Written by: Prizmatik
Lounging around in my room on my off day, tired and craving something to sooth the tension of the outside world that has settled upon my shoulders, I meticulously search through hundreds of CDs I purchased within the last four months. Hmm… let's see... Jamie Foxx, Ne-Yo, Avant, Musiq Soulchild, Pretty Ricky, Brutha, and the list goes on. Ne-Yo is cool, but I played him out, so what else is there to listen to in my collection besides Mariah, Whitney, Jennifer Hudson, Heather Headley, and all the other powerhouse divas of our time?
Well, I've definitely noticed a shift in music when it comes to R&B male singers. Some would say that today's male artists are sexy, hip, and got swagger for days. But, what about people like me who were raised on listening to men like Luther, Michael J., Prince, Al Green, James Brown, Smokey Robinson, Lionel Richie, and the Temptations? These men didn't just sell sexiness, but they had something to sing about other than bling, cars, hoes, and pimpin'. These men sung about love, commitment, romance, and making love in addition to real life struggles. And don't forget the great party hits.
Some of today's male R&B artists I consider too weak when in comes to singing melodies of substance or songs of great conviction. All this whining and begging is so sickening! Artists somehow turned to beats and hooks to suffice for a kick-ass song, yet they lack musicianship.
Let me clear up a few things before you throw something at the computer screen: not all male artists are a total disappointment. There are plenty of men who give it to us real good. Some of them really bring you a platter of sexy and plenty of them are like little kids playing at being grown.
Are male R&B artists too soft to sell? Well, it depends on your audience. Are you looking for a teenage perspective in music or are you looking for that grown and sexy perspective in music?
Now, looking at billboards Top 20 artists of 2008, according to about.it.com, 11 out of 20 of the top singles were from men. I'm one who purchases whole albums and it's nice to have a few singles hit it on the charts, but are their albums selling? In 2008 the top sells were Rap, Pop, and of course Country being the top followed by Hip-Hop. There were a few men such as Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, and Joe to name a few, but that's it. To tell you the truth, when it comes to male artists, there's conflicting views on what sells their albums.
When one equates sales of a male R&B artist, it’s not just how good you can sing. The industry looks at the face, the body, and the message. The Black community looks at music from the stand point of where they live. It's what I call a "back yard" mentality. The Black community equates music to either where they want to be or where they are. So, to be a male artist, you need to be a man (rough yet gentle), have plenty of women, and you must be a “baller”—if people still use that word— if you want to follow a stereotype that seems to taken precedence over reality.
Are male R&B artists too soft to sell? Well, it depends on your audience. Are you looking for a teenage perspective in music or are you looking for that grown and sexy perspective in music?
Now, looking at billboards Top 20 artists of 2008, according to about.it.com, 11 out of 20 of the top singles were from men. I'm one who purchases whole albums and it's nice to have a few singles hit it on the charts, but are their albums selling? In 2008 the top sells were Rap, Pop, and of course Country being the top followed by Hip-Hop. There were a few men such as Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, and Joe to name a few, but that's it. To tell you the truth, when it comes to male artists, there's conflicting views on what sells their albums.
When one equates sales of a male R&B artist, it’s not just how good you can sing. The industry looks at the face, the body, and the message. The Black community looks at music from the stand point of where they live. It's what I call a "back yard" mentality. The Black community equates music to either where they want to be or where they are. So, to be a male artist, you need to be a man (rough yet gentle), have plenty of women, and you must be a “baller”—if people still use that word— if you want to follow a stereotype that seems to taken precedence over reality.
To read the full story, visit Etm's official site:
http://www.etmmagazine.info/freeyourmind/2009/02/2009_02_malerandb.html
http://www.etmmagazine.info/freeyourmind/2009/02/2009_02_malerandb.html
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