Last Friday (Oct. 2), the New Yorker Festival held a special panel called ?The New R&B? with Azekel, Bilal, James Fauntleroy and Kelela. It was moderated by New Yorker editor and writer Andrew Marantz.
The purpose was to evaluate the genre of R&B and discuss why these names are often associated with the label. FADER attended the panel and pulled some great quotes from each artist in their reporting, specifically as the panelists try to answer this question: ?Is R&B still a useful label, or is it time to dispense with the genre altogether??
Kelela, one of the fresh young acts behind experimental projects like her Cut 4 Me mixtape, spoke openly about the state of R&B and concluded that today?s R&B isn?t really new at all.
?The way that I sing ? it is not just a style,? Kelela said. ?It is not simply a hat I?m putting on today. There is a rhetoric right now? like the ?old? [R&B] wasn?t so sophisticated, but the ?new? one is so acceptable, and it has received white approval. I find that problematic, especially because that name is put on me a lot. But what about all the other people who have been doing this music for a very long time? It?s not new. It does piss me off for it to be seen as a new thing ? now it?s sophisticated? The rhetoric around it is, ?It?s been stepped up y?all. So now we can listen to it.??
She has a point. This year alone, we've seen some amazing R&B projects from veterans like Tyrese (Black Rose), Ciara (Jackie) and Ne-Yo (Non-Fiction), to name a few. Not to mention that R. Kelly's Buffet has yet to hit stores. At the panel, Azekel chimed in to support Kelela's assertion: ?The whole thing about ?progressive R&B? blows my mind. Black music has always been progressive.?
On the other hand, Bilal didn?t say much during the panel, but did open to say that R&B is starting to turn into hip hop. This year, he released his In Another Life LP, in which we wrote that ?it?s more socially aware, often taking on different perspectives and holding a mirror to society.? It's not necessarily a new take on hip hop, but Bilal is speaking to a bigger issue of why R&B can't be edgy anymore.
?R&B is gonna turn into hip hop,? he said. ?I?ve said it before: R&B, if you really want to do anything, is hip hop? you really want to be radical, you?ve got to be hip hop.?
You can read the rest of the story here, and let us know your thoughts on the premise of the new R&B. Should we be using this term?
FADER's article:
"Black Music Has Always Been Progressive:" Kelela, Bilal, And More Discuss The State Of R&B
A New Yorker Festival panel evaluated the genre.
?Is R&B still a useful label, or is it time to dispense with the genre altogether?? That was the premise of a panel Friday night (10/2) at the New Yorker Festival. In attendance to mull over this question were the young singers Kelela and Azekal, along with James Fauntleroy, who makes a living writing songs for stars (Justin Timberlake, Beyonc?), and Bilal, who was associated with the neo-soul movement when he emerged in the early ?00s, but has cut an unpredictable, idiosyncratic path since then.
The panel was dubbed ?The New R&B??a provocative title and one that may say more about the preoccupations of critics than the genre itself. The New Yorker convened the session, though the magazine didn?t cover R&B much in the ?00s. But in the last few years, the publication has pushed the idea of a fresh start for the genre: see a 2012 column on Frank Ocean?titled ?Sea Change: Frank Ocean and the new R&B??and a 2014 article about Kelela and FKA Twigs, which also had ?The New R&B? in its subtitle.
At The New Yorker Festival, Kelela wasted little time in dismissing the idea that today's R&B is really "new"?after all, radical changes have been hiding in plain sight for years on albums by Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly, and others. ?The way that I sing?it is not just a style,? Kelela asserted. ?It is not simply a hat I?m putting on today. There is a rhetoric right now? like the ?old? [R&B] wasn?t so sophisticated, but the ?new? one is so acceptable, and it has received white approval. I find that problematic, especially because that name is put on me a lot. But what about all the other people who have been doing this music for a very long time? It?s not new. It does piss me off for it to be seen as a new thing?now it?s sophisticated? The rhetoric around it is, ?it?s been stepped up y?all. So now we can listen to it.??
Of the four speakers, Azekel was the least verbal, but he also broke his silence to support Kelela?s assertion. ?The whole thing about ?progressive R&B? blows my mind,? he noted, shaking his head. ?Black music has always been progressive.?
The panelists were cheerfully argumentative throughout the night, directing most of their ire towards the record industry. (The site Pitchfork and the term ?PBR&B? also attracted a few barbs.) Fauntleroy was particularly amusing on this subject, telling a series of stories about obnoxious record executives saying things like ?urban music doesn?t mean shit??even as they bought his songs and made money when they became hits. ?The executive community doesn?t even want to understand why we?re up here,? he added, gesturing to the stage.
While Fauntleroy jovially threw darts without revealing his targets, Bilal served as his terse but equally cutting counterpart. His comments were brief, to the point, and delivered in a low monotone: ?that makes me happy when I can confuse people;? ?all Beatles records sound like R&B;? ?What American music is not black music?? (Occasionally he was more difficult to decipher: ?the world is so informed now that if you tell the truth, people think it?s a lie.?)
