Mis-categorized
Dupri lists a number R&B stars - like Jagged Edge, XScape and Boyz II Men- who he says aren't fairly represented on commercial radio.

"I don't believe any of these record labels believe that R&B ballads can move the needle," he says.

Even artists who work within the constraints of R&B, such as Canadian star The Weeknd, are mis-categorised, he argues.

"When you read on iTunes what The Weeknd is, it says 'pop,' doesn't even say R&B, right? So they're taking a completely different lane with him.

"If you just come out with a straight R&B record, a ballad, it's hard because the labels don't really believe in it."

Dupri's comments follow rapper Young MA's recent claim that modern music is lacking the slow jams and feel-good grooves of Maxwell or Jill Scott.

"Music don't feel the same because we barely have R&B," she tweeted in February. "R&B brung that balance to music.. now everything is leaning one way smh (shaking my head) so it gets played out quick! We need R&B for the balance."

"She's making a valid point," Dupri says. "The industry is diluted now with so many rappers that sing their own hooks."

"That's not R&B, though. That's rap-singing or whatever you wanna call it. What Young MA is talking about is singers. She's talking about people that actually sing, as in that's what they really do."

Confessions, part III
After releasing the single Don't Waste My Time - featuring British singer Ella Mai - earlier in the year, Usher has also shared the songs SexBeat and I Cry, but it's not yet known whether any of them will make the album's final cut.

In February, the R&B titan also previewed a snippet of a new song he called "the next piece of the confession."

Fans assumed it would Part III of his Confession song series (Part I sees a man admitting to infidelity, while in Part II he confesses his mistress is pregnant).

But there's a catch - speaking during a recent livestream concert, Usher told fans, "it wasn't my confession that made up Part III, she had something to tell me".

Discussing the song further, Dupri says it's not even called Confessions, Pt. III - the real title is Trust.

"It's like a warning shot to guys that get themselves into the position heard on Confessions," Dupri explains.

"It's really about the repercussions of when men go out and do what they do and not actually believing that their girl is doing the same thing."

"It's a return to storytelling," he continues. "Me and Usher both felt like people wanted to know what happened after that baby situation on Part II, but it's called Trust."

So does Dupri think Usher can help turn the tide and put R&B back on the map with his forthcoming album?

"Hopefully," he answers.

"But if Usher can come back and we do what we gotta do with the album and it pops off, somebody has to safeguard it and make sure that they say that it's R&B.

"Because if they don't, and it gets big, then it's gonna trend to the left and somebody's gonna call it a pop album."

That's partly why the record has been held back, he says: They're waiting "to get everybody to believe" that R&B can re-emerge as a commercial force.

He concludes: "If I can have a hand in helping to inspire people wanting to sing again, and this Usher album makes people wanna sing, then I would really be proud of myself."

Full article:
https://www.bbc.com/news/...s-53448069

This will be Usher's 9th studio album. Considering JD and Bran Michael Cox are the producers behind the original Confessions album, and his 8701 and M Wa albums, this could definitely be huge. I don't think Confessions 2 is the actual name of the album, but this will be the sequel to Confessions. Twitter was on fire last year when Usher first posted this picture

If you can't see it clearly, it says "Confessions 2" at the top then a blurred out tracklist.

[Edited 8/2/20 18:39pm]

I mean you could sing like Marvin Gaye in his prime, the second you put it over that A-Ha beat I'd have to agree it's pop.

R&B's in bad shape if Usher is gonna bring it back, just saying also, there's new & fresh R&B from folks like Steve Lacey and Blood Orange, why not support them instead of lament about the state of R&B while being up in that house on the hill? Way too much money for complaining, JD.

Hamad said:

R&B's in bad shape if Usher is gonna bring it back, just saying also, there's new & fresh R&B from folks like Steve Lacey and Blood Orange, why not support them instead of lament about the state of R&B while being up in that house on the hill? Way too much money for complaining, JD.

R&B's in bad shape if Usher is gonna bring it back, just saying

What are you saing? He's a huge influence to all the new pop and R&B artists. Like almost if not all of them.

R&B from folks like Steve Lacey and Blood Orange, why not support them instead of lament about the state of R&B while being up in that house on the hill? Way too much money for complaining, JD.

Cuz like he said, the labels don't believe in it and won't support it. In this case, it's actuall easier to use an older superstar with a large fanbase and try to find success that way. I do think he should work with ounger artists, but ou should at the very least give them a chance. The last album they did together was Confessions...

beast44 said:

Hamad said:

beast44 said:

Cuz like he said, the labels don't believe in it and won't support it. In this case, it's actuall easier to use an older superstar with a large fanbase and try to find success that way. I do think he should work with ounger artists, but ou should at the very least give them a chance. The last album they did together was Confessions...

