Randomness: Sam’s Twitter Rant

Published: Tuesday 21st Sep 2010 by Sam

Needless to say, it’s been somewhat of a slow news day thus far. In any case, the extra time saw yours truly think back to a random Twitter outburst had earlier this week. Reflecting on the state of the industry today, left me none-too-impressed with what it seems to be descending into.

Ever keen to hear what you all are thinking, have a read and let us know what your thoughts are on the topic…

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  1. Tiff September 21, 2010

    umm…ok

  2. kellz September 21, 2010

    I pretty much agree with what you’ve stated. Bad times

  3. kellz September 21, 2010

    And indeed slow news day. I’m just glad you don’t do like M** and make stuff up. “This body looks pregnant!!1!” That body had surgery!!1!!”

  4. That Cranberry Sauce September 21, 2010

    No post on LA Reid being fired?

  5. idrag4mj September 21, 2010

    yes the industry is a big flop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  6. stan September 21, 2010

    write a blog post, instead of 50 continuous tweets.

  7. Gaz@NokiaMusic September 21, 2010

    Glad you posted this Sam, or I’d have missed it… I do like a good rant. Who’s M** BTW? We should catch up soon.

  8. Nothing But My Opinion September 21, 2010

    preach lol

  9. ALEX September 21, 2010

    Sam lets set up our own record label!
    Grape Records! lol
    Trent will be the adviser (tell artists if their up to smack)
    we’ll sign Chris, Ciara Kelly n R.T.I first!

  10. politicallyincorrect September 21, 2010

    Amerie, Ashanti, Ciara great acts? LOL

  11. WAKE UP SAYS THE QUEEN September 21, 2010

    SOME PEOPLE MAY THINK HE IS CRAZY, BUT HE IS RIGHT ON THE MONEY. REALLY WHERE IS THE REAL TALENT ANYMORE. MOST WOMEN HAVE TO SHOW A NIPPLE OR CROTCH TO BE FAMOUS, AND STILL CANT HOLD A NOTE LIKE RIHANNA, OR YOUR A DEVIL WORSHIPER WHO WEARS MEAT LIKE LADY GAGA , OR SING ABOUT NOTHING LIKE BEYONCE!!!. SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE RECORD DEAL WITH NO SKILLS

  12. ALEX September 21, 2010

    its called music for money!
    the artist and everyone else hates the songs and know they suck but it generates MONEY.
    Money over Talent!
    thats why we rarely see gaga on the f****** piano (the only place I like to see her)

  13. NEIMAN September 21, 2010

    OH SAM,

    What you have failed to realize is that it is the people that the artist works for. It is the people that decide who or what is hot or not. It is the people that has the greatest decision making. And if the people want to hear “love and clubs” that is what will be given. So only those people that are able to deliver “love and clubs” music will prosper. You hate alot on Rihanna, but the fact is she has dominated this industry by given the people what they want, plus she is not all that bad a singer. So it is not the marketing, A&R, radio stations, or the industry itself that should get the blame. It has been proven that if there is a record that “the people” like, then it will take off regardless, with little or no promotion at all. Hence Drake’s Best I Ever Had. Bottom line, you have to do what you have to do in this industry to make it. Everything has its time, and in time the people will want to hear real singers again.

    NEIMAN

  14. Waddie G. September 21, 2010

    I give you a STANDING OVATION Sam for speaking the words that have been in my head since 2006 as well as the minds of millions of others. What you said is the reason why album sales continue to dwindle. The reason has nothing to do with internet downloading. The problem with today’s industry of mediocre talent (Kesha, Jason DeRulo, Trey Songz, Ciara, Taio Cruz, Jay Sean, Lil’ Wayne, etc.) being celebrated as A-list talent when the real A-list talent such as Usher, Mariah, Beyonce, etc. are trying to catch up to them. SMH

  15. Kaycee September 21, 2010

    Thank you – Thank you – Thank you!!! I listen to old skool CD’s before I listen to the radio these days. I truly adore Maxwell, not just for his beautiful lyrics, but for not falling prey to the kind of trash put out today.

  16. BEYONSLAU September 21, 2010

    LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL @ POLITICALLYINCORRECT. GURL, BOY, WHOEVER YOU ARE, PREACH SON!

    TGJ DON’T UNDERSTAND THAT IT’S ALL BLOODY RELATIVE.. DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS..

    GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE SAM. TIMES ARE CHANGING. YOU LIKE ALY BURKE’S SINGLE BECAUSE IT’S BY HER. IF IT WAS BY ANOTHER ARTIST, YOU WOULD’VE SLATED IT LIKE THERE’S NO TOMORROW

    YOUR BIAS AFFECTS THIS SITE AND WHAT YOU WRITE

    THERE’S MY TAKE ON THE SITUATION ;-)X

  17. ALEX September 21, 2010

    it depends on what the consumers want
    with teenyboppers n society in general going downhill so is their taste for music

  18. joeyg September 21, 2010

    If with some s*** like I Gotta Feeling, BEP sold 6.000.000 records. What do you expect?
    Stop buying s*** and just buy the “good music” you are defending… It´s always the same: “industry is a mess”, “nowadays music is rubbish”, “where did good music go?” but most of us keep going to Itunes and buying songs with the same recycled beat and cheap lyrics. S

  19. Karli September 21, 2010

    your right not crazy thats how its is but i find myself stop listening to the radio (cause if i hear kesha one more damn time!!!!) and finding these underground artists with actual talent it’s just sad to see they dont geet the shine and publicity that these no talent people get.Auto-tune sucks.

