out today has happened before. Yet, I'd rather listen to this 'boring' music as well as appreciate what came before, than a lot of the 'rock' or R&B/rap artists that are out now. Classification just makes it easier for the media to report and feed to the masses what they should or shouldn't be listening to.

I agree with funkyslsistah. A lot of "Neo Soul" music is boring if you ain't into 70s r and b.

And no, it doesn't measure up to Stevie Wonder, but it's still a breath of fresh air on today's more modern music scene, where the newer sounding stuff is ultimately even more generic and lifeless.

At least these neo-soul cats actually convey some honest emotion.

funkysistah and jtgillia are my friends..

jtgillia said:

Bzzzttt! Wayyy too broad a brush to stroke it with. My favorite decade for music was the 70s. How can that be? I can't speak for Tron, but I find most of it boring because nobody tagged with the category has a distinctive individual sound outside of what's typically regarded as "Neo Soul." It's certainly not like recording artists of the '70s had a common sound. How boring would it be if every solo artist sounded like Stevie? How boring would it be if every funk group sounded like Kool & The Gang or The Ohio Players? How boring would it be if each of them sounded like one another? There is obviously some talent and good music being marketed as "neo soul" (and it's really only a marketing category) but I personally don't find any of them that individually distinctive.


Ugh
[This message was edited Thu Nov 21 19:35:14 PST 2002 by Supernova]

Supernova,

I know what you are saying, but personally I find India Arie to be very distinctly different than say Musiq. And neither of them sound much like Raphael Saadiq. And all three of them don't sound like Remy Shand. At least that's how it sounds to me.

But if you asked me about techno, I'd say that all sounds the same. It's just whatever you are into.

Besides, I said in my post that none of the neo soul stuff quite measures up to Stevie anyway. You don't have to be that knowledgeable to know that.

They may have similar sounds since everybody and their mama can claim Stevie Wonder and Donnie Hathaway as influences, but it's not that hard to distinguish between D'Angelo from Maxwell and Musiq; India.Arie from Jill Scott and Erykah Badu. Even back in the 70's, I used to get some groups mixed up, so it can happen, but it doesn't mean they don't have anything to offer to the table. So maybe it's just me, or a few of us who can tell the difference. Not every 'neo-soul' artist has that touch, but I think there are quite a few that stand out and bring R&B up a notch, plus a lot of these artists write, produce, and play instruments, so they aren't merely puppets of the music industry just for form and fashion.

Awww...Rhondab is my friend.

funkyslsistah,

Great post! Co-sign!

I mean you gotta admit, it seems unfair to come down on so-called "Neo Soul" music when there is some seriously uninspired rap and pop flooding the airwaves.

Funny jtgillia, I didn't see your response. We must have been typing at the same time. Always great to have a lead in or back up. haha! And it's true, nobody can touch Stevie or Marvin for that matter.

jtgillia said:

I haven't heard Arie's second album. Of course her first album is going to sound different to everything else going on in that category - it's largely ACOUSTIC. Of what I've heard by Remy Shand his sound isn't different from what's going on either. Part of the reason for the success and lack of pigeonholing of TTD and Prince during the same era is because they didn't sound like everything else, or each other. Hearing someone's influences is different from what I'm talking about altogether, because you can hear their influences. And many of Prince's and TTD's influences are the same artists - that's where their individuality comes in because they're singular enough to interpret things with individual distinction.

I'm not saying all this to detract from what they're doing, because like I said, there is a bit of quality music coming from that category (it's just r&b/soul of a different generation). All I'm saying is that if any of them are swinging for the fences I don't think any single one has hit one out of the park yet to put themselves on another level (that has nothing to do with sales) that makes people FORGET about the category. I just don't hear much of any diversity. Or many cajones being exhibited.

/.\
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[This message was edited Sat Nov 23 1:06:56 PST 2002 by Supernova]

>I'm not saying all this to detract from what they're doing, because like I said, there is a bit of quality music coming from that category (it's just r&b/soul of a different generation). All I'm saying is that if any of them are swinging for the fences I don't think any single one has hit one out of the park yet to put themselves on another level (that has nothing to do with sales) that makes people FORGET about the category. I just don't hear much of any diversity. Or many cajones being exhibited<

Yeah, I'll agree with you on that. But they are also young and just starting their careers. Who knows where they'll be in five years?

By the way, I'm of the opinion that Arie's second album is better than her first...