When it comes to the realm of urban/commercial music, R&B and Hip-Hop have always had a bit of a strained relationship. Rappers would often speak disparagingly toward the R&B genre, particularly males– because they weren’t “hard enough.”
My how far it’s come.. and gone. It’s a mess. And as a purveyor of progress in urban music, I feel compelled to address it.
We’ll get to the songs shortly. First, a little context.
The obligatory thug / homogeneous rap, trap, sing-song, ad-lib talker with questionable lyrics, looks and lifestyles are urban music’s new representative. Rap and R&B are virtually one in the same. Rappers are singing their own hooks, singers are spitting their own verses. Each doing the other on each others collaboration and guest appearances rendering it indistinguishable.
There WERE good times, though. Back in the early 90’s a music convention called Jack the Rapper became one of the most influential gatherings between Rap and R&B acts.
Jack the Rapper was a phenomenal concept. But it ended up becoming a blessing and a curse. It was an annual event that began in 1979, which brought together veteran acts and emerging stars from both genres, respectively. Burgeoning stars (TLC, ABC, Joi, Leaders Of The New School) entered the spotlight at this convention and formed many new allegiances at the start of 1990’s. And that is exactly when things began to change. Rap moved the meter and its ascension in the music industry began to usurp R&B music formats. Those who charted songs and measured the metrics paid close attention.
In 1999, Billboard decided to group R&B and rap on the same chart, later amending the original title of the “Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks” to “Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs” in 2005 to reflect rap’s influence on the genre. Commercial Rap (disguised as Hip-Hop) and R&B we’re officially in bed together and what ensued was incestuous.
Rap dominated urban charts in the 90’s and strengthened its grip into the early 2000’s. Its popularity prompted commercial R&B artists to go ‘harder.’ So hard in fact, R&B lyrics became more graphic. Industry execs, producers and labels apparently needed R&B to hold its own aside rap on the charts.Every other R&B song got a little more risque and raw lryically.
Fast forward a bit to the early 2000’s. Radio formats no longer played R&B talents like Raphael Saddiq, Maxwell, Floetry, Amel Larrieux, Musiq Soulchild, Jill, Badu, Bilal, D’Angelo, Dwele, Anthony David on their “BLAZIN’ R&B” formats. Why though? Was it because those artists were not ‘street’ enough?
These terrific talents and other powerhouse performers like them (with enormous followings and plenty of hits to fill urban music airwaves), were ‘Quiet Stormed and Adult-AC’d’ right out of the game. Pushed out of prime-time urban radio formats, going virtually ignored in commercial urban R&B formats. But Why?
The answer to this question is uncovered in the dynamic documentary, “Diary of A Decade” produced by independent media maverick and ATL music historian, Jason Orr of the legendary Funk Jazz Kafe’. The film chronicles Atlanta’s influence on urban music worldwide. In this eye- AND ear opening history lesson, Orr uncovers the crux of this crisis through insightful interviews, testimonies and tales of the other side of the game. One of the most enlightening interviews is with ‘All Everything’ music artist, innovator, performer, model & actress, Joi. She gets straight to the problem of corporate-run cookie-cutter formats in urban music, when she rolls her eyes and succinctly states, that once program directors and industry execs saw a little success with Rap /R&B collaborations, “…all of a sudden EVERY R&B singer had to have a rapper drop a ‘Hot 16’ on their song”
Now the hottest R&B singers are one note, ad-lib, sing-song-cartoon anthem mumblers. So now what?
In order to know where we need to go, its important to examine how we got here… which brings me to the list of songs that ruined the sound of R&B as we once knew it.
Let me begin by saying, the people on this list have talent, some way more than others. However, they’re part of the reason urban radio is a joke. Countless numbers of talented singers, groups and artists have been left in the wilderness by corporate urban radio programmers who shelved their projects and took them out of rotations– opting to play music and push messaging that promotes capitalism, consumption, product placement, illusions of wealth, deviance and shameless exhibitions of a lifestyle that will get you arrested or killed. That said… here ya go.
5 SONGS THAT RUINED THE SOUND OF R&B
#5 Always On Time – Ja Rule f. Ashanti (2002)
Aaliyah’s shocking and untimely passing in 2001 left a major void in the game. Her creative approach to penning classics over hitmakers Timberland and Missy Elliott’s otherworldly beats created a special blend of sass and class that has yet to be duplicated. The industry scrambled to replace the void Aaliyah left. This vacuum made it easy for impostors to get in the game. The most brash was Irv Gotti and Murder Inc.
Gotti & company somehow $trong-armed their way onto urban formats by regurgitating old Bad Boy beats. Not only did they lower the bar, they buried it and killed the game in the process– trolling out a Mary J-Meets-Aaliyah off-key singer in Ashanti, and a wannabe Tupac knock off in Ja Rule.
Payola had to have been in effect at that time for Ashanti to get more spins on urban radio than Amel Larrieux, India Arie, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Faith, (who was always more soul than R&B) and many others you can now find on these tired reality shows clamouring for the spotlight that eluded them 10+ years ago.
Prior to the phenomenon that is Beyonce, Mary J. Blige and Aaliyah were unique examples of how Hip-Hop/R&B/Pop singers aspired to sound like. It’s not a stretch to say Janet was the original Beyonce. Janet did it all. She was on another level entirely, unattainable for most newcomers. So instead of grooming talent, execs just threw money at any hot chick who could pretend to hold a note. Then they paired that with the pretty-boy rap thug who looked the part. Enter carbon copies Ashanti and Ja Rule. Tupac set the standard for the hard-edged rapper with a softer side and everybody from DMX to 50 tried to bring him back. They all failed along with ya boy Ja Rule. His poor portrayal just never measured up.
