Y'all Remember When R&B Videos Used to Tell Stories?

[MidniteJay]

I saw one as a kid that I thought was dark, I can't remember the singer (maybe R. Kelly) or song but I remember goons running up this guy's house and they fukked him up bad. He ends up in the hospital comatose with bandages all over and hooked to a machine.

 

[Ol’Otis]

I saw one as a kid that I thought was dark, I can't remember the singer (maybe R. Kelly) or song but I remember goons running up this guy's house and they fukked him up bad. He ends up in the hospital comatose with bandages all over and hooked to machine.

Down Low and yes it is R.Kelly

 

[Roger king]

R and B at its best was some of the best music in modern era . Its a shame its being fading out and no longer relevant

 

[Hathaway]

R and B at its best was some of the best music in modern era . Its a shame its being fading out and no longer relevant

 

[98Ntu]

R and B at its best was some of the best music in modern era . Its a shame its being fading out and no longer relevant

It really was. I mean if we’re just talking the 90s and earliest parts of the 2000s: there are so many well written and well produced songs to choose from. It doesn’t matter if you want a huge artist like Mary J Blige, Usher, etc or a more obscure artist, you can find gems.

This whole morning, I’ve been listening to Puff Johnson, Jesse Powell, Total, Jill Scott, Tony! Toni! Tone!, Joi Gilliam, D’Angelo and the list goes on. R&B of this era is so brilliant. So rich and full of incredible depth and compositional greatness. Also, being creative was key. You couldn’t make the same ambient, dark trap-soul sounding song over and over again. You had to be creative.

 

[98Ntu]

There is good R&B now but good soul music is not getting a big promotion and as OP stated music videos with explicit storytelling aren’t necessarily en vogue for modern R&B artists. It sucks.

I’d love to see artists like PHABO, Fana Hues or Ambré get more press but we don’t live in that era rn. Maybe R&B will have a renaissance? Hopefully

 

[Piff Tannen]

 

[Hathaway]

Maybe R&B will have a renaissance? Hopefully

It's the masses. Theyve been condition to believe that the trash they hear today is "good music". The market determines what's popular to some degree. Executives also play a roll but it's ultimately up to the consumers. People like us realize how garbage music is and we don't make that big of a fuss about it. We just stick to our own playlist from back in the day and let the trash stockpile.

I believe real music is timeless and can impact any generation. I believe if you were to play some Jodeci, EW&F or some Mary J to these young heads, theyd rock with it because it's unlike everything they're hearing these days. Its genuine. Real art. They just dont know that this shyt exists for the most part.

I was riding with my little bro a while back. He's 17. I was playing my Music Soulchild playlist and Just Friends came on. He was really rocking with it. He was like yo what's this? Song is a whole vibe. I'm like that's that real shyt lil nikka. He was tryna find it on his spotify. These kids just need guidance on this music shyt from the older cats.

 

[Hathaway]

Rep for posting Avant. He had a lil run there as I was exiting Middle School. Dont Take Your Love Away. Read Your Mind. Making Good Love. 4 Minutes and his shyt with KeKe Wyatt.

The beat for Read Your Mind is a masterclass in mood setting, tempo, sensuality and sexiness. One of the best love making beats I've ever heard. That boom on the bass. nikkas was on another level back in the day with this music shyt

 

[Dem313wayz]

Thread = Bring RKelly Byke

R Kelly and Mr. Biggs

 

[Hathaway]

Thread = Bring RKelly Byke

 

[Hathaway]

So many timeless and unsung Artist from the early 00s. Man I could make a thread on these people and their musical impact on me:

Tyrese
Eric Benet
Maxwell
Jill Scott
Avant
Deborah Cox
Tamia
R.L
Heather Headley
Musiq
Ginuwine
Tank
Case
Ruben Studdard
Donnell Jones
Kelly Price
Joe
Kenny Lattimore
Anthony Hamilton
Jagged Edge

So many people you haven't heard anyone mention their names in years

 

[Piff Tannen]

R Kelly and Mr. Biggs

You may have been a moon to her, but to me she's a star

 

[Dave24]

@Hathaway who would you say are the top 100 r and b artists of all time and/or top 100 r and b songs of all time??

 

[Dave24]

Nvm