Bobby Brown, Kelly Price, Dwele, Coko, Joe & More – Talk ‘R&B Music’ With UB
With all of the talk recently about, who’s the real King of R&B. We wanted to add to that conversation, something we’ve been discussing for years; R&B Music as a whole.
Over the years we’ve interviewed some of everybody, in R&B. We usually pose a question with many of them regarding the genre.
With this special R&B Bridgez, we look back at some of those interviews to remind you how some of your favorites feel about the forever changing genre.
We took some of the best quotes from the late Teena Marie, Stephanie Mills, Bobby Brown, Mint Condition, JOE, Kelly Price, Dwele, Coko, Keke Wyatt, Leela James, RL, Cece Peniston and Faith Evans.
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UrbanBridgez.com: Since June is Black Music Month, what has Soul and R&B music meant to you throughout your career?
Teena Marie: It’s been my whole life. I remember being told a story about taking me to church when I was two years old attending a Catholic church and the priest was chanting in Latin (chants in Latin). I jumped up and sang “Day….Daaaay O! Daylight come and me want to go home!” That’s pretty amazing for a two year old singing about a black man tallying up some bananas in the islands. To me, that just says the chant came from somewhere else; you know what I’m saying? I’m guessing it was just the beginning to my destiny. I really appreciate the fact all these years black people as well as black radio has embraced me the way they have. You know they gave me a ghetto pass! I thought that was so funny to me, I said this is so cool! Teena Marie has a lifetime ghetto pass! (laughs)
UrbanBridgez.com: What’s your thoughts on the current state of R&B, from radio to some of the newer artists?
Stephanie Mills: You know I think they’ve made less R&B, don’t you? Do you think they’ve made Rap music R&B?
UrbanBridgez.com: Yes!
Stephanie Mills: What true R&B artists is really out there? Really, I mean there are very few like Ledisi…
UrbanBridgez.com: Leela James, SWV….
Stephanie Mills: Yeah and who else? Because like Mary J. Blige is mainstream, Beyonce’ is mainstream, Rihanna is mainstream. Chris Brown is and all the other black artists who are really, really at superstar status are mainstream artists. So for R&B I really don’t know, I think that Rap is R&B today. If that makes any sense and I love Lil Wayne, I love Jay-Z, I love listening to them. I love some of the rap, I can’t listen to it all day, but I love listening to some of them. I think that’s the new R&B. I mean you have Keyshia Cole and Monica and Brandy. I’m very happy they came back out and they’re doing R&B. But Brandy is kind of mainstream also, but I like their new song. I don’t know, there really isn’t any R&B to really speak of. You know with Gerald LeVert gone, there is no one really holding up that male R&B like Teddy (Pendergrass) did, you know what I mean? Even though Teddy was mainstream too but he was such a strong R&B male. Gerald was doing that and he’s gone, so there isn’t anybody really doing that now.
Black Music Month Interview Series: UB Speaks to The Legendary Stephanie Mills
UrbanBridgez.com: For Black Music Month: What is something you would like to see change as far as the direction urban music has been headed in recent years?
Leela James: Well I’ve always said since the beginning of entering this business and game that I’ve always taken a stand for real music & singers. I would just love for it to be variety and balance. Versus the same one or two artists shown love and advertised. I know at the end of the day it’s more bigger than that, it’s all politics, money & budgets. But it would be nice if media, radio and everyone just took a stand for all artists and open up the platform for other options. Instead of just the same thing…like I was telling someone earlier. You get conditioned into thinking that what is mediocre and bad is good. Bad isn’t good, but bad becomes good if that’s all you hear and have nothing to compare it to. Like if all you’ve been fed is McDonald’s all your life, when you get a real solid home cooked meal you might be like what is this foreign food (laughs).
Black Music Month Interview Series: Soulful Leela James Speaks The Spirit of Etta James
UrbanBridgez.com: This is a true to R&B album indeed, what are your thoughts on R&B music overall right now?
