from Grantland.com

he genre of "rhythm and blues" has been experiencing a major identity crisis over the past few years, but when you dig deeper it becomes clear the uncertainty surrounding this style of music is anything but new. A very jarring, but clear, way to see this is by way of the names that Billboard has assigned to this at-times-vague genre. While it is currently called the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (and has been titled some variation of that since 1999), the list has gone through a series of names since its origin in 1942. A few:

The Harlem Hit Parade
Race Records
Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles
Hot Soul Singles
Hot Black Singles
Hot R&B Singles

These titles not only show how racially aligned the genre has been over the years, but also the various styles of music that this "urban" (don't get me started on this word, not now) medium has taken on.

But it's not just the names. It's also the content included in these charts.

The list of songs that topped the Billboard Hip-Hop/R&B charts in 2011:

Trey Songz, "Can't Be Friends"
Jamie Foxx (featuring Drake), "Fall For Your Type"
Nicki Minaj (featuring Drake), "Moment 4 Life"
Chris Brown (featuring Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes), "Look at me Now"
Miguel, "Sure Thing"
Kelly Rowland (featuring Lil Wayne), "Motivation"
DJ Khaled (featuring Drake, Rick Ross, & Lil Wayne), "I'm On One"
Big Sean (featuring Kanye West and Roscoe Dash), "Marvin and Chardonnay"
Lil Wayne (featuring Drake), "She Will"
Jay-Z and Kanye West, "N----- in Paris"
Wale featuring Miguel, "Lotus Flower Bomb"

Reading this list for the first time this morning, a few things immediately stood out. With the exception of Miguel, Trey Songz, and Jamie Foxx, nothing else on this list even begins to scream "rhythm and blues." It seems as if the genre has become synonymous with rap songs that have sung, slightly melodic hooks. (Important note: There is a chart just for rap, so know that these songs have their own space. But then there's the whole conversation about the difference between hip-hop and rap, which should happen, but not right now.) It's interesting to look at this list that R&B seems to currently rent space on, especially when looking back on the same chart from 10 years prior, in 2001. Actually, "interesting" is an understatement. It's shocking.

Destiny's Child, "Independent Women Part 1"
Jay-Z, "I Just Wanna Luv U (Give It To Me)"
Mystikal (featuring Nivea), "Danger (Been So Long)"
Outkast, "Ms. Jackson"
Joe (featuring Mystikal), "Stutter"
112, "It's Over Now"
Jagged Edge, "Promise"
Janet Jackson, "All for You"
Case, "Missing You"
Lil' Romeo, "My Baby"
R. Kelly (featuring Jay-Z), "Fiesta"
Usher, "U Remind Me"
Mariah Carey (featuring Cameo), "Loverboy"
Alicia Keys, "Fallin'"
Jagged Edge (featuring Nelly), "Where the Party At"
Ginuwine, "Differences"
Mary J. Blige, "Family Affair"
Usher, "U Got It Bad"

Looking at these two lists tells the whole story of what's happened to R&B. For the most part, in 2001, R&B artists were either standing alone or outsourcing a verse to a rapper to give it either (1) crossover, or (2) hood appeal. Over the 11-year period since, the tables have turned. Very rarely is a present-day R&B singer pulling a "Case" and singing versesand the chorus with no rapper to be found. As for the outsourcing process, it has become flipped, with the popular rappers of the day now giving the handouts to singers to croon their choruses. It's unfortunate how it happened so quickly and seamlessly.

I've had many a conversation about what R&B needs to become a powerhouse genre again, and the conversation has often ended with, "You know it would all be fine if ________ would just come back." I've often agreed with that sentiment (along with the one that the core of R&B lies with groups and nothing will change until that cycles back). I've agreed, because rhythm and blues is a nostalgic genre. It often produces extremely (sometimes overly) emotional songs, and people align them with certain times of their lives. There's also the "baby-making music" aspect that has been alive since the Teddy Pendergrass/Barry White era and has marched on (albeit not as loudly and proudly) to the present day.

Two weeks ago, I excitedly wrote on the news that Maxwell was going on tour to play all four of his albums. My excitement was only dwarfed by that of the thousands upon thousands of women who are still screaming because Maxwell is going on the road. Yes, this news was great for Maxwell, and yes, this was great news for the public, but more than anything this was great news for the genre. It needs a boost like this. The excitement surrounding this announcement was something I hadn't witnessed in years for an R&B artist. Sure, people were scrambling to get tickets to see The Weeknd in New York City, but people have been changing their whole summer plans to land in one of the three cities that Maxwell is performing in. This was huge.

And then this morning happened. One of the few living men who could overshadow a Maxwell announcement of that magnitude announced he would reemerge at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans this summer, after a decade in the dark.

D'Angelo.

Yes, the news that D'Angelo was back in the studio had people excited, but new music after a long break can also be cause to worry. When a man hasn't performed in the United States in a decade, there's no telling what his new stuff will sound like. What you do know, however, is his old stuff, and as long as he hasn't gone all Lauryn Hill on us, D'Angelo cycling through any/all of 1995's Brown Sugar and 2000's Voodoo, plus a few new tracks, could be legendary. In the handful of hours since this announcement was made, I've watched as people frantically look at their summer calendar and online checking accounts to see if they could make a trip to NOLA to see this spectacle. Again, the news of this tour and new music is awesome for D'Angelo and the public, but arguably even bigger for R&B. This is what the genre sorely needs right now. One can only pray that the lead single on D'Angelo's new album isn't a club banger with Flo Rida and Calvin Harris. If that happens, then it's all over. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Essence Music Festival tickets go on sale TODAY. Act accordingly.

