January 30th, 2008Da' Soul Recordings Group LLC. R&B And Soul Music Is Alive And Well!
So who believes R&B and Soul Music is dead? Well I for one certainly don’t!! The truth and reality is (in my humble opinion) that the powers that be, Mass Media, Clear Channel Radio, video outlets, etc… and the music buying public (Pre-teens, teens, and Young Adults) just aren’t as interested in that genre of music as they are in Rap music.
Lets face it, the mass media in general and Clear Channel Radio, are interested in making big bucks!! I don’t blame them, everybody wants to make money. Pre-teens, Teens, and Young Adults are the main consumers of music these days just as all of us "Baby Boomers" were once upon a time. So what’s the deal?
Record companies want to reach the people who are going to buy their products. Thus they employ those that make the music that the music buying public wants to hear. At this day and age, Rap music is all the rage… So Why Rap?
Well let’s look at the differences between R&B and Soul Acts as compared to Rap Acts… Take a soul act such as Earth Wind & Fire or Cameo… both of these acts are self contained bands who actually play instruments, sing, dance, and record… Not to mention both are awesome live acts. Now take Grand Master Flash & The Furious Five or the Sugar Hill Gang… They didn’t have to play instruments (Though maybe some of them could or can… You tell me ok?), they don’t sing, don’t dance, they just record their raps to a generated beat often sampled from the aforementioned soul groups or other soul groups…
A deeper look at the differences… Hmm… Lets see… It’s expensive to be in a soul music group… You know, to have to buy instruments… Take lessons, form a group, write YOUR OWN MUSIC, practice dance steps, attire (Got to look good!), deal with multiple personalities, deal with equipment problems, and splitting your money up between however many members there are. For the record company… Hmm… Pay bigger advances, more contracts to write up, higher studio cost, due to longer time spent putting a project together, Band personnel changes and in general, a bigger hassle than it’s worth when the record fails to sell well.
Rap artist… Lower overhead in general… Fewer people to have under contract, can produce a project in a fraction of the time, lower advances paid out, can package a tour with several rap artist to maximise cost involved in touring, don’t have to deal with a band or back up singers, and the young people with their ever changing taste… Well they buy it!!
Now listen, I grew up on Rap music, I dig Kurtis Blow, Run DMC, Kool Moe Dee, LL Cool J, Eric B & Rakim, UTFO, The Fat Boys, Biz Markie, and so many more… The newer rappers on the block such as Nelly, Jay Z, Common, etc… I don’t like all of it, but I feel ya… So I’m not totally knocking the rap thing… It’s just that there is so much more than rap!!
Give me some Temptations, New Edition, Brass Construction, Tower Of Power, Average White Band, O’Jays, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Al Hudson & One Way, "J", The Deele, Morris Day, The Time, Prince, Hall & Oats, Aretha Franklin, Sade, Patti Labelle, Angie Stone, Jill Price, Regina Belle, Karen White, Stephanie Mills, S.O.S. Band, Four Tops, Temptations, Blue Magic, The Spinners, Otis Redding, Teena Marie, Smokey Robinson, Zapp, Roger Trautman (RIP), Rick James (RIP), James Brown (RIP), The Jackson Five, Boys II Men, Hi-Five, Ralph Tresvant, Tony Thompson (RIP) Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, Babyface, Terrence Trent Darby, Chazz Dixon, Anita Easterling, Lyfe Jennings, Mario, Sammie, Ricardo, Sonny Garr, Renee, Luther (RIP), even Usher & that young brother Chris Brown and so many more young artists both young and old, holding it down for Soul music and R&B.
Well check out the link and hear what Milwaukees own Da’ Soul Recordings Group LLC. CEO "J" & Vice President Chazz Dixon have to say about the state of the music Biz today… The page features two video interviews as well as a sample of the Soul and R&B music being produced right here in Milwaukee. So again I say… Who says R&B and Soul Music is dead? If it’s you… Well I suggest you think again and check out what’s going on right in your back yard!!
Also check out Soul Express… It’s a UK site (Where Soul Music and R&B have never died) that features the music that those us 35 and older grew up listening to… For instance, did you know that O’Bryan had a new CD out? Did you know that Chris Jasper Of the Isley brothers is still making music as is Ray Parker Jr.? Ha, ha… R&B and Soul Music dead… Not hardly… see ya next time and I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this topic.
Peace
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