The State of R&B

 

For as long as I can remember, music has been very influential in my life.  To be specific I’ve For always gravitated toward the R & B genre.  My mother once told me that I had to listen to “Purple Rain” in order to go to sleep at night.  Seeing as how I was born two months prior to the song’s release date, I am fascinated by this fact.  I am oftentimes amazed at how I can sing a song that I “learned” at the tender age of 4 or 5 and did not hear again until ten years later.  I attribute this to falling asleep every night to “The Quiet Storm” provided by the radio waves of Atlanta, GA.

 

Now I’m not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to music, but I do know what sounds are pleasing to the ear.  For me it is crucial for a great song to encompass strong lyrics, a delightful melody, and a powerful delivery.  The most powerful thing about music is its ability to take you back in time.  For example whenever I hear “Kissing You” by Total, I am immediately transported back to the summer of 1996 on Kiawah Island, SC.  It was a major hit that year and I was ready for my first kissJ.  Those were the good ol’ days when R&B was as close to its classic status as it could be.  To show what I mean, let’s take a look at a couple songs since ’96 and see its evolution…

 

1996

Always Be My Baby – Mariah Carey

Not Gon’ Cry – MJB

 

1997

On & On – Erykah Badu

G.H.E.T.T.O.U.T. – Changing Faces

 

1998

Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here – Deborah Cox

The Arms of the One Who Loves You – Xscape

 

1999

Fortunate – Maxwell

Never Gonna Let You Go – Faith Evans

 

2000

I Wish – Carl Thomas

Incomplete – Sisqo

 

2001

Stutter – Joe

Fallin’- Alicia Keys

 

2002

Foolish – Ashanti

 

2003

You Don’t Know My Name – A. Keys

 

2004

Burn – Usher

My Boo – Usher feat. A. Keys

 

2005

Let Me Love You – Mario

We Belong Together – Mariah Carey

 

2006

Be Without You – MJB

Irreplaceable – Beyonce

 

2007

Lost Without You – Robin Thicke

No One – A. Keys

 

2008

I Remember – Keyshia Cole

Need U Bad – Jazmine Sullivan

 

Now this list is comprised of pure R&B songs with no Hip Hop influences or rap verses.  As I entered the early and mid 2000’s, it became very difficult to stick with my parameters because so many “R&B” hits were married to the likes of Hip Hop.  This is the reason that there is only one song underneath ’02 and ’03.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my Hip Hop and the different genres that are beneath it.  However, there are times when I’d like to relax to the sounds of contemporary R&B.  As the list reflects, Alicia Keys did her part in keeping the music I love most afloat during what some describe as the “Crunk & B” era.  I’ll keep it real and attest to the fact that I was bobbin’ my head to those sounds as well but I was truly deprived at that time.  The funny thing is that I didn’t realize this until there began a slow emergence of the R&B I fell in love with crept back on the scene. 

 

We are now coming close to bringing 2008 to an end and it was the influx of noteworthy R&B works that have motivated me to document the rebirth of MY music.  Thanks to the likes of Mariah Carey, Eric Benet, Natalie Cole, Raphael Saadiq, Ne-Yo, Jazmine Sullivan, Robin Thicke, Usher, Al Green, Brandy, New Kids on the Block, Jennifer Hudson, Joe, Solange, Kenny Lattimore, and others, R&B lovers might have something to look forward to.

 

And the Gentleman of the Year is…Ne-Yo!

 

 

Ne-Yo’s third disc entitled “Year of the Gentleman’ could not have been delivered at a more perfect time.  This musical guideline is perfect for those guys who aren’t aware of how to treat the ladies.  I’m not sure if Ne-Yo was trying to target a specific group, but I am able to identify with all of these songs due to personal events that transpired in 2008 in my life.

