phunkdaddy said:

I just can't believe there isn't any real black talent I know many chicks who throw these broads under the bus as far as singing talent. Why is it so hard to find good singers, especially black ones?! I mean did everyone forget the 60s and 70s? I mean there were Gods and Goddesses galore and now all you have is imitation fake plastic ass manequins that couldn't even model for Big Lots!

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[Edited 11/13/09 18:45pm]

Timmy84 said:

Camel isn't under Def Jam anymore

midiscover said:

Oops... you're right. "Edit" lol

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

There is good R&B talent out there. They just aren't mainstream or
on BET.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Don't look for them in the corporate world. They're a "threat" to their soulless empire.
[Edited 11/13/09 18:57pm]

This thread has become all kinds of funny.

Lastdecember, can you make a point without comparing Amerie to a dozen other artists? Why must Rihanna, Beyonce and the one you consistently bring up without fail--Mariah--constantly thrown in the mix?

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Her first album was cute. Again, nothing groundbreaking but a cute summer disc to bump on your way to the mall or shore or whatever. I think I liked her because she WASN'T super popular and she seemed like a decent girl but like VenusBlingBling has said, her voice sorta gets on my nerves after awhile especially on the big uptempo songs. It just sound like she's either struggling or competing with the music and losing.

As for Goapele I thought it was just me. I never dug anything other than Closer.

JackieBlue said:

Well those are the mainstream RB chicks that peeps see amerie is like, Who else is in mainstream RB? what rb females are getting played? I see the same 3 artists out there nonstop.

I never even compared them anyway. Everyone else said she is just like the other maisntream rb females well 1+1= those ladies, thats your mainstream. I mean are people saying that Amerie is like Alicia Keys Joss stone and Angie Stone, no ya'll saying she is like Rihanna Mariah and Beyonce, if not say who u are thinking she is like? Is there someone new mystery RB females out there that u think Amerie is like.

Heres the deal, she has involvement in her records, most DONT, she writes produces vocally arranges does the fucking artwork etc..how many are doing that? So in that world sorry she is against the grain, though i bet if someone we dug like a Robin Thicke or Van Hunt was doing that we would be sucking them off in every thread, now sorry, if you wanna talk over fucking rated talk those two cats. One is a wannabe big time, and the other does nothing but bitch and write blogs, aint done shit but complain like a little bitch.

phunkdaddy said:

First of all never said it was album of the year, did say that HIGHER is the best rb track not in mainstream. Didnt name names till everyone said she is just like every other rb chick in mainstream, well do the math, the RB mainstream is Beyonce and Rihanna case closed, thats all there is. To compare artists is stupid plain and simple since no one is doing the exact same song, if they are then compare. I actually praised Ledisi in another thread, so have no clue what thats about, the new Angie Stone, i dont like, sorry, didnt do anything for me, maybe it will grow on me, but she is hitting a wall for me. U want the best artist NO ONE IS talking about, ANJULIE but everyone is too busy posting about Lady Fucking Gaga who doesnt have ONE original bone in her body, and anyone saying she is original, needs to check themselves, you can say she is catchy or even talented, but she aint even close to being original, and everyone on this forum, for the most part, THINKS she is.

And for the record AMERIE's album has gotten mostly good reviews, and she has gotten good mentions as she should, for at least having some form of a mind and being able to be literate and talk to tavis smiley, dont think manny others that ya'll think she is like could even talk a sentence.
[Edited 11/13/09 20:47pm]

lastdecember said:

How and why must Van Hunt and Robin Thicke be brought into this conversation? People like who they like. I like Amerie and if she doesn't make radio she doesn't make it. Part of the appeal is that she is into her projects and that's great but at the end of the day all that matters is what you like.

lastdecember said:

Heard of Keyshia Cole and Keri Hilson? Add them to the aforementioned
Mariah Carey and Ciara.

phunkdaddy said:

lastdecember said:

When Amerie does a serious live show and her vocals improve holla at
me in the meantime check out Van Hunt live shows on Youtube. I doubt
seriously if you can call this cat overrated. I don't know how good
Thicke is live but from all accounts that i've heard he's good so i
don't know what you got against these two guys and there aren't daily
threads on the org about these guys so there again why the rant against them.

I think people here like Amerie, we just don't see the hype lol. Like someone said, someone's trash is another's treasure. From what I heard, "Higher" is indicative of what she can do and that's not to compare her to anybody, you know? It's decent from what I heard but it's not the best. I give that title to Ledisi's "Turn Me Loose" for now.

phunkdaddy said:

Ive seen Van Hunt live, also tried to help push him during his first album as did countless people at his label then, he is lazy, sorry, but he is. He is good to bitch and write blogs but he doesnt walk the talk, im not saying he aint good, but thats where it ends, hes good, but there are better, Rashaan Patterson and Javier blow his ass away without trying. Thicke to me is annoying and i cant understand the PASS he gets when he is just as much a ripoff of artists than Alica and Joss Stone, so why does he get a pass? I mean hes even a ripoff of Justin Timberlake for gods sake. And his last album was a disaster and what i have heard so far from this is better but nothing special. Its not ranting against them to say they are overrated.

Timmy84 said:

They are two totally different artists, but again someone like Anjulie is beyond both.

lastdecember said:

lastdecember said:

Anj...what?!

lastdecember said:

We really don't need threads or music for that

I like Amerie *but* she is not distinctive enough to break out.

I don't know if she's receieved bad advice but she is caught somewhere between old school Mary J Blige and Beyonce.

Since both of those artists are still around, there's no void that she's filling.

She has not gone "all in" with an album, that is why she gets ignored. I think she should either do an album of straight bangers a la "1 Thing" or cut with live musicians.

FunkyGraf said:

I hear ya. She hasn't had a jam like Talkin to Me or 1 thing lately.
Those are songs you can listen to over and over. I just don't see that
with her new album.

I just gave this album a brief listen and "Higher" is the only track I like on the album. Maybe it's because it sounds more like Nikka Costa than modern R&B, which is not really my cup of tea anyway. The other tracks have for the most part too weak and generic beats for my liking, the melodies and/or riffs aren't very memorable and I'm sorry to say this but "Heard 'Em All" sounds like a Beyoncé rip-off.

purplehippieonthe1 said:

Seriously, she is NOT the second coming. Not even of herself!

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

FunkyGraf said:

I dont think she really cares on that level, "breaking out" shes 32, thats like 100 in RB terms. She actually has gone "all in" with her work, the thing is that she hasnt gone all in "with who is hot at the moment". I think Amerie is best suited to what she is doing now, playing clubs, and cutting her own endorsement deals (she did that overseas) i see her at some point dumping all labels together, i think this Def Jam deal will end the same way the columbia one did, LA reid may have been a guru, but his day of being that or his "musical sense" of pushing an artist, doesnt exist anymore, he will soon get the gate too. I mean i say stay this route, i heard Questlove and Common talk 10 minutes on her and give her nothing but praise for working live and Questlove who we all think is something pretty special here on this forum, says she is more like a b-boy than an Rb singer, and is cutting a different path that others need to get on "business wise". I think at the end of the day is more important, than billboard or 106th and park