  20. Bluekid September 21, 2010

    All you guys got some make some good point, but I agree with Kellz at least you are not just making zhit up like the other blogs.

  21. ULISES September 21, 2010

    I COMPLETELY agree!!!! The industry today… smh. The good thing is we all have an option on whether we want to feed into that mess or not. I think me personally, I kind of like to find talent that’s under the radar, but that I’m completely smitten by. I mean they could be independent, signed, or whatever the case may be; talent is talent and I don’t like to let the industry or anyone tell me that I NEED and/or HAVE to listen to a certain artist. At the end of the day, you have a choice. Great rant Sam. =P

    http://WWW.ULISESWORLD.COM
    Addictive Eargasm? U be the judge.

  22. joeyg September 21, 2010

    Good music is still out there. Just support it and after all these “so called artist” flop, record´s labels will kick their asses ASAP. They want money. Like MJ said “Take a look at yourself and then make a chance”

    By they way LOL at Ciara or Ashanti being considered “real artists”.

  23. annie! :] September 21, 2010

    AMEN! theres really not much more i can add… trent hit it right on.
    for those who didnt understand, i hope reading his tweets make u realize why he hates rihanna so much.

  24. Yeah….and? September 21, 2010

    It seems as though REAL talent and depth is out of style. SMH. I mean, India.Arie is one of the most positive female singers out there and yet it seems as though she has but vanished. That is a shame. She writes (actually writes) her own songs and they have always been deep and have a positive message. “I’m not the average girl from your video. I ain’t built like a supermodel. But, I learn to love myself unconditionally because I AM A QUEEN. I’m not the average girl from your video. My worth is NOT determinded by the price of my clothes. No matter what I’m wearing I will always be India. Arie”.

    It is a shame she did not win a grammy for her debut album. It was amazing. She was nominated for 8 and did not win one of them. That is a shame!!

  25. Ummm September 21, 2010

    Your rant lost all credibility when you listed Ciara and Ashanti as great acts. Neither of them can sing and Ciara’s dancing is limited to her Matrix move and making her booty cheeks jiggle. If you ever pay attention to her choreography, there is nothing complicated about it. At. all.

    You made some good points, but yea…you are a part of the problem as you promote and interview some the artists you are throwing shade.

  26. SWEXY September 21, 2010

    Amerie, Ashanti, Ciara Kelly great acts? LOL ..you lost me with that statement

    The consumer determines what sells not critics like you and you are a very confused critic if you are going to criticize the industry for being mediocre on the one hand then put up Amerie Ashanti Ciara and Kelly as being talented. BS All four of them are about theirs looks foremost so you fail!. You are just upset that Rihanna is out doing them in nthat department AS WELL!

    Sam you are clearly out of your depth with regards to understanding how the industry works. Seems you are just a fan of certain stars who happens to have a website!!!

    Deuces~!!

  27. Kyle September 21, 2010

    The music industry isn’t about LONGEVITY anymore. It’s just about the “artist of the moment” and who can hold our attention for more than 15 minutes. It’s all due to the digital era that we’re living in. That’s why I don’t get all the standards that we are pitting up against our favorite artists. Who cares about how many albums Rihanna or Ciara sell in their first week nowadays? We should just appreciate the fact that they are still putting out damn albums!! I seriously predict in the next 3 to 5 years that there will no longer be albums, everything will be online and sales will be calculated differently. It’s all thanks to US. Times change so we gotta move on but appreciate the past. I used to love the days when I would see album sales and everyone in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 were selling 100,000+++ every week. Now you can sell 25,000 and be in the Top 10!!

  28. SWEXY September 21, 2010

    FYI Tits and ass have always sold and many times in music history that this has proven to be so… but you are just too young and stupid to know that

  29. Speechless September 21, 2010

    @Waddie G
    For your information sir, Ciara is not mediocre talent. She sings, dances, writes, produces, and its involved with her career. You just let ONE video delude your vision of what talent is. She and everyone else worked hard to get where they are despite your negativity. If you wanna call someone mediocre look at rihanna or usher or beyonce who have to copy others to generate sales. Blame the ones who only perform catchy music, not the ones who actually take time to give fans what they want. I dont know what century you were born in but in my opinion performers like Christina Aguilera, Monica, Ciara, B.O.B. and others like them are the best to hit the scene and please note that they hit the scene BEFORE 2006 and have been able to follow up their debuts with even more success. The 90s may have been alot better but that doesnt mean you have to throw shade at someone who I like and support.

  30. It’s Me September 21, 2010

    100% agree, good artists & groups like: Jodeci, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boyz, Tevin Campbell, Hi Five, Keith Sweat , H-Town, Johnny Gill, Xsape, SWV, New Edition, Bobby Brown, LL COOL J, Gerald Levert, etc.

