The Diddy-incited debate about the status of R&B rages on, earning weigh-ins from fans and practitioners of the beloved musical genre.
While many argue the format is on life support given its commercial performance of late (in relation to that of Pop, Rock, Rap, and Country), staunch supporters of R&B are clapping back hard at the inference of its failing viability and vitality.
Just days after the genre’s current male leader Chris Brown suggested debaters “shut up” in regard to the topic, veteran act Usher is indirectly saying and same.
What’s more, he’s criticizing his longtime friend Diddy for even starting the conversation.
In a recently unveiled chat with Bevy Smith, the ‘Burn’ singer – who is burning up the Sin City Strip with his red hot ‘My Way’ Las Vegas residency – waxed honest about his disdain for those who are counting R&B out.
“When I hear people say stuff like ‘What happened to R&B?’ or ‘R&B is dead’…it’s not. You just don’t understand the basis of it. Matter fact, maybe I need a reminder, an understanding of what it is,” he said. “How can something come out 20-some-odd years ago, and then all of a sudden have a resurgence in a way that people just wanna talk about it, sing it, enjoy it? That’s because it’s classic. That’s ‘Superstar.’ That’s R&B.”
When not talking about the conversation overall, he set his sights on his ‘I Need a Girl’ co-star.
“So, when I do hear people, even like Puff saying ‘R&B is dead,’ he sounds nuts to me. It sounds crazy, you know, especially knowing he was a pioneer in understanding and beneficiary of it. You know, the source that is R&B created the breath of life that was breathed into Hip Hop,” he said before later relaying, “There wouldn’t be—there would be no Hip Hop if there were not R&B. So it’s blasphemous to hear people say anything—especially Hip Hop cats—to say anything about R&B. It’s like, nah, it’s been there. It’s gon’ stay there.”
That’s not all he said. Hear more from R&B legend below.
Rnb is not dead, it’s just not the genre of the moment but it doesn’t prevent some artists to make rnb songs/albums. Look at SZA, Khelani, Summer Walker, Alicia Keys, Mary J Blige, etc… I agree with Usher, that sounds nuts.
Rap is the real dead genre. Just look at Nicki Minaj….
Good or bad, some artists are making r&b music, but there’s no collective effort to breathe more life into the genre. The people who have the power and ability to change it want things to stay this way. I think part of it is political. Politicians and world leaders want black boys to be consumed with aspirations of rap careers instead of one day having a seat next to them in places where we would make decisions that promote wealth and power among blacks. Imagine how much further we would be with social justice if more black men had valued education over fame. Rap music in general is being used as a tool to keep black boys and girls comfortable with the status quo. A large majority wants to have big things but not do big things.
Blame the parents who are NOT given their children the confidence, resources and skills needed to compete and thrive in a society, we call the rat race.
Of course the “Powers that be” do NOT won’t anyone dethroning them. That’s obvious for most ppl except for young black boys who have been heavily conditioned to be submissive toward women and men who despise them but will happily exploit them for personal gain.
For the most part, young black boys have no REAL FRIENDS and mostly broken Families.