I don't think Lady T gets enough props and in my opinion, she is up there with them.

You gonna have people cussin' at you with these threads, lol.

this is my jam ..

Teena > Whitney for sure. No comparison there.

Aretha's in her own league and while Chaka has had some questionable live performances I still hold her dear so I won't compare but Teena is definitely underrated.

scriptgirl said:

I 100% agree with you. But, here lies the questions. Is it due to the color of her skin? We all know that she has the chops so, is the reason that she is not up there with the others that you have mentioned, because she is white and that there are still some out there that believe that only blacks people should sing "Soul Music"?

I figured that I would start the people cussin' tonight, Timmy.

shorttrini said:

Go right ahead.

Anyway, yeah Teena's great.

teena is good but she aint got shit on whitney in her worst crack days nor do she come close 2 aretha or chaka teena might be better than karen white though

I always thought of Teena Marie as a great musician/writer/producer but as a vocalist...average, much like Patrice Rushen.

Flowers2 said:

Aww, see there you go girl! This is my jam too!

I love Shadow boxing. That is the reason I had to go out and buy the whole CDs and not a greatest hits. Not every gem was a hit you know what I mean?

prodigalfan said:

yes yes .. Shadow Boxing.. this is one of those songs I can hear all day..

scriptgirl said:

Just as talented but not as accomplished.

I feel the same About sade.
[Edited 12/7/08 19:14pm]

kaptainkrunk said:

I think this comment is a little overboard. Teena would wipe the crack whitney
ass across the floor. Now whitney was great vocally in her prime. My problem
with whitney was the boring ass pop adult contemporary shit she was doing. While she was doing that shit teena was singing and playing funk and doing some
great r&b ballads. I hope i don't get chopped up for this but teena was making
more pure r&b records than whitney was. Let's be honest. I mean teena has only had one crossover hit in her career and that was lover girl.
Yes shadow boxing is a great song and i had never heard it before the org.
I would put teena slightly behind chaka and aretha in their primes but i
would give her the nod over whitney's dull 80's shit.

phunkdaddy said:

Snake said:

phunkdaddy said:

Teena has an edge over Whitney..

Teena has the ability to pull the strings of your heart if you let her...sister girl can "Sang." All props to Lady T.

shorttrini said:

I think its because she doesnt have the long catalogue. And Teena is much mich better than Whitney!

Chaka and Aretha are in a league of their own if you ask me, so i'm not even gonna compare.

Now Whitney in her prime was a better vocalist than Teena (and pretty much anyone for that matter) but Teena is the better, more well rounded artist. I love me some Whitney too, but Teena is better overall.

thatruth said:

How is Teena an "average" vocalist? When I think of average singers, I think of people like Madonna, Janet, Ashanti, etc. but not Teena. Anyone that can belt it out the way she did on "Fire & Desire" with Rick James (where she more than held her own) gets props from me. She can definitely sing.
[Edited 12/7/08 22:23pm]

Flowers2 said:

Well add me to the list, Ladies, because this is probably my favorite Teena song hands down

Although I like Chaka, Whitney, and Aretha, Teena OWNS her career. She writes, produces and playes various instruments. She IS the female Prince. She has loads more talent than Madonna too!

benjaminira said:

Yeah, I can agree with that.

Unfortunately though, unlike the others, Teena just didn't have a prominent/popular image. It's terrible, 'cause she's created some of the greatest music I've ever heard.

In a different way, I will have to say yes. she holds her own and has as much vocal talent as the rest. Maybe not quite as much to be at the top but I can't diss her. Hell no I can't.

Material wise much better than Whitney.
Maybe better than Chaka was well.

I just saw Tina Marie on friday night in VEGAS ,she has still got it, she sounded great!

She even slays it when singing house music!

Ottensen said:

shorttrini said:

IMHO, it was due to Teena's race that she was not really pushed in the music industry. During the 1980s, Teena received massive radio play on black radio in Chicago, especially her duets with the legendary Rick James. It was in the 1990s I noticed that black radio stations (WGCI) stopped playing white male and female artists that sang with soul or a bluesy edge (e.g, Teena Marie, Lisa Stansfield, Annie Lennox, and yes, Madonna--although M didn't have a soulful voice, black radio loved to play "Holiday," "Like A Virgin," and "Vogue.").

I was displeased when radio started this trend of "segregating music by an artists' race, instead of their sound."

I believe music is the language of the universe that is a unifier not a divider. Only man wants to divide the human race.

benjaminira said:

I always thought that too. Especially when she went to war with Motown to own her masters or something like that.

Her case change the laws... I think it is called the Teena Marie law.

Wikepedia:

The Brockert Initiative, popularly known as "The Teena Marie Law," which set a precedent for artists seeking control of their careers by limiting the length of recording contracts.