  31. Speechless September 21, 2010

    Ciara actually has talent. She’s not a sellout like your favs are.

  32. Ummm September 21, 2010

    Oh and there is definitely a lot of bias in those tweets. Sam’s ranted only came about because his favorites are failing on the charts. If he and Trent didn’t throw shade at Rihanna every day then I could take this rant more seriously. I’m not a Rihanna stan btw…I actually agree with their take on her. But still..his rant is brought on by Rihanna most likely scoring her 6th #1 (8th including her features) while Kelly still can’t get her songs on any major U.S. charts.

  33. Ummm September 21, 2010

    @Speechless

    Ciara’s not a sell-out? Word?

    See her video for “Love, S**, Magic” where she lets Justin Timberlake dry hump her on camera. Then tell me she’s not a sell-out.

  34. Quin September 21, 2010

    I understand completely where Sam is coming from but we as consumers have to take just as much responsibility for the state of “music” today as the record labels. If we didn’t buy into the rubish that saturates the market today then maybe there WOULD be a significant change in the tone of music today. Avoid going to your wal marts, targets and other similar places to purchase your music because 9 times out of 10 you won’t find anything other than the usual top 40 artists who have the huge labels backing them. I suggest you visit your local mom and pop music stores and browse the selections there. Don’t base the music you buy on the videos you see or the songs you hear on the radio because there’s PLENTY of great music out there by artists you’ve never heard of. I can’t tell you the last time i purchased an album by an artist that debuted within the last 5-7 years. Most of my cd case(yea, i’m old school still buying cds lol) consists of mid 90s-early 00’s artists. So, my response to Sam’s rant is…..LET’S DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!! Do some research and start a segment on your site introducing artists we may not know but you feel we should check out. I’d be down to research and send music and background on such artists. LET’S GO!!! lol 🙂

  35. Corey September 21, 2010

    Sam you live a sad life, you are always hating on Rihanna, but when she comes out with a new song, promo pic., or even news about her your the 1st to blog about. If you dislike her so much why even have her as part of your site….oh yea b/c she runs this site and your life lol sad day huh?

  36. Hot damn September 21, 2010

    Face the facts sam what you consider good music and acts may not relate to everyone. Everyone has their own taste and may not agree with you on this one. Every generation has their own musical style and this generation happens to like the type of music that is out right now. When you were coming up you had your chance to listen to what you liked, and your parents probably said the music at that time is nothing like in their time. Now you are saying the same thing. This goes on generation after generation. That’s just the way it is. Musical styles change over the years and the only constant thing in life is change so i guess you have to get used to it. 50’s music, different from 60’s music different from 70’s music, different from 80’s music, different from 90’s music. You get it. Every generation has their own type and style of music and artists, you have to move with the times, or just collect classic albums and music and listen to them on your own free time, but some of us like the music the way it is right not. Go 2010!!

  37. KNUCK September 21, 2010

    Ciara and Ashanti ARE talented.

  38. SWEXY September 21, 2010

    Also ‘Talent ‘ is subjective… what are the objective measures of ‘talent’ as it pertains to music consumers?

    What do we want from our superstars? Who are you to tell us what we should want?

  39. Ummm September 21, 2010

    @ Knuck

    I disagree. It’s all a matter of opinion though.

  40. Crewella September 21, 2010

    Great acts, Ciara/Ashanti? Please. Ciara was booty poppin on her 1st record and has been ever since. Substance? I think at least Beyonce provided a range of material on Sasha Fierce.

  41. KNUCK September 21, 2010

    oh and R&B is coming back.. the real singers who sing about real emotions!

    What I think is a shame is that they can’t afford the hottest producers who will make their voice shine on today’s radio.

  42. Corey September 21, 2010

    And it’s sad how more then half of those are about Rihanna.

  43. rob September 21, 2010

    the industry is in trouble but it never was just about singing since music videos , now the industry is about imagery , you can have a s***** song , but if u wearing the hottest fashions , or if your video is hot ,or even a dance routine (see souljah boy,new boys,beyonce) ,something accessible to other people then you will sell, if you dont have that (see ashanti ,amerie) then you flop….

  44. Landen September 21, 2010

    He Did Mention that he’s heared by several that

    this is just a cycle. This is just a cycle. Trust

    it. He’s got a point. The 90’s were so meaningful

    and so Real and so much different than what were

    hearing today. I mean dont get me wrong, I like alot

    of what is out today, but this era is being dominated

    by pure prefabricated music sold with s** appeal and dance

    in mind from the start. Compare that to the nineties and you’ve

    got a completely different approach taken throught the entire

    decade then. The Approach was Real, Raw, and U**** On

    an Emotional Level. Today theres more of the first and much

    less of the second. The Man has a very good point, and only

    we as consumers can bring it back to the Class it was in the

    nineties. Today, its just not the same. I mean, Im 27, Love some

    Music today, but Im intellectual enough to know the difference

    between what it was for the most part then vs what it is for the

    most part now. Chris Breezy is someone who is actually coming

    back with an album that is real, raw, and u****. Em Did it with

    Recovery by reading the fans and what they were yearning for

    from him. To go back to his roots, and get back to what he had

    in his music, and he did. He listened, he responded, and it was

    a success. Chris did the same with his Mixtape. FAN OF A FAN.