This is not the golden era of labels, and somebody like JD with enough clout, influence and money could get the wheels on motion with or without the help of labels, and he could very well do it with the right team and clear vision. I like Usher and he does have influence but to put all of JD’s eggs in Usher’s basket is a pipe dream that may or may not materializes. “Confession Redux” won’t duplicate the success of the first one because many factors played into it, the times/tastes etc he could make a different type of success, by once again, fishing for those SoundCloud talents and bring them up on the surface, and if he could bring Usher along with his peers of the time - who are still working/performing/recording and sometimes without the help of the machine - even better and better. But the subtext of his interview (re: there’s no r&b nowadays so let’s bring it back) is false and a slap in the face against many of the talented young & upcoming r&b artists who have a lot to give. All JD has to do is tune in to the “Insecure” soundtracks if he doesn’t wanna bother digging deep and he will be inspired enough to come up with something. Complaining about it like he always does, won’t do anything. [Edited 8/3/20 9:38am]

I agree with just about everything you said. I do believe no matter who JD did this with, it was gonna be a huge risk. Going on a hue mission like this is always raisky, but with no risk comes nor eward You gotta at least try. And the second paragraph, what MAINSTREAM R&B artists are making traditional R&B? All of it is diluded with other genres like pop, trap, and hip hop to sell well. There's a reason the ones who are making real R&b aren't mainstream and not getting that big level of success like acts in the other genres. It's just not gonna happen until somebody proves it's possible, which no one has in the past decade really. There have been a few good moments (Boo'd Up by Ella Mai comes to mind), but nothing consistent. It's all over the place right now lol

Jermaine Dupree doesnt have the industry or political or financial power to "bring R & B back"... Usher ????.... yeah, right

I agree with this assessment.

There is R&B talent but radio is not invested in it the way it used to be.

I knew someone in radio that said "rhythmic" is a dead-end format for my city that was big enough to have Prince play 5 sold out arena shows.

Usher was part of the problem with R&B. So was Jermaine, for that matter. Not to put it all on them by any means, but they profitted from the redefining of the genre in its latter stages.

Part of the reason R&B took a nose dive (IMO) was the loss of maturity in the genre. We went from having R&B singers who clearly sounded like men to R&B singers who all sounded like they just hit puberty. That and the deliberate sabotage of the black band created the vortex. This left the genre mostly to women and created an unfair imbalance. And finally, the biggest miscarriage of justice with regards to R&B was the alignment of the term R&B with slow songs. That too, was a cause of decline. Of course, that went in tandem with rap's rise but somewhere along the way it was thought that it was less manly for men to sing. That silliness seemed to spawn from the rise of rappers who couldn't do just that but had to justify their own existence in the music business. Music without musicality, so to speak.

I'm gonna leave it alone.

Bring back Mint Condition!

There, I'm done.

BlaqueKnight said:

BlaqueKnight said:

BlaqueKnight said:

Usher was part of the problem with R&B. So was Jermaine, for that matter. Not to put it all on them by any means, but they profitted from the redefining of the genre in its latter stages.

Part of the reason R&B took a nose dive (IMO) was the loss of maturity in the genre. We went from having R&B singers who clearly sounded like men to R&B singers who all sounded like they just hit puberty. That and the deliberate sabotage of the black band created the vortex. This left the genre mostly to women and created an unfair imbalance. And finally, the biggest miscarriage of justice with regards to R&B was the alignment of the term R&B with slow songs. That too, was a cause of decline. Of course, that went in tandem with rap's rise but somewhere along the way it was thought that it was less manly for men to sing. That silliness seemed to spawn from the rise of rappers who couldn't do just that but had to justify their own existence in the music business. Music without musicality, so to speak.

I'm gonna leave it alone.

Bring back Mint Condition!

There, I'm done.

Usher me to a vomitorium.

U mean Rahsaan or Van Hunt.

BlaqueKnight said:

Usher was part of the problem with R&B. So was Jermaine, for that matter. Not to put it all on them by any means, but they profitted from the redefining of the genre in its latter stages.

Part of the reason R&B took a nose dive (IMO) was the loss of maturity in the genre. We went from having R&B singers who clearly sounded like men to R&B singers who all sounded like they just hit puberty. That and the deliberate sabotage of the black band created the vortex. This left the genre mostly to women and created an unfair imbalance. And finally, the biggest miscarriage of justice with regards to R&B was the alignment of the term R&B with slow songs. That too, was a cause of decline. Of course, that went in tandem with rap's rise but somewhere along the way it was thought that it was less manly for men to sing. That silliness seemed to spawn from the rise of rappers who couldn't do just that but had to justify their own existence in the music business. Music without musicality, so to speak.

I'm gonna leave it alone.

Bring back Mint Condition!

There, I'm done.

.

highly agree with BlacqueKnight's perspective.

.

nice thought, Jermaine. about 25 years too late though. the standard for good/real r&b has dropped SO LOW.. I see no way it can come back to even near where it used to be. Mint Condition certainly/probably qualifies as the last REAL r&b band. in the so-called "popular r&b" of the naughts (2000's).. I can think of no band or singer (other than maybe D'Angelo) of note ; ditto the 2010s..

.

it would take another "Prince-like" musician - infinitely & ridiculously talented, & with the courage to push boundries of MUSIC - to start that LONG HAUL of bringing MUSIC & MUSICIANS & SINGERS back to the forefront.. & not just these current "auto-tune friendly "performers" who barely have any discernable musical talent or ability..

.

so until THAT miracle happens.. I'm going back to my Al Green/Ronald Isley/EW&F/Luther level of singers....