Now That I'm Older I Realize What The Neptunes Always Lacked

[Breh Obama]

Yes, you're wrong. Chad is Filipino (aka the n199@5 of Asia) and plays sax. His band instructor said he had the pedigree to be the next kenny g (an anglo but soulful). The Neptunes catalog has plenty of 'soulful' cuts like Jay-Z's Allure, SWV's Use Your Heart, Usher's U Don't Have To Call, Justin T's Senorita (a record of Stevie Wonder's influence), Chad Hugo's work on The Internet's Dontcha, etc.

Did you neg OP for saying the same thing I did?

 

[CodeBlaMeVi]

Did you neg OP for saying the same thing I did?

No and I didn't neg you either.

 

[IllmaticDelta]

Timbo used more breakbeats and samples...Smk's drums..., Pharrell and Chad did a lot more programming and key playing. Of course timbo's shyt sounds a bit more soulful...there are bits and pieces of soul in most of his work.

Timbo is more of a straight hiphop producer who can make hiphop influenced, R&B

Pharell is more a guy who sounds like he bases his sound in 70s R&B but can make hiphop/hiphop influenced R&B

 

[Breh Obama]

No and I didn't neg you either.

Other bytch ass nikkas are even though they dapped up OPs post and I'm saying the same exact thing

Do you agree with ops post?

 

[CodeBlaMeVi]

Other bytch ass nikkas are even though they dapped up OPs post and I'm saying the same exact thing

Do you agree with ops post?

No I do not.

 

[Blackout]

Yep I agree that the lack of soul is why music has dropped in quality

 

[SirBiatch]

In regard to Kanye, I feel like his production lost it's soul once his drums/drum programming fell off. I mean, you could loop a dope sample, but the drums and the other elements that are added are more important. A dope sample can be ruined by weak drums/drum programming. What's crazy is it's like he felt his drums were weak because with Graduation, he started outsourcing drum programming to other producers. He even fell back on production with each album and credited himself with additional production.

His drums/drum programming was ever on?

To be fair, I know what you mean. His drumlessness definitely got worse over time but it's not like he had strong drums to begin with. That was always his weak point.

Yep I agree that the lack of soul is why music has dropped in quality

the best song KRIT ever made, and he didn't even do the beat. The irony

 

[Standing on business]

A lot of Neptunes stuff is very soulful though.

do you own the mpk shown in your avy?

 

[DJ Mart-Kos]

do you own the mpk shown in your avy?

No, i just find it a cool picture.

 

[getmoney310cpt]

Good observation. I never really thought about that

In fact the only joint I can think of with a little soul is their earliest work

this the exact song i was thinking about when i had to question myself on if they ever had "soul" in the music...every other hit from drop it like its hot, its alright (phillys most wanted), superthug (nore) even griding..had no soul

 

[PhonZhi]

No way you can listen to Kaleidoscope and tell me that had no soul.

I listen to it often actually, one of my fav albums but it doesn't have an "urban" feel to me.

This song has some "soul" to it



but it doesn't feel "black". Any pop artist couldve had those beats.

 

[PhonZhi]

What I meant by "soul" is an urban, unapologetically black feel to it.

Neptunes don't have a



Or a



In their arsenal.

The vast majority of their stuff is aimed at a mainstream (aka white people) audience.

 

[PhonZhi]

You expected "urban" and "soul" from a chinese guy and a nikka that calls himself "Skateboard P"?

Nah, never expected it as their reign was actually happening. Just something I've noticed in hindsight.

They have very few joints that make me "feel". Soul makes you "feel".

While I enjoy the hell out of their music, I hardly "feel" anything when listening to it.

 

[VladTheImpaler]

I was bumping this Timbo laced track yesterday



and I thought about how "black" this song is

Its "urban". Its "black. Its for US. It has "soul". Alot of Timbaland production has "soul". His collaborations with Ginuwine and Aaliyah are full of his most soulful work. Justin Timberlake could never do those songs the same justice as a black artist.

Same with Kanye. I used to rock with Kanye when he was on his "soul" shyt. His Never Change and This Can't Be Life beats for Jay is some of my favorites. And lets not even talk about the entire BE album

This joint wit Brandy has a very "urban" feel for example:




Neptunes were always my fav producers coming up, but now that I'm older I can't help but to notice how "soulless" the majority of their music is. I just don't "feel" alot of their music.

They have a couple joints that I sorta feel:






But overall, they are the true definition of "pop" producers.

They lack "soul".

Well actually the sound makes since... Pharrell is from Va Beach but he moved to a different spot in town and went to Princess Anne or as locals call it P.A.
The school was at that time mostly white but had a small Black population... kinda during the skateboard/punk rock stage... so I am sure this movement influences his sound a lot. Teddy Riley purchased a studio next door to the school and the linked... but being in this environment I can see how even though he made hip hop and rock-ish beats his style was always gonna be influenced by vibes around him in my view

 

[AquaCityBoy]

Yea they should have done more .

This is one my favorite Neptunes-produced songs, but their problem is that their production didn't age that well, and it all sounds dated.

Timbaland beats from 20-25 years ago still sound fresh, but the most well-known Neptunes beats all scream "2001."