    He listened to the fans, responded, and Dueces, A Raw and U****

    song about Relationship Turmoil turning into getting over your past

    and moving on to Better things went Number 1. And seconds his

    resurgance following the Michael Jackson Tribute which as we know

    was the beginning of us seeing who Chris truly is, and we also Raw

    and U****. Sam, dont be down though. Because these are Signs that

    People Want Truth From Music, they want

    things they can relate to on a deeper level than what lies on the surface.

    They want to hear things come from beneath the surface of these

    Artists, but they want to hear it done right. Thats why People Relate

    are starting to buy this kind of music again. And I love the fact that Em,

    Chris Brown, and several Others are the start of this Resurgance in Good

    Music. In my post under Breezy’s last blog, I updated his fans on the latest

    news regarding his new album. FORGIVING ALL MY ENEMIES and let everyone

    know that four song titles and clips of all four songs are available through

    links I provided in my comment. They Are YEAH 3X, CALYPSO, ANOTHER YOU,

    AND REST OF MY LIFE. CHECK EM OUT IN MY COMMENT ON CHRIS’S LAST

    POST. ANOTHER ARTIST WHO SEEMS TO BE BRINGING THE REAL S***

    IS KELLY ROWLAND WITH THE HEARTBREAK SONG ROSE COLORED

    GLASSES. And if your patient enough to scroll back far enough you will

    find a post way back on her that is a clip of a song who trent had the title

    wrong. It sounded amazing, and like a real song, unlike anything Ive

    heared in awhile, But trent titled it “forever and aday” then the real

    “forever and a day” comes out, and it was nothing like the song back

    in her posts on here. Does ANYONE KNOW THE NAME OF THAT SONG?

    Because to me, its one of the most amazing ones Ive heared in awhile.

    And MAKE SURE YOU CHECK OUT THE FOUR UNMASTERED CLIPS

    OF THE CHRIS BREEZY’S SONGS THAT HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED TO

    BE ON HIS NEW ALBUM COMING OUT…. YOU WILL BE SHOCKED AND

    WONT BE DISAPPOINTED. HE KNOWS WHATS UP AND WHAT PEOPLE

    WANT TO HEAR TOO!!!!!!!

  45. SWEXY September 21, 2010

    The 90’s were not all that compared to the 70 and 80’s I recall the 90s being about gansta rap and thuggishness…whats so talented about that?

  46. CLR September 21, 2010

    @Wake Up Says the Queen Beyonce has tons of songs that speak about something other than getting drunk and partying. The entire I Am side of her last album, which was completely overshadowed, is full of deep songs. However, in order for those songs to be even heard, i.e. ppl who buy her album, she has to release songs like Naughty Girl, Baby Boy, Videophone, Ego, or Diva to catch ppl’s attention. However, Single Ladies, Sweet Dreams and Why Don’t You Love Me actually talks about something. The bigger picture is this, the fault is not completely the music industry big dogs but the consumers as well…they throw us what we want to hear as well as what they want us to hear. If everyone demanded that talent outweigh glitter and glam and they begin to see a dip in their pockets then and only then may we see a shift. However, like I said before they feed us what they want us to hear.

  47. SWEXY September 21, 2010

    I agree with Hot Dam

    Sam needs to go to school and read up on Music History

    Pretty White boy Elvis stole his entire style from Blacks and became a star primarily based on his looks initially…

    Dianna Ross was the weakest singer in the supremes but the best looking …

    Madonna.. parlayed her s** appeal and willingness to cause controversy into record sales

    etc etc….

    And even back then a few people like you complained about these stars as everyone else was buying up their records!!!

    That Rant just showed how uninformed Sam really is!!

  48. vegasgirl September 21, 2010

    I’ve already written about this exact thing on this blog site already but essentially it’s the buying public’s fault. Labels.etc. set the “trends”, we like lambs follow the “trend” and then they give us more of the said “trend”. Usher had even made a statement that the industry isn’t interested in creating longevity for artists anymore, most artists really only have 5-7 years to shine before they fade. The labels will ride an artist till the wheels fall off and then disgard them and create another one.

    Some of the artist and music of the 90’s was fantastic, some wasn’t . I would never include AMerie, Ashanti in the crop of talented music artists-ever! But I remember years ago how wildly popular Ashanti was ( I never understood why). She did movies, music, has/had her own fragrance, published a book- all of the things people consider super star level stuff. Hell she was the highest selling debut album by a female solo act until Susan Boyle outdid her ( didn’t know that but really didn’t matter), now look at her career!

    Some of these artists that people fight over on these blogs will not even be relevant in another few years, their replacements are already being groomed by labels. Music in the last couple of years especially has pretty much been horrendous, and I’m being generous. If we as the public take our $$ and tell the industry what we like, they will follow suit because they really want our $$$ . Maybe look outside of mainstream music because quite frankly , the industry only is giving us a small # of folks to listen to since they choose who they decide to attempt to make a star. Understand the rant but some of the folks Sam mentioned are not my cup o’ tea.