Bilal was the senior member of the panel and he likely has plenty to say about the danger of genre labels and cruelty of record labels. Like many singers associated with neo-soul, he struggled to find his footing when the bubble burst, and didn?t put out an album between 2001 and 2010. It would have been interesting to hear his perspective on the similarities between the two moments, but he kept those thoughts to himself.
Instead, aside from the occasional clich? nuggets about the state of the world??Cats have been writing songs forever about how the world is dying, and the world is still dying, no one gives a shit??the thing that seemed to worry Bilal the most was the encroachment of hip-hop. ?R&B is gonna turn into hip-hop,? he warned at one point. He reiterated that later in the evening, lamenting that no one looked to R&B for radical statements anymore: ?I?ve said it before: R&B, if you really want to do anything, is hip-hop? you really want to be radical, you?ve got to be hip-hop.? His tone suggested he was unwilling to make this type of stylistic concession.
At the moment, he?s settled on a compromise, singing with the likes of Kendrick Lamar to help fund his own left-of-center projects. ?It?s never been about money for me,? Bilal explained. ?It?s always been about art. You take money out of the situation, and they can?t really entice you so much.?
But the presence of label money and creativity don?t have to be at odds. Fauntleroy injected a quick history lesson into the conversation: ?When Stevie Wonder and Prince and all these different motherfuckers were having hit songs,? he noted, ?people were not smarter or dumber than they are right now. There were still billions of dumbass people who were loving Stevie Wonder.? There?s humor in that statement, but also an acknowledgement that R&B has always had the potential to be both radical and popular.
:stressed:
interesting read. I get Kelela's point. R&b been "new" or progressive isnt anything new, it has been done a lot in the past.
on other hand, I dont agree with the article about this year having "amazing albums by this and that". I havent heard anything amazing from Neyo or Ciara :dead: :dead: and no shade.
Kelela on other hand is doing something that stand out. She even got played twice on my country, well, a more alternative radio, but I was surprised. They have been playing Rewind this month, and I def use. Thats the stuff I appreciate. I just dont see Monica or Tamar doing anything for the genre, to be quite honest. But I know many of you guys use, so its fine. But not for me
Kelela better preach :stressed: Luv her
Quote from: Tijobr on October 07, 2015, 05:00:08 PM
interesting read. I get Kelela's point. R&b been "new" or progressive isnt anything new, it has been done a lot in the past.
on other hand, I dont agree with the article about this year having "amazing albums by this and that". I havent heard anything amazing from Neyo or Ciara :dead: :dead: and no shade.
Kelela on other hand is doing something that stand out. She even got played twice on my country, well, a more alternative radio, but I was surprised. They have been playing Rewind this month, and I def use. Thats the stuff I appreciate. I just dont see Monica or Tamar doing anything for the genre, to be quite honest. But I know many of you guys use, so its fine. But not for me
I agree with everything you said
Kelela is the future. I love that girl.
Quote from: iman on October 07, 2015, 04:51:26 PM
This year alone, we've seen some amazing R&B projects from veterans like Tyrese (Black Rose), Ciara (Jackie) and Ne-Yo (Non-Fiction), to name a few. Not to mention that R. Kelly's Buffet has yet to hit stores.
It was a good read til I read this mess. Tyrese's album is actually great, I'll give him that, but as a die hard R&B enthusiast I must say Ne-Yo's and Ciara's last projects were just atrocious.
And lastly R. Kelly is maybe the only veteran pure R&B artist that gets respect and taken seriously musically by the hipster/white audience.
And I can easily break down why. Black acts who do R&B are niche and mainstream at the same time, which means every black household will
have heard of a Ciara, which automatically loses her coolness points. These acts white blogs are love are supposed to be "underground".
The other reason people like Ci, Usher, Ne-Yo, aren't as respected is because they have compromised their music for generic ass sell out pop shit. No wonder none of the serious/credible sites appreciate them.
These new artists are doing old stuff from the 90's, but they market to everybody not just black radio / black TV / magazines etc. The internet exposes your stuff automatically to a more diverse consumer group than analog media used to.
Had brandy consequently stuck to that direction/transition from
Debut to afridisiac and continue on that path, she'd be even more massively hailed as a trailblazer and innovator in r&b. But after an album like human it's hard for media to give her that title.
That's what Solange was preaching when she was praising Brandy and others lol! A lot Ya'll ain't doin anything too "new", so keep it cute.
Quote from: Miranda on October 07, 2015, 05:34:17 PM
Had brandy consequently stuck to that direction/transition from
Debut to afridisiac and continue on that path, she'd be even more massively hailed as a trailblazer and innovator in r&b. But after an album like human it's hard for media to give her that title.
you may have a point. I also think when artists jump into other genres, more mainstream, they start loosing part of the respect/love they had and from a certain part of the industry/press too. Its a bit unfair, but I understand it to a degree.
Its just hard to find the balance to not become a "sell out" but at the same time be creative/artistic and having success doing it.