JOE: It’s going more Hip-Hop than it use to be. That’s just not in the sound of it, it’s the swag of the R&B industry. Specially with the young artists that are out now. I think it’s so important not to lose the essence of what it really is. The soul, the passion, the love, if you’re a group the blending and harmonizing together. That’s a lost art in itself. So understanding what R&B is and what the soul of R&B is, I think that’s what’s missing a little bit. I do see potential in artists that will have longevity. We have young Chris Brown who reminds me of Michael Jackson, he has strong potential to be around for quite some time. Trey Songz is like a little young Marvin Gaye, so to speak. So you have the artists that have their thing going a little bit. Also Miguel, who’s like a little young Prince. So they remind me of some of that essence of what that R&B was. As long as they keep in mind to continue to build, expand and grow and be who you are and be better.
UrbanBridgez.com: R&B is at such a crossroad right now in regards to the direction it’s been headed in current years, what’s one of your biggest issues in the direction it’s been headed?
Bobby Brown: I think R&B is coming back man, I think it’s needed out there for the masses. Everybody needs to be talking about love and not booty shake here and booty shake there and suck you right here. I mean music just needs to go somewhere else now. I’m glad I’m apart of trying to take it somewhere else.
UrbanBridgez.com: What’s your opinion on current various successful R&B artists, now recording more pop/dance albums than R&B when it was R&B music that led to their success to begin with?
Bobby Brown: Well R&B ain’t nothing but Pop music anyway. Popular music isn’t anything but R&B music. Hey, to each it’s own. If you want to crossover, crossover. I think everybody wants their music to be heard by the masses. R&B is just the worlds music.
Black Music Month Interview Series: Bobby Brown Speaks to UB About “The Masterpiece”
UrbanBridgez.com: You’ve always been sort of outspoken when it comes to the industry, what are your thoughts on the current state of R&B with some of the biggest artists now doing more Pop/Dance than R&B?
RL: Well the truth is most R&B stars these days want to be rappers or dance/pop stars. Which I respect and I understand the growth. But it’s sad when the hottest R&B album that has come out this year is Believe by Justin Bieber. It’s rockin’ but it’s R&B. People are realizing that they’re trying to crossover but it’s never been like that, they’ve crossover to us. We never had to crossover, we made the rules, we made the styles, we set the trends. Now we’re following up and trying to catch something that is unattainable. Look I’m going to always be black and have soulfulness in my voice and I embrace that, some people don’t. I think R&B is where it’s suppose to be, I don’t want to sound like the old dude in the club looking at young girls butts. I’m not bitter, I’ve accomplished and I just want to stay in my lane. I’m actually glad nobody is in my lane that just makes more room for me. I just don’t feel like it’s that real R&B like that, even with R. Kelly, he’s doing more of the steppers/old school sound, which is dope but different. I think music is just in a different place and I respect it and embrace it. But I feel you can still evolve but stay true to your fanbase.
UB Interview: RL Stays True to R&B with Upcoming Mixtape & Album
UrbanBridgez.com: How do you feel about all of the auto-tune and other technology enhancing tricks used in the studio these days to make artists sound better, do you think it helps or hurts an artist?
CeCe Peniston: You know what at this point it doesn’t even matter. Because what people are listening to is just that. So if you’re the type of artist that concentrates…let me put it like this for myself. I can sing live, so for me it’s a little different when you’re a real singer and that’s naturally what you do then. But this is just like a different form or stylizing that comes with the music that people are doing now. So either you get in and get on board and don’t trip on it. Or get left behind, because that’s just where things are right now. Meaning there is some form of it, it doesn’t mean that you have to turn the auto-tune up to 10 and sound like a robot. But there is just some form to it in almost every song that you hear.
UrbanBridgez.com: R&B has been getting a bad rap lately and honestly for a good reason compared to what it once was, how do you guys manage to stay true to the genre as well as the band?
Rick (Mint Condition): We’re all perfect for each other because like I’m the artist that can do whatever but I think about radio a little also. So getting it all together is the hard part. Then it’s like hit, hit, hit. We gotta have a hit record, some of us are like it has to be an R&B record. Some of us are like it has to be something different, we gotta give people something new, we can’t give people the same thing we’ve been giving them. We have the perfect balance, so that’s where it all comes from.