  49. TEAM KELLY (ROWLAND) September 21, 2010

    This was the very thing I was saying yestersay… Even though this is a slow news day, this was a good read.

  50. lottie September 21, 2010

    Some people cannot stand to hear the truth!!!!!!!!!!!

  51. Misty September 21, 2010

    cosign! I just don’t know what the music world is turning into…

  52. royalkev September 21, 2010

    I totally agree. I remember back in the 90’s, it seem like 25 artist were out at 1 time with actual talent. Radio didn’t play the same records over and over. Payola wasn’t ruling the day and allowing the unskilled and unqualified to have a reign that won’t let up! Less innovative 80’s recycling attention whores wearing uncooked food in today’s hottest dead animal wear wasn’t garnering more praise than artist that have the ability to outsing, perform them! The state of music is quite dysfunctional these days. People proudly walk around labeling themselves monsters affectionately referring to these artist as thier “mama” because their conditioned to think that when an artist is in heavy rotatation it’s because of their talent instead of a good brainwashing!

    I agree with Waddie G… Kesha, Jason DeRulo, Trey Songz,Taio Cruz, Jay Sean are the some of the worst! Ever since 2000 it’s only been literally an handful of new stars worthy of paying any mind to. I thank God there’s artist like Bey, Alicia Keys, Chris Brown, Ciara (along with older 90’s acts that still make music like Xtina, Brandy and Usher) that follow behind the Legends of music (MJ, Janet Whitney, Mariah, Prince and Madonna). That’s why I root for real musicians and not gimmicky flash in the pans. I hope real music ruling the charts makes a comeback one day!

  53. madison September 21, 2010

    you are dellusional SAM….you talk all this s*** bout the industry and then u mention CIARA, KELLY, ASHANTI and AMERIE….u on some other s*** bro…..Look those are the real talents in the industry…..they are no different than RIHANNA….. RIhanna is jus smarter and has a better team than them…..talent wise they are all on the same level….YOU R TRIPPIN SAM

  54. FUTURESTARdelux September 21, 2010

    “NEVER DID I UNDERSTAND WHY PPL SO HAPPILY THROW AROUND THE WORLD “FLOP” AT TALLENTED ARTISTS WHO UNDER-PERFORM…”

    OH REALLY? THAT’S MAD BECAUSE I COULD HAVE SWORN YOU’VE BEEN THROWING ENDLESS SHADE AT CHRISTINA AGUILERA THIS WHOLE ERA… #FAIL

  55. royalkev September 21, 2010

    @ Futurestardelux… So true!!!

  56. truthfully September 21, 2010

    I argree with you on everything because I have thought the same things at different points in my life…I and so many people believe that 90’s and before even early 2000’s were better but now with keisha’s and jason derulo’s and all this pointless artists it’s sad coz their 1 day thing. Just like nelly said ten years ago there was a summer jam or something and now people like a song for a week and it’s gone….because the music is s***….THE ONLY THING I DON’T AGREE WITH IS ABOUT KELLY, AMERIE, CIARA…THEIR NOT GOOD NOT GREAT ARTISTS….EVEN RIHANNA IS BETTER THAN THEM…..

  57. Da truth September 21, 2010

    landen you must be smokin . Chris Brownalbum comin with some raw amnd u**** s*** .. please he is exactly wha’s wrong with the music industry when he first started he had urban club songs and justin bieberish popsongs say goodbye then more pop songs like with you the he just went moren dance pop with take you down the after th

  58. getting_licked_out September 21, 2010

    ITS DOWN TO WHAT PEOPLE WANNA BUY….ALSO WHATS ‘FRESH AND NEW’.

    cici, kelly, amerie were once ‘the new thing’ but they arent any more….

    People want ‘whats next’…….Only a few step through and become a ‘gaga or beyonce’….a REAL act that lasts

    kelly, amerie or cici cant get on a stage and play instruments/blast it vocally like that….

  59. ~TeAM WeeZY~ September 21, 2010

    I agree with you Sam, but I think where you went wrong is listing Amerie, Ashanti, and Kelly as examples.

    Ashanti was the Rihanna of the early 2000’s. She can’t/couldn’t sing, dance, or perform. The only reasons she was successful was because she was beautiful and had catchy music which was also the ‘popular’ music of that time.

    Amerie is okay but she’s definitely nothing special. She’s an okay singer, dancer, performer, but she doesn’t bring enough to the table.

    Kelly is the epitome of a MEDIOCRE solo artist! Everything she does is mediocre: sing, dance, perform. And her music doesn’t resonate well with her initial fanbase. She started off in DC, but she didn’t make a proper transition for DC to solo artist. And she STILL hasn’t found a specific style of music for herself.

    Which brings me to Ciara. Unlike the other chicks that were listed, she is SUPERIOR in dancing/performing and is actually affected by the industry BS. When she first came out she was R&B Crunk (Jazze Phae productions) which CLEARLY isn’t popular anymore. So she attempted mainstream, and CLEARLY that didn’t work, in result, she’s forced to focus on the urban audience in a time where electo-pop (trash) is the trend. But I think she’s really screwing herself because I actually think she would be able to make it if she at least got organized (did more promotion instead of going to fashion shows and ish).

