In reply to EnRanc.

The comments section of TGJ are usually such a cesspool of stupidity and sludge that it becomes a treat when someone replies with something that has perspective and intelligence. This is actually what I've been saying for years. Most r&b artists are failing not because of their sound or style or because people aren't interested, but rather because 80% of them seem to have incompetent people handling their business and running their careers. That combined with the music biz not treating urban artists fairly has created an ugly hemorrhage. Sound-wise r&b doesn't need to update itself more than any other genre. What about Taylor Swift's music is fresh, innovated or hasn't been done a thousand times before by a thousand others? She's just as predictable and 'stale' as any run of the mill r&b singer but her handlers are crafty enough to come up with airtight marketing strategies that work. Her being white and blond absolutely makes that easier and gives her an unfair advantage over a Teairra Marí type and yes that's maddening, but TM types need to own up to having such atrocious organization that would make any kind of success virtually impossible. Urban acts are going to have to stop waiting for the good fairy to bless them, recognize that the scales aren't tipped in their favor and start becoming more shrewd in their packaging and work ethic so that they can get around the hurdles.