Stokley (Mint Condition): That’s why you hear all of these different influences because everybody has all of these different ingredients. We’re all influenced by the same things, but different stuff as well. Jazz, Funk, etc. so we mix it all in. We don’t leave anything out, you don’t get that anywhere else.
90’s R&B Interview Series: Mint Condition Speaks to UrbanBridgez.com
UrbanBridgez.com: How do you think we can get that 90’s vibe back in the music of R&B, oppose to now where it’s like labels are looking for just a hit and back then artists like yourself seemed to be making memorable music?
Faith Evans: I don’t know, we definitely can’t get back to the 90’s (laughs). I mean I know with me personally I try to just stick with my program and I think that’s what my fans appreciate about me. Not that I’m giving you the same song I made back in 95, but at the same time I don’t try and stray away from what I think feels good to me. It’s never like, oh I need to do this because this is what’s current or I hear this sound the most on the radio. Someone told me recently and I was very happy to hear it, someone who I really respect like a huge artist. They said you do such a good job at staying the same, but keeping it updated! I’m like oh really, okay (laughs). I don’t necessarily do it on purpose but it is 2011 and I’m still me so let me just do what I do (laughs)!
90’s R&B Interview Series: “The First Lady” Faith Evans Speaks to UrbanBridgez.com
UrbanBridgez.com: You were a part of the glory days of R&B in the ’90s. What would you say is missing in that genre today?
Kelly Price: I feel like live instrumentation is missing, and just the ability to get up and sing. I’m not talking about somebody who can’t sing. But every voice when heard in its natural state, has some flaws to it – for some of us, it’s raspiness. But our voices are instruments. So for guitarists, they’ll pick a certain guitar if they want a more raspy, airy sound or they’ll tune the strings a certain way. And then if they’re looking for something different, they’ll go for a different kind of guitar. Voices are the same way. I feel like that with all of the technology, we’re losing the nature of music in its most authentic state. But coming up in the ’90s era of R&B music and even in the early 2000s – the early millennial releases – you still had that. I would love to be able to see that live more, not that I don’t like what’s happening now, it’s an evolution of what was there before, but I don’t feel that it’s necessary to eliminate what was for what is.
UrbanBridgez.com You’ve been in this business since you were a teen and have seen the industry pretty much come full circle. What’s your opinion of the current state of R&B from a radio standpoint?
Coko: I don’t even listen to the radio. Not the new school stations, I just listen to the old school stations. It’s just different, not my cup of tea. There are people out there that I still rock with, that I enjoy. But for the most part I don’t really get with it. I love Rihanna, because she don’t care (laughs). She makes good music, so she’s one of the people that I really like. Of course Beyonce,’ it’s amazing to see. Because I’ve known her since she was like 10 years old. To see the woman that she has become is great. Fantasia and I’m waiting for something from Jazmine Sullivan, because she’s like one of the best! There are a lot of them out there that are still doing it. They just don’t get the shine that they deserve! So it can become frustrating at times.
UB Interview: Coko Speaks on C & T Shoe Bar, SWV’s Reality Show, “I Missed Us” & More
UrbanBridgez: What’s your take on the current state of R&B and where some of the biggest artists have taken the direction of their music now?
Dwele: I feel like R&B is wearing alot of different hats and has been for awhile now. I love, listen to and respect all of those different genres within R&B. I think the only problem I have is when it comes to radio, they honor certain genres of R&B more than others. It’s not really a balance as far as that goes. Soulful R&B doesn’t get the same plays as Pop R&B. That’s my only complaint. As far as others veering off to do Pop, I’m cool with it, do what you do. Alot of it I like, So I’m for it, I wouldn’t want them to stop.
UrbanBridgez.com: You spoke earlier about the current state of R&B, what do you think can be done to get it back to where it was?
Keke Wyatt: People can go buy all of Keke Wyatt’s albums (laughs). You know if people start buying it, we’ll sing it. I mean we are out here, we’re just waiting for people to buy our albums.
[We continue the conversation Friday; New Interview with Raheem DeVaughn | #UBInterviewFriday]