  60. Kyle September 21, 2010

    I think you’re comparing the best of past generations to what you view as the worst of the current generation.

  61. Kyle September 21, 2010

    Sorry, to elaborate on my post above, think of someone like Karyn White who started out with a bang but then fell behind. She definitely had talent, but there were certainly some people with half the voice who had twice the success (Paula Abdul for instance). This isn’t a new trend, it’s just that we remember history being the way we want it to.

  62. Catepillar-man September 21, 2010

    Sam, you’re such a d*****-bag

  63. Treshka September 21, 2010

    I think Sam, you really have a lot of nerves to write such things ! You own a blog for God sake. It’s totally up to you to speak about singers / performers who have talent and meanigful songs and introduce them to the public. AND INSTEAD, WHAT DO YOU DO ?

    YOU CHOOSE TO WRITE EVERYDAY ABOUT SOME SINGERS THAT YOU DON’T LIKE AND CONSTANTLY BASH THEM.

    So before complaining like you do, just try to change your way of doing things because you definitly are contributing to this.

  64. I and I (yardie style) September 21, 2010

    I agree with everything you said except that you include: Amerie, Ashanti, Kelly & Ciara in the same sentence as great acts. Ciara comes close with dancing ability but she is far from great

  65. BDaboss September 21, 2010

    I completely agree with what you said. I can’t seem to come to grips why these label executives keep signing these talentless musicians. Its like I’m so uncomfortable with the state of r&b right now to where it doesn’t make any sense.

  66. jmoore September 21, 2010

    I agree, bring back the 80’s, 90’s …hell the 70’s..anything but what is going on rite now. the perfect example is Usher…look what he has become to sell records…and the crazy part is that he really aint selling alot of records. he went from My Way, Confessions…to OMG….really OMG And would someone tell Justin Bieber to get a vocal coach …

  67. Lil CiCi September 21, 2010

    I swear some of y’all are blinded by the fact that mentioning Ciara in the same catergory as untalented is irrelevant. Same ones checking out for Godara clearly suggests y’all are MAD because she’s still putting out great music. And yes I satn for my beloved Ciara regardless who likes her or not. Give credit where it’s due I respect y’all for those who don’t like her that’s fine but NEVER put her on the Catergory as being untalented which she is not. And Sam has the right to speak on his behalf. Just because he doesn’t support the trash y’all call talents *coughs* *Rihanna* At the end of the day everyone has the right to like who they like regardless of the shade and hate.

    CIARA PRINCESS HARRIS BASIC INSTINCT 2010 BITCHEZ!!!

  68. Dustin September 21, 2010

    god this guy is annoying..who is he…no ONE CARES what you think of the industry..

  69. french gyal September 21, 2010

    why dont u promote FDM THEN??

  70. french gyal September 21, 2010

    ITS UP TO YOU TO PROMOTE NEW ARTISTS since u own a blog!!!

    how come there is no post about jon b??
    NO POST ABOUT FDM..??
    NO POST ABOUT SHAUN RILEY
    NO POST ABOUT DONNELSHAWN??
    NO POST ABOUT TC..,,??
    NO POST ABOUT JAMES FAUNTLEROY

  71. ANAS September 21, 2010

    and talking about flops, why are you always saying that Christina Aguilera did since she has real talent ??!!!

  72. Fatima September 21, 2010

    I’ve said it again and I’ll say it before…..if Sam thinks “Hero” is the pinnacle of songwriting and musical craft, than THANK GOD he’s not in control. Love Mariah, but that faux-inspirational crap is suited towards lite-FM. If people would look past JUST the radio they would see there are plenty of interesting things going on. Some of us are just too busy constantly insulting everyone else.

  73. Treshka September 21, 2010

    I forgot,

    So you see, just like you who don’t get as many hits, comments and visits when you choose to bash singers, these producers don’t get as much money when they choose to produce more sophisticated songs and artists…

  74. french gyal September 21, 2010

    HOW ABOUT PROMOTE : aleise, havanah,foreign exchange,JON B,dwele..

    sam u are hypocrite, WHY ALWAYS POST SOMETHING ABOUT RIHANNA WHEN U CAN POST SOMETHING ABOUT FDM

  75. dboy September 21, 2010

    i love kelly n ciara to death but it seems like whoever is selling today correlates to being untalented, for e.g. nowadays taylor swift has haters but before the media showerd her with love that wasn’t the case, i remember the first time she was at the grammys, i was like who’s that chick? no pun intended i agree with damn too, i think its the times, iwonder what SuBo thought of the 90s

  76. makes me sick September 21, 2010

    yeh he is right……btu why is he rantingso much….he set up this website hes a media w****……and they are the ppl who run the music industry….its isnt artist and good music….its the medias fault that this world relys on looks over talent……..half of his rant was dedicated to rihana…..back in the day we didnt need artist wailing music loudly like beyonce ppl just sang songs…….didnt matter what their voice was like it was music…..so who says rihanna cant sing …….coz he voice isnt like beyonces………as time goes by our perception of beauty and talent changes with the way technology gets enhanced…..and record labels wanna make even more money so if an artist doesnt get to top 5 they get dropped…..ITS A DAMN SHAME……..PS SAM AND TRENT……ARE REALLY ANNOYING

  77. xxx September 21, 2010

    when great acts underperform….you talk bout mariah and whitney and you name ciara in the underperforming acts…ciara???!!!! where are her lyrics that great, where is her voice that great?! and i like her and own her cds…but she is the wrong person being mentioned for great underperforming acts…
    and if there are acts who can sang, ms. aguilera for example, you hate constantly on them!

    you are full of s***!