 

The album begins with “Closer” a feel-good song that’s nice to listen to while out on the town.  To date this song has gained Top Ten status on 5 Singles charts according to Billboard.com.  “Nobody” is the next track and has a traditional Michael Jackson feel to it.  It’s a song that describes a female that has his full attention and no one else can hold a candle to her.  This is undoubtedly a smooth way of saying that he is lusting after a woman.  Next up is “Single” and it’s letting the ladies know if their men are acting up, he’s willing to be those guys’ replacement-but only for the duration of the song.  “Mad” is for those times couples are having a rough patch and wants to get things back on a happier note-especially before getting to sleep at night.  “Miss Independent” is officially the modern woman’s anthem and has been complemented perfectly with contagious instrumentals.  I was blown away by “Why Does She Stay” because it’s an honest question that a lot of men (and their women) could meditate on.  Beautiful song-No Question!

 

Possibly the most emotional track, “Fade into the Background” is about a guy attending his ex’s wedding and choosing not to get in the way of her happiness due to his personal and selfish reasons.  Initially I was not feeling “So You Can Cry”, but once I heard the story behind the song, I now feel this is the sweetest song on the album.  It’s a guy telling his female friend it’s time to move on from a failed relationship in a gentle but firm manner.  “Part of the List” is discussing all of those subtle but meaningful memories one has of his or her missed loved one.  I’m really feeling this right now!  “Back to What You Know” is telling a woman who isn’t quite over her ex-boyfriend to return to him.  It’s apparent that she hasn’t moved on or past the former guy.  Very similar in concept, Ne-Yo’s “Lie to Me” and Jazmine Sullivan’s “Live a Lie”, leads me to believe there is an epidemic of people wanting to go back in time to a less volatile period of their relationships.  “Stop This World” is THE love song on this album.  Because it has a very slow tempo, it took a minute for me to give it a chance.  After finally listening to the lyrics, I’ve fallen in love with it.

 

Top 5 Songs

1.  Miss Independent

2.  Part of the List

3.  Fade into the Background

4.  Why Does She Stay

5.  Lie to Me

 

A Lyfe Change…I think not

 

 

  

After having to wait almost two years for another album by Lyfe Jennings, he closed the gap with Lyfe Change which dropped back in April 2008.   With critically acclaimed singles, “Must Be Nice”, “S.E.X.”, and “Let’s Stay Together”, I expected to receive an album that was just as filling as his first two efforts – Lyfe 268-192 and The Phoenix.  When I first popped my CD into my car’s player, I was not moved by the first track on the album which features a man with a bad imitation of an Italian accent (not sure if this was Lyfe himself).  Several times I skipped the track not knowing that it was a story which illustrates how significant change is.  Once you’ve gotten the picture, there’s no need to listen to it anymore.

 

Next up is “Keep Dreaming” which showcases Lyfe’s raspy, yet silky, vocals over subtle percussion smoothly playing in the background.  This song has a nice message and sounds like the traditional work from Lyfe.  “Warriors” is another autobiographical example of the life that he has endured.  No offense, but I think all avid Lyfe fans are well-aware of his background and don’t need another song to showcase this.  Besides that, the song was okay with the exception of the chorus.  I think that the rough sounds of his vocals make it hard to appreciate the rest of the song.  “Never Never Land” is the perfect response for those who jumped on Jay-Z’s famous (30 is the new 20) catchphrase.  The lyrics are on point and the arrangement of the instrumentals make for a fine delivery.  “Brand New” celebrates the appreciation of a loved one not changing because Lyfe’s financial status has changed.  I love the message of this song but could have done without T.I.’s contribution.  I may be biased but I don’t think needed a rapper to drive home his point.  I must admit that “It’s Real” is a song that’s so deeply infused with genius production that I missed the idea.  This is a song about the importance of “wrapping up” due to the plight of AIDS.  This should be put in rotation on the radio but I’m sure that would upset some conservative groups.