[Edited 5/3/12 20:37pm]

2001 AHHH Memories! i was in 5th grade & it was when i was starting to get into R&B.

2001 Was a good year for R&B, You had Usher in his well imo his best era. Every song he came out with was poppin~!, D'Angelo was the shit, Mary J, Alicia Keys, Blu Cantrell, TOYA, City High, R. Kelly, Outkast, Erykah Badu & hell i won't lie i got down with Destinys children

Oh & forgot about this song!!!

Haven't heard that in at least 5 years

I can't tolerate Ginuwine. NO talent whatsoever.

scriptgirl said:

I can't tolerate Ginuwine. NO talent whatsoever.

I find him to be an average singer, but with a few good songs. I have to be honest and say i never really checked out his albums. I Usually liked the Stuff Kells or Babyface did for him...

scriptgirl said:

I can't tolerate Ginuwine. NO talent whatsoever.

WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!

Ginuwine is a MUCH better singer than Usher thats for sure. Id take him over Usher ANY day... I think Ginuwine can sing.

mjscarousal said:

Ginuwine is a MUCH better singer than Usher thats for sure. Id take him over Usher ANY day... I think Ginuwine can sing.

Him & Usher both had some killer singles back in this era. Babyface, Jimmy Jam & R. Kelly where working with them at the time. Ahhhhhh good times

Gunsnhalen said:

mjscarousal said:

Ginuwine is a MUCH better singer than Usher thats for sure. Id take him over Usher ANY day... I think Ginuwine can sing.

Him & Usher both had some killer singles back in this era. Babyface, Jimmy Jam & R. Kelly where working with them at the time. Ahhhhhh good times

Oh hell yea that is the Usher I MISS!

Ginuwine's song titles are awful. Boy cornier than a mofo. Why did Timberland and Missy drop him?

Anyway, like I said before, D is gonna wipe the floor with Trey at Essence.

scriptgirl said:

Ginuwine's song titles are awful. Boy cornier than a mofo. Why did Timberland and Missy drop him?

Anyway, like I said before, D is gonna wipe the floor with Trey at Essence.

Lawd, is that goat performing there too? Goodness I can't his yodeling. Rumur has it he's a real 'queen.'

Yes, Goat Boy will be there. I don't know about the rumors, but per his appearance on the BETs 2 years back, he is TOO close to his mom.

scriptgirl said:

Yes, Goat Boy will be there. I don't know about the rumors, but per his appearance on the BETs 2 years back, he is TOO close to his mom.

Yeah, I think she goes on tour with him and stuff.

I heard through the grapevine that Mr. Songs teh dick.

But you can't rely on gossip because those sites say EVERYBODY from Ray Lewis to Red Man is gay.

His mom goes on tour with him? How's he get groupies? But back to D-I wanna know if that show is sold out.

His mom goes on tour with him? How's he get groupies? I really hope people don't get their hopes up too high re D's comeback and I hope to hell he isn't reading the internet right now.

D has already proven ALOT of people wrong especially here at the org but I always had faith

co sign. I have always had faith him. Are you kdding? Not even a question. Now we just have to get the release date for that album.

So the author thinks that tours from two artists whose peaks were well over ten years ago = the rebirth of RnB? I would draw the exact opposite conclusion. Sure, they may draw a fair bit of fans to their concerts but are they going to have any impact on the new music that is being made and currently charting? That seems doubtful.

If R & B music is going to experience a real rebirth it needs to come from younger artists. More importantly there needs to be a demand from the audience for a rebirth.

I wouldn't say that either has peaked. D, esp has unfinished business. A LOT of people are waiting for that cd to DROP.

scriptgirl said:

I wouldn't say that either has peaked. D, esp has unfinished business. A LOT of people are waiting for that cd to DROP.

OK, how about if I said that they both peaked commercially over ten years ago? Maybe D'Angelo's new album will be a hit but that seems unlikely.

I don't think D ever really peaked. Someone said on here that commercially Voodoo wasn't the big hit that everyone thought it would be. Also, he took a long hiatus btween brown sugar and Voodoo as well.

I hope D'Angelo just comes back and does his thing. My biggest fear is he is going to try to be trendy with the autotune, hip-hop beats and have a guest artist(s) on the disc that have nothing to do with his kind of music. Grown folks should stick to grown folks music and not worry about what the tweens are out here doing.

I like Tank and have all of his albums. He's about to release a new one but I'm going to skip it because from what I've heard, it's too trendy for my tastes. Auto-tuning and there's even a duet with Chris Brown!!!! WTF???!!!!

Tank used to be so sexy. But now he's all old looking.

Terrib3Towel said:

Tank used to be so sexy. But now he's all old looking.

It doesn't make any difference to me how old he is. That brutha look like he got some heavy machinery. He can shoot his missile off in me anytime.

Should the MODS create a "Discuss all D'Angelo Sticky?"

jusayin

Two new dates have been added for D-he is playing Germany July 10 and 18th

Has Billboard ever commented on why the r&b chart is combined with hip hop? I'm assuming it's because they're mainly black artists. I think they should be separate since one is singing and one is speaking.

Billboard is a mess, IMHO. I think the record companies have a lot to do with it.