  78. TruewordsSNM September 21, 2010

    Very insightful and correct Sam..

    The music industry has become lazy, alot of things are accountable for alot of yesterdays artists no longer putting out music but the main what you have highlighted is correct.

    We live in an age where you can sound like a robot and look impeccable but the inevitability is the consumer will see the imperfections and stop being the consumer in general.

    RIhanna whilst not entirely talented would be better if she were part of a group as she does have a very acute singing talent.

    Ke$ha may have not shown her vocal talents yet so i am going to spare her my opinion LOL.

    Nicki as much as i love her uses gimmicks like accents and bright coloured weaves to attract attention and whilst she goes hard on features she leaves alot to be wanted when dropping a single.

  79. GangsterA September 21, 2010

    ciara.amerie.kelly are you for real imma leave it that way in my humble opinion theres like 3 artits i think have pure talent beyonce/usher/xtina i really wish pepole will stop making trends with music i mean electro pop is the only thing that will make you have a hit like why ? Pepole in america need to wake up and start listen to other genre of music beside electro this is ish has been going on since 2008 i mean Change it already i miss the old industry the 90s and early 2000s dam it was like everyone is realsing good music from singers to rappers and i can’t belive you said pepole throw ‘flop’ on stuff didn’t do well by talnted pepole i mean that what you always do with xtina

  80. Miss Chick Boom September 21, 2010

    People complain about the “shallowness” of music today. Music ain’t like it was “back in the day”. Well part of the reason is that music is not received the way it was “back in the day”. No matter how “deep” any of us think we are, we still look at music more than we listen to it. Erykah Badu said something really powerful that spoke on this issue, she said: “I discovered I’m in a world full of personality worshippers: People aren’t looking for a savior. They’re looking for someone who looks like one.”

    She was speaking on this preconceived notion about how a “real” artist is supposed look, act, dress, and sound. Over 10 years ago, right after her first album had dropped and some of her fans were upset that her dreads were actually extensions. I mean a “real” artist has “real” hair… right?

    I guess Erykah longs for a world where we could listen to music free from our preconceived notions about what “real music” is supposed to look like and how “real music” is supposed to be expressed. And she’s right about us living in a world full of personality worshippers. When I ask you who your favorite artist is, I am not asking, who is the most best singer, the best dancer, or even who’s the most naturally talented, what I am asking is if you were famous which one of these tricks would you like to be? Who would you most like to be friends with? Perhaps if we lived in a world where we judged Erykah’s music based on the content instead of what is under her head wrap, or how she conducts her personal life, we could kill this “real” versus “fake” argument once and for all.

    I’ve grown tired of the misuse of the words “real” and “deep”. To me “real’ is whatever applies to you at that particular moment. If your heart is broken and you need ‘Irreplaceable” to pull you out of it then that’s real for you. If you need a little self-esteem boost and want to listen to “Diva” that’s real for you. If you want to bend over in front a bathroom mirror and send the pictures to your boyfriend then “Video Phone” may be the realest s*** ever created. I can’t say which one of these songs will go down in history as classics because classic means that it withstands the test of time, and in order for me to know that would mean that I have a time machine which can see into the future. I don’t, and I’m willing to guess that you don’t either. Not all current classics were deemed classics out of the gate. Not everything mainstream is bad, and not everything underground is good. It simply boils down to what speaks to you at that particular time.

    In trying to make artist “real’ we may be trying to make them something there not. Maybe artists realized that people’s lives are not so simple that one artist, one song, one album, or one style is going to say everything we want to hear ALL the time. That’s why we can pull a little bit from everybody. The great thing about music is that if Beyonce isn’t saying what I want to hear, maybe Alicia is, and if she doesn’t have the words, maybe Keyshia does, or Erykah, or Kanye, Rihanna, or Keri, or Solange. The great thing about life and iPods is that there’s more than enough space for variety. Not one artist can be all things to all people no matter how multi-talented they are. There are many of different people with many different life experiences, and many different songs to go along with it.

    So what is real, what is deep? That is up to the listener..

  81. Landen September 21, 2010

    @ da truth, what do you

    call Dueces? And You

    Obviously haven’t heared

    anything from Forgiving All

    My Enemies. Like I said, the

    links in my comment towards

    the bottom of the last Chris

    Brown post On here. Its R&B

    back to substance, and has

    meaning is the point im making.

    If youd rather hear other s*** from

    Keysha, J Bieber, and others then

    listen to there s***. But Dueces is

    on a different level intellectually and

    substance wise. So is Rest of My Life,

    and Another you which can be found in

    the link I provided in his last post on here.

    Go check it out then tell me what you think.