#4 Usher f. Lil’ Jon & Ludacris – Yeah (2005)
R&B was murky around 2003-2005. I don’t recall there being a singular superstar face of R&B nor any real singular “bad boy” of R&B at the time– just ‘reformed/former’ bad boys.. Lyfe Jennings, Jahiem, Tank maybe? Oh yeah and Carl Thomas– no longer a Bad Boy, he’s working the ‘ol school, “grown folks” circuit keeping his brand of R&B cool alive, post Diddy.
Crunk and snap music were all the rage in the rising rap sound of the South, and R&B wanted in. Usher’s style was slick. He was Atlanta, but more of a ‘pretty boy’ than ‘R&B Thug.’ LaFace execs didn’t think Usher’s Confessions album had a quote– ‘hood hit’. They said he needed an edge.. which came in the form of a song produced by Lil’ Jon. The “Crunk & B” era was born.
Usher took the baton from Bobby Brown (who once was the Cro-Magnon of the male R&B singer..lol) shedding the teen heartthrob image for the crazy, sexy, cool, ladies’ man. Of course there’s R. Kelly, but he copied Bobby too. As for ‘Urrsher,’ his songs were like most male R&B singers– relationship-driven, catchy and flirtatious tunes with the occasional innuendo filled-ballad. His lyrics at the time were slightly less overt than the ‘drop the panties and lemme hit’ anthems penned by his predecessors. Jodeci carried the torch for the bad boys in R&B into the early 90’s. Then there was Bell Biv Devoe- a R&B/Rap outfit with commercial appeal.. but they were both groups. Usher’s career took on a new trajectory after this song became the prototypical R&B hood hit.
I remember the reaction this new collaboration created when former radio (Hot 107.9 FM) personality Dj Cha Cha Jones played it at a Spelman-Morehouse Alumni Weekend party in ATL. I was standing next to her in the booth when she dropped it and watched EVERYONE go nuts. It hadn’t hit radio too strong yet, but it hit the crowd hard that night, who.. dare I say, got crunk..lol. I looked at her like, “Wow…really?” It sounded like a Yin-Yang Twins throw away track to me. She and I both agreed that this was a game changer.. unfortunately, not for the better, imo. Usher, Lil Jon and Luda began ruining R&B as we knew it with their “Crunk & B” collaboration, “Yeah.”
#3 T-Pain – Buy U A Drank/Shawty Snappin’ fea. Yung Joc (2007)
Who’da thunk a ‘Rappa Turnt Sanga’ from the South would own R&B as long as he did. But it wouldn’t last that long because T-Pain got cloned faster than Dolly the Sheep. He’s on this list because he’s a pioneer of sorts. He ‘Ushered-in’ <—— (see what I did there? lol) the era of autotune R&B. T-Strain was the King of rap hooks until Drake & Future snatched it from him. Rather quickly, I might add. Maybe it was due in part to the fact that T was painful to tolerate after two songs. He came off more court jester than lady killer. You couldn’t buy a girl enough dranks to gain her interest looking like a Flava Flav stunt double, folk. He couldn’t rhyme very well either, which is probably why he became a ‘sanga’ in the first place. But his catchy cartoon melodies and over-the-top image got him plenty of radio play on Urban R&B formats, helping ruin them as we knew it.
#2 Drake – The Best I Ever Had (2009)
This song, “Best..” was one of the worst to happen to urban radio. But Drake & his then label mate Lil ‘Wayne saw the ‘Future’..lol and capitalized on the current trend of rappers sing-song talking for a verse, then rapping a verse, then singing their own hooks. His now 10-year strangle hold on urban/pop and adult ac radio formats proves he was the best thing to happen to urban music programmers and he held the door open for the guy who tops this list.
#1 Turn On The Lights – Future (2012)
Mr. Mumble himself.
“Yooooo.. T-Pain called, he wants his sound back.”
Future’s like that tag-team wrasslin’ pah-nah that ain’t taggin’ you back in. Lol. That’s basically how he jumped in the R&B/Rap ring and left T-Pain in the corner reaching to get back in the action. He’s supposed to be 2nd generation Dungeon Family, but I can’t tell. Is he a singer or is he a rapper? Maybe he should be labeled as a “sapper.”
His signature auto-tune wails and moans are awfully infectious, in an awfully infecting kind of way. He may mumble, but he pronounces those commercial brands clear AF. Lol. Dude spits more products and brands than actual bars. But he’s now the current formula for commercial rap hooks and R&B hits. He’s got urban radio program directors in a trance right now. How long is this remedial raunch-fest & BS gonna last? Seriously, it’s comical.
It’s hard not to see how much of a joke it’s become.
Dishonorable Mention Goes To…
Soulja Boy f. Roscoe Dash – All The Way Turned Up – No link nor explanation needed.
Terrell Williams aka ‘Dj Tabone’ is an Emmy Award-Winning Broadcast Journalist, 3-Time AABJ Pioneer Award Nominee/Recipient, and currently hosts Atlanta’s ONLY Early-Drive Time NuRnB/Soul FM Radio Music Program, the critically-acclaimed “Soul Chamber” on WRFG 89.3 FM W ednesdays from 2PM-4PM. You can hear his mixes on MixCloud.com/DjTabone and Tuesdays @ Noon on ABLRadio.com. Look out for his ‘STATE OF THE URBAN MUSIC UNION’ coming soon.
Tales From The Booth 
