I am an avid music lover. My grandfather is a wonderful well-known drummer in the local scene. I grew up listening to his band practice in the basement of our house. The soul, jazz and R&B music the band played would echo a musical flow through the house like a river. I’ve grown to love jazz and R&B genres of music mainly. I value the appreciation I have for R&B music. However as of lately I have notice there is really no pure R&B anymore. The music that I have come across in the last several years is pop music passing for R&B. This saddens me to no end!
The history of R&B music dates back to the 1930’s. R&B was fused from jazz and gospel music which dates back to slavery. R&B came from some African American musical pioneers taking songs that were written by their Caucasian counterparts and adding extra rhythms and snares into it. This would soon be called rhythm and blues because of the extra beats in the music. The history of R&B itself is too rich to just let it die.
As I drive in my car and turn my radio on any given day, I began to miss R&B music. After listening to 10 pop songs in a row, sung by African American entertainers dubbed as R&B musicians, played on an urban radio station, my ears are yearning for the purest form of R&B. That form is from singers like Patti Labelle, Luther Vandross, Marvin Gaye, and Aretha Franklin. People who I grew up listening to as real R&B singers with real talent. Artist who sung with heart and soul, not synthesized, uninspired music. I guess that is what I miss the most……. the soul of R&B.
I have seen the most beautiful artist lately in all their glory singing. Nevertheless, I very seldom feel the rhythm or blues from these artists. It’s all about beauty and booty and talent is the last thing on the list.
Therefore, if you have any appealing qualities at all, you are now qualified to become an R&B titled pop artist. Now the first thing you would do is try to break into mainstream pop. Do you know why? Because it sells!!!!! Yes pop music is very lucrative. Its mainstream appeals to a broader audience and therefore it has the tendency to make artists and everyone around the artist very rich. So after knowing all of this, what genre would you sing? Would your rather sing R&B music and sell thousands of records or pop music and sell millions of records? Most people would probably choose the latter. While artist are selling their souls for just the money aspect they are missing the very essence and heart of rhythm and blues. Does anyone have a heart!!! (That’s an old Luther Vandross song people!!!!) Well R.I.P. R&B!!! You will truly be missed!