Quote from: Tijobr on October 07, 2015, 05:47:01 PM
Quote from: Miranda on October 07, 2015, 05:34:17 PM
Had brandy consequently stuck to that direction/transition from
Debut to afridisiac and continue on that path, she'd be even more massively hailed as a trailblazer and innovator in r&b. But after an album like human it's hard for media to give her that title.
you may have a point. I also think when artists jump into other genres, more mainstream, they start loosing part of the respect/love they had and from a certain part of the industry/press too. Its a bit unfair, but I understand it to a degree.
Like Usher.
I feel like R&B's biggest artists are kinda lazy. They aren't touring regularly. Not putting out enough art visually and consistently. They don't even try to step out of the box with their art. Idc what anyone says but I think touring is a big ass deal. Dunno why some of these artists aren't out here performing live for their fans on a consistent basis. Especially if Mainstream isn't booking you on the shows.
I just think Frank Ocean is amazing, the lyrics, the subjects..the production.
Neyo keeps recycling his sound and you can almost predict the lyrics already.
Yas queen stan for Ci. Rewind is odee to The Evolution anyway. She knows.
Random but BET need to start paying music videos again. I think it will help R&B alot.
Quote from: .betterwiseup on October 07, 2015, 10:35:15 PM
Random but BET need to start paying music videos again. I think it will help R&B alot.
Agreed
Quote from: M ? I on October 07, 2015, 08:01:52 PM
I feel like R&B's biggest artists are kinda lazy. They aren't touring regularly. Not putting out enough art visually and consistently. They don't even try to step out of the box with their art. Idc what anyone says but I think touring is a big ass deal. Dunno why some of these artists aren't out here performing live for their fans on a consistent basis. Especially if Mainstream isn't booking you on the shows.
they're trying but ppl arent buying the tickets. Chris had to come together with Trey to book arenas
Usher had to lower ticket prices. Its really a mess
Quote from: .betterwiseup on October 07, 2015, 10:35:15 PM
Random but BET need to start paying music videos again. I think it will help R&B alot.
who even watches videos on tv anymore though? :dead:
streaming is what helps songs pick up steam.
I wouldn't watch but BET does need to bring back some sort of platform for black artists again. The lost of 106 did have an effect in a way.
yea
no one watches videos anymore
but live performances & interviews are still important
Quote from: Miranda on October 07, 2015, 05:32:57 PM
Quote from: iman on October 07, 2015, 04:51:26 PM
This year alone, we've seen some amazing R&B projects from veterans like Tyrese (Black Rose), Ciara (Jackie) and Ne-Yo (Non-Fiction), to name a few. Not to mention that R. Kelly's Buffet has yet to hit stores.
It was a good read til I read this shit. Tyrese's album is actually great, I'll give him that, but as a die hard r&b enthusiast I must say Ne-Yo and Ciara's last projects were just atrocious.
And lastly r. Jelly is maybe the only veteran pure r&b artist that gets respect and taken seriously musically by the hipster/white audience.
And I can easily break down why. Black acts who do r&b are niche and mainstream at the same time, which means every black household will
have heard of a Ciara, which automatically loses her coolness points. These acts white blogs are love are supposed to be "underground".
The other reason people like Ci, Usher, Ne-Yo, aren't as respected us because they have compromised their shit for generic ass sell out pop shit. No wonder none of the serious/credible sites appreciate them.
These new artists are doing old stuff from the 90's, but they market to everybody not just black radio etc. the internet exposes your stuff automatically to a more diverse consumer group.
I agree 100%. Except I didn't like Tyrese's album :ohwow: "Shame" is nice tho.
Quote from: .betterwiseup on October 07, 2015, 10:35:15 PM
Random but BET need to start paying music videos again. I think it will help R&B alot.
Idk about videos helping cause these R&B artists don't have the budget they had in the 90's and 00's. I remember everyone used to have big video premieres and budgets. I think a TV special would really help. I hope BET looks into doing a show for R&B/soul artists.
Quote from: Gallis on October 07, 2015, 10:59:29 PM
I wouldn't watch but BET does need to bring back some sort of platform for black artists again. The lost of 106 did have an effect in a way.
sdddd I mean... a lot of them barely supported. The gorls trying to give an
"oh! ABOVE!" kind of mess as if they had other platforms to promote their music. :uhh:
Even though they're TRASH, that's why I respect Piss n Nicki so much for continuously showing BET love n respect because thats who gave them their fucking START. :uhh:
well, BET is always up Fist and Nicki's asses so they don't have a choice.
Quote from: iman on October 07, 2015, 11:36:50 PM
Quote from: .betterwiseup on October 07, 2015, 10:35:15 PM
Random but BET need to start paying music videos again. I think it will help R&B alot.
Idk about videos helping cause these R&B artists don't have the budget they had in the 90's and 00's. I remember everyone used to have big video premieres and budgets. I think a TV special would really help. I hope BET looks into doing a show for R&B/soul artists.
!!!!!! I dont see the point anymore... not only because of streaming, but because none of the gorls can afford quality videos. It would be an embarrassment.