madison blogs
November 2007
Been thinkin'! After a recent visit to my local music store......
When did soul music suddenly become labeled urban, hip-hop and new jack swing?
What happened to the simple term 'soul' music? Even at this year’s MOBO awards there was an obvious lack of a soul category. Now, everything in music stores with a soulful flavour now seems to fall under the the category 'Urban'!! Where did that come from?? At last year’s MOBOs they nominated Anthony Hamilton in the Reggae section – what!!. Here’s the Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of Urban: A type of music, especially street music, that originates from a city, and typically reflects or is characteristic of urban life. If there’s now an Urban category why isn’t there a Rural category? Makes you wonder!
I blame the record company marketer's and executives for this. It goes without saying that when sales and consumer interest are starting to slip they re-invent, re-package and re-brand with a new shiny image.
There are people around who will tell you that Soul and Rhythm and Blues is dead and that music lovers who follow these genres are generally living in the past! Similarly, while it's certainly true that much of the truly great blues music was created in the 50s and 60s - the same could be said of most other forms of popular music. Rhythm and Blues certainly doesn't sell as well as it did in its heyday, and its lack of commercial success, means that you have to look a little harder to find examples in the modern era. But Blues has re-invented itself on a number of occasions with the rise of artists such as Robert Cray, who has proved that the blues can still sell in the millions. 'Comeback' albums by the likes of John Lee Hooker and Buddy Guy support the notion that Rhythm and Blues can survive in a modern musical setting. It’s also true of contemporary soul music, it’s simply now been re-named!!
How soul became urbanised and new jack began to swing!
The transition from soul to a new and shiny R&B, (as apposed to the old Rhythm and Blues, new R&B is a term hi-jacked from it's original genre), happened in the early 1980s when Luther Vandross and new stars such as Prince and Michael Jackson rose in popularity and a new category was invented to differentiate from old school soul. Female soul singers such as Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson, also now known as R&B singers, became very popular during second half of the 1980s, and Tina Turner also came back re-launched with a sassy make-over with a series of hits.
In 1986, Teddy Riley began producing R&B recordings that included influences from the increasingly popular genre of hip-hop. This combination of R&B style and hip-hop rhythms was termed new jack swing, and was applied to artists such as Keith Sweat and vocal group Levert.
In the new jack swing and R&B group Boyz II Men, the most successful R&B male vocal group of all time, repopularized classic soul-inspired vocal harmonies. Boyz II Men and several of their competitors benefited from producer and writer, Babyface. As a solo artist, Babyface and contemporaries such as Brian McKnight demonstrated prominent hip-hop influences, and recorded in a smooth, soft style of R&B termed quiet storm.
In the early 1990s, more R&B artists began adding even more of a rap and hip-hop sound to their work. The synthesizer-heavy rhythm tracks of new jack swing was replaced by grittier New York hip-hop-inspired backing tracks, resulting in a genre labeled hip-hop soul. Are you with it so far?? Hip-hop soul artists such as Aaliyah, Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly, Brandy and Usher brought more of hip-hop slang, style, and attitude to R&B music. This subgenre includes a heavy gospel influence in terms of vocal inflections and sounds.
In the late 1990s, neo soul (which added 1970s soul influences to the hip-hop soul blend) arose, led by artists such as Aaliyah, D'Angelo, Lauryn Hill and Maxwell. Artists such as Missy Elliott further blurred the line between R&B and hip-hop by recording both styles.
In the early 2000s, in the UK, R&B found its way into UK garage, typified by R&B style singing accompanied by drum and bass rhythms. Among the most notable acts are Mis-Teeq and Craig David, who crossed over to the American R&B market.
By the mid 2000s, the cross-pollination between R&B and hip-hop had increased to the point where, in most cases, the only prominent difference between a record being a hip-hop record or an R&B record is whether its vocals are rapped or sung. Mainstream modern R&B has a sound more based on rhythm than hip-hop soul had, and lacks the hardcore and soulful urban feel on which hip-hop soul relied. That rhythmic element descends from new jack swing.
R&B or urban continues to be popular, with artists such as Alicia Keys, Anthony Hamilton and Angie Stone showcasing classic soul influences in their work.
Whatever label it’s now sold under, it’s all still sweet soul music to me! Long live old soul, neo soul, urban soul, hip-hop soul, northern soul, southern soul new jack swing soul and R&B soul!! Whatever!!
Sat 22nd Nov 2008