I wrote this essay about about and the legacy of blue-eyed soul. Although I don't go very deep into the current lawsuit with the Gaye estate, I do talk about the authenticity of white people doing "black" music.

http://www.ebony.com/ente...z2cbiqhugA

[Edited 8/21/13 8:28am]

No one race owns a music form. Jeez.

Good read.

Thanks.

i concur, good read. its a bigger conversation than individual "races" of people owning specific genres of music. this country's history, the good, bad & ugly also includes music and the way it inspires, is exploited, etc. i've managed to yet hear the song all the way thru (yay me!) as i was disappointed to learn he never gave Marvin credit, when upon FIRST hearing the opening bars, i knew exactly what it was. Robin HAD BEEN cool (as a legitimately inspired "soul singer") with me, i ain't fuckin' with him no more. theft w/o acknowledgement is foul, black, blue or brown or leopard print

2freaky4church1 said:

No one race owns a music form. Jeez.

I don't think the article is claiming any specific race OWNS a genre of music. But, like people have stated before, you cant deny the fact that R&B/Soul, Hip-Hop is typically associated with black people and Rock, Pop and Country are typically associated with whites, acting as if those associations never have or dont still exist is simply not the truth.

[Edited 8/21/13 9:22am]

...

Very nice article! I liked the fact that you kept it concise, and to the point, while still managing to hit the many relevant issues. It's hard to be relatively brief, yet comprehensive.

...

“I’d rather listen to Robin Thicke’s music than Chris Brown’s,” says former record exec Gary Harris.

^^^Beautifully put.

vikfunk said:

“I’d rather listen to Robin Thicke’s music than Chris Brown’s,” says former record exec Gary Harris.

^^^Beautifully put.

Certainly is.

vikfunk said:

“I’d rather listen to Robin Thicke’s music than Chris Brown’s,” says former record exec Gary Harris.

What's interesting to me is how so many of the so-called "black R&B artists" aren't even interested in making real R&B these days.Artists like Usher,Beyonce,Rihanna,Chris Brown,etc seem to be more focused on electropop/dance sounds.I heard a Chris Brown single from a few years ago and it sounded like straight up techno...lol...it was anything but "soulful"

Some of the white artists who make R&B (Robin Thicke,Joss Stone,Mayer Hawthorne,etc) seem genuinely interested in making "real" R&B....truly soulful sounds inspired by the greats.

SoulAlive said:

vikfunk said:

“I’d rather listen to Robin Thicke’s music than Chris Brown’s,” says former record exec Gary Harris.

What's interesting to me is how so many of the so-called "black R&B artists" aren't even interested in making real R&B these days.Artists like Usher,Beyonce,Rihanna,Chris Brown,etc seem to be more focused on electropop/dance sounds.I heard a Chris Brown single from a few years ago and it sounded like straight up techno...lol...it was anything but "soulful"

Some of the white artists who make R&B (Robin Thicke,Joss Stone,Mayer Hawthorne,etc) seem genuinely interested in making "real" R&B....truly soulful sounds inspired by the greats.

it's the great crosscut of the pop ascension movement, this did not happen by accident....it all started 26 years ago, 1987 is the year when this movement kicked off.......

pandoras box........

paligap said:

...

Very nice article! I liked the fact that you kept it concise, and to the point, while still managing to hit the many relevant issues. It's hard to be relatively brief, yet comprehensive.

...

Agreed. Great job!

SoulAlive said:

vikfunk said:

“I’d rather listen to Robin Thicke’s music than Chris Brown’s,” says former record exec Gary Harris.

What's interesting to me is how so many of the so-called "black R&B artists" aren't even interested in making real R&B these days.Artists like Usher,Beyonce,Rihanna,Chris Brown,etc seem to be more focused on electropop/dance sounds.I heard a Chris Brown single from a few years ago and it sounded like straight up techno...lol...it was anything but "soulful"

Some of the white artists who make R&B (Robin Thicke,Joss Stone,Mayer Hawthorne,etc) seem genuinely interested in making "real" R&B....truly soulful sounds inspired by the greats.

And most people black community who enjoy real RnB like artist who doing it no matter what their color. Robin was really loved in the RnB world and that is why he is receiving such a bad back lash about Blurred Lines. I was going to buy the CD and now I am not going to purchase it. He is a great RnB artist going down a bad road to cross into pop music.

vikfunk said:

“I’d rather listen to Robin Thicke’s music than Chris Brown’s,” says former record exec Gary Harris.

^^^Beautifully put.

So would I

The new album is funky as hell

SoulAlive said:

vikfunk said:

“I’d rather listen to Robin Thicke’s music than Chris Brown’s,” says former record exec Gary Harris.

What's interesting to me is how so many of the so-called "black R&B artists" aren't even interested in making real R&B these days.Artists like Usher,Beyonce,Rihanna,Chris Brown,etc seem to be more focused on electropop/dance sounds.I heard a Chris Brown single from a few years ago and it sounded like straight up techno...lol...it was anything but "soulful"

Some of the white artists who make R&B (Robin Thicke,Joss Stone,Mayer Hawthorne,etc) seem genuinely interested in making "real" R&B....truly soulful sounds inspired by the greats.

This is true for those named, but what about those who get no attention? There are plenty of black artists making R&B who don't get that kind of play. What about Anthony Hamilton and others who never get the spotlight?

MadamGoodnight said:

SoulAlive said:

What's interesting to me is how so many of the so-called "black R&B artists" aren't even interested in making real R&B these days.Artists like Usher,Beyonce,Rihanna,Chris Brown,etc seem to be more focused on electropop/dance sounds.I heard a Chris Brown single from a few years ago and it sounded like straight up techno...lol...it was anything but "soulful"

Some of the white artists who make R&B (Robin Thicke,Joss Stone,Mayer Hawthorne,etc) seem genuinely interested in making "real" R&B....truly soulful sounds inspired by the greats.

This is true for those named, but what about those who get no attention? There are plenty of black artists making R&B who don't get that kind of play. What about Anthony Hamilton and others who never get the spotlight?

Yeah,there are exceptions

SoulAlive said:

vikfunk said:

“I’d rather listen to Robin Thicke’s music than Chris Brown’s,” says former record exec Gary Harris.

What's interesting to me is how so many of the so-called "black R&B artists" aren't even interested in making real R&B these days.Artists like Usher,Beyonce,Rihanna,Chris Brown,etc seem to be more focused on electropop/dance sounds.I heard a Chris Brown single from a few years ago and it sounded like straight up techno...lol...it was anything but "soulful"

Some of the white artists who make R&B (Robin Thicke,Joss Stone,Mayer Hawthorne,etc) seem genuinely interested in making "real" R&B....truly soulful sounds inspired by the greats.

thats not the problem at all. many became uninterested in R&B so R&B singers tried something else and as soon as they did you have the white artist run and start trying to do R&B and now the media wanna claim that white artist "are bringing R&B back". the media is good for the BS. i guess when eminem releases his new album "he'll be bringing hiphop/rap back"...

[Edited 8/26/13 4:59am]