 

“Cops Up” is an ode to those women who catches Lyfe’s attention by merely getting a glimpse of their beauty.  It has a nice grown and sexy feel to it and offers a balance in contrast to the heavier subject matter.  “You Think You’ve Got it Bad” has a reggae feel to it with an appearance by Wyclef Jean.  Typically I don’t gravitate to a Caribbean sound but this is a beautiful song.  I love the song “Wild, Wild, Wild”!  It’s another representation of how Lyfe is able to give a mainstream sound to a deep subject.  He’s expressing that there are people “wilding” by selling out to attain a certain position (or refrain from certain situations) in life.  He doesn’t leave anyone out; he travels from the Hood to Hollywood for the journey of this song.  “Midnight Train” is a song that’s kind of hard to get into.  The musical style is a little to mellow for me but once again his lyrics are a song-saver.  I have to be in a particular mood to listen to this track.  “Hmmm” is track that lets us know that Lyfe is well aware of his mortality.  Nothing exceptional about it; it has a nice sound to it.  “Old School” is a description about his car…no comment about that.  The interlude “Us” is synonymous to a prayer being sung.  “Will I Ever” is an age-old question that many singles have about their love life…simply put it delivered with a sense of urgency and has a great aesthetic component to it.  The last song on this CD is “Baby I’m a Star”.  It’s a good way to end the album after several heavy subjects.  There’s a feel-good notion to this track.

 

After listening to this album a few times, I noticed that Lyfe did away with his traditional introductions to every track.  I can’t say that I miss them and hopefully they won’t return anytime soon.  Overall I would give his latest effort 3 out of 5.  this is due to the less than stellar productions of one too many tracks.   I would say be forewarned that this particular CD is not a classic by any means.

 

 

 

 

 

Fearless…Strongest Debut in ‘08

I must say that I did not expect to be moved by an album entitled Fearless by newcomer Jazmine Sullivan.  At the young age of 21, she reminds me of myself by having experienced (and felt) so much which yields knowledge beyond her years.  The major difference between the two of us is of course her ability to sing:-)

Initially when I heard “Need U Bad”, I wasn’t moved very much & that’s because I wasn’t missing anyone in my life at that time.  Fast forward three months from then and you can find me belting out that song as if my life depended on it.  The 2nd single “Bust Your Windows” is easy to relate to because every woman has been wronged and maybe just maybe wanted to do some physical damage to her man’s (or ex-man) car.  I appreciate the energy she put into this song because it felt as if I lived it out through her and don’t have to go to jail.

“Lions, Tigers, and Bears” is my 2nd favorite track on J. Sullivan’s album.  It is heavy-laden with her sultry, intoxicating, and melancholy voice.  She’s discussing how it’s easy to take on large tasks that would scare most but finds it difficult to give her heart over to the one she loves.

“One Night Stand” has an interesting concept.  Jazmine lets her listeners in on how she typically is the “love him then leave him” type but gets sideswiped by a dose of good loving.  That can be a dangerous thing…we don’t need her getting too sprung and “busting more windows”, lol!

Hands down my favorite song is “After the Hurricane”.  The delivery is out of this world and takes me to another place every time I hear it.  The lyrics are just phenomenal and solidifies her as a bona fide songwriter.  With skills like this at the outset, she will NEVER need to hire someone to pen any hits on her behalf.

With her song “Live a Lie” closely resembling Ne-Yo’s “Lie to Me”, it’s making me wonder if there was a recent epidemic of infidelity warranting a case of “let’s go back in time before turmoil appeared”.  While this isn’t a recent story of mine, I certainly remember 2005 all too well.  This song illustrates that point perfectly.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again this woman’s writing skills are a treat.  Her writing paired with her vocal abilities are a straight indulgence for pure R&B.  She has made contributions to this genre that will be relevant for years to come, especially with this being her first piece of work.  I look forward to more gems from this star in the future.

The Real Laws of Attraction

The Real Law of Attraction is disguised as a jester who gets his punchline from those of us who want who we can’t have and attract those we don’t necessarily want. I can think of several instances in my short time on earth in which this has happened. It started off as crushes in middle and high schools and has evolved into wanting those who have walked out of my life prematurely-at least from my perspective. Because the latter happened recently, I’ve been able to do some self-evaluation and realize this situation has occurred more times than I would like. After speaking to a couple of friends about the matter, I was informed that they experience the same kind of “let-down”. One has to wonder if the couples that are out there “settled” for his/her mate because (fill in the blank). Do we ever marry or settle down with the one that we want most?