    I see the point you make if your saying it

    wont get back to what it was completely.

    Because It might not. But Dont you think

    that the s*** I mentioned is as close as we’re

    gonna get. If not, Introduce me to some better

    artists of today so that I can hear there s***, and

    I’ll vibe to it too…….

  82. anon September 21, 2010

    SAM SPOKE NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH. LIKE IT OR NOT!!!!

  83. jojo September 21, 2010

    um noooooooo amerie?kelly?ashanti?ciara? ….I DONT BELIVE THAT ANY OF THESE SINGERS ARE UNTALENTED BUT THEY ARE NOTHING TO BE BRAGGING ABOUT

    AMERIE——–NEVER HAD BIG SUCCESS JUST ANOTHER AVERAGE BLACK GIRL SINGIN

    KELLY——– WILL NEVER HAVE THE SUCCESS THAT HER FANS WHATHER TO HAVE BECAUSE NO ONE THAT ARENT HER FANS CARE ABOUT HER MUSIC

    ASHANTI——— UM SHE WAS POPULAR AT FIRST BECASUE SHE WAS CAME OUT PRE- BEYONCE(AS SOLO ARTIST)……….ALL HER ALBUMS BASICALLY SOUNDED THE SAME AND EVENTUALLY PEOPLE GOT BORED

    CIARA ———— CAME OUT BIG AND STRONG BUT HER MUSIC AFTER GOODIES WAS NOT VERY GREAT AND THOUGH IT WAS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FROM GOODIES SHE NEVER DID ANYTHING THAT MADE YOU LOOK TWICE AND SAY THATS DIFFERENT

    ALSO MOST OF THESE GIRLS HAD ONE OR TWO BIG HITS

    KELLY-DELIMA
    CIARA-GOODIES,12STEP
    ASHANTI-FOOLISH,ROCK WITH U
    AMERIE-1 THING

    SUCCESSFUL BLACK FEMALE ARTIST

    BEYONCE– VERY STRICKING WHEN SHE FIRST CAME OUT WITH CRAZY IN LOVE, AND SHE HAD MOE HITS ON THAT ALBUM AND EVERY ALBUM AFTER THAT…..ALSO THE SOUND CHANGED ON EACH RECORD……DINLOVE WAS MORE R&B , BDAY WAS MORE FUNK,UPTEMPO, I AM SASCHA WAS MORE POP BALLADS PLUS BEYONCE IS EXTREMLY BEAUTIFUL

    ALICIA WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE START SHE WAS JUST GOOD R&B REAL R&B NOT POP RADIO S***, SHE HAS HAD #1 SONGS ON EACH RECORD (EXPECT HIS LAST ONE) AND EVREY RECORD IS DIFFERENT IN THE SOUND. PEOLE AGERS 13-ALMOST 60 CAN APPRIATE HER MUSIC SO SHE WILL ALWAYS HAVE A FANBASE. AND SHE IS ALSO JUST BEAUTIFUL

    NOW RIHANNA EVERYONES FAVORITE ARTSIT …SHE RIHANNA STARTED OUT A FLOP BUT INSTEAD OF DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER SHE DECIDED TO CHANGE IT UP WITH GGGB AND SHE WORE THE BEST CLOTHS, CUT THE HAIR IN A DIFFERNT STYLE(INSTEAD OF WEARING THE BEYONCE) AND MADE CATHY POP MUSIC AND ON RATED R SHE MADE A COMPLET CHANGE AGAIN AND HAD A DARKER IMAGE , SHE ALWAYS CHANGES HER HAIR AND SHE DOES THINGS THAT NO OTHER BLACK FEMALE ARTSIT DO..THOUGH HER PERFOMANCES ARE OFF SOMTIMES CHE CAN SING WAY BETTER THAN ASHANTI,CIARA,AND AMERIE IF YOU PUT THEM ALL IN A ROOM AND MADE THEM SING ACCAPELA. SHE ALSO HAS A VERY UNIQUE VOICE AND HAS HAS BIG HITS ON EACH ALBUM

    ALSO ALL THE SUCCESFUL FEMALE ARTSIT I LISTED HAVE VERY FAMILIAR VOICES THAT YOU CAN POINT OUT. THEY ALL DO SOMETHNG THAT NO ONE IN OUR GENERATION HAS DONE BUT THEM AND THEY ALL HAVE HITS EVERY ALBUM. THEY RARLY GIVE THE SAME MUSIC WISE AND THEY CROSS OVER ……AND OUR INTERNATINAL ….THEY HAVE ALL HAD BIG SOLO TOURS AND HAVE MET THE SUCCESS OF ALL THE ARTSIT SAM NAMED……..ALSO THEY ALL HAVE MORE THAN 4 NUMBA 1S

  84. Stacey September 21, 2010

    Well, video really did kill the radio star. Ever since MTV came on the scene, music has gotten progressively worse, but that’s just the half of it.

    Remember when hitting #1 on the R and B charts was the pinnacle of success? Now, when an artist hits #1 on the R and B charts, people (BLACK PEOPLE!) have the nerve to comment that “R and B charts mean nothing”, like their asses aren’t black. Why are we as ni$$ers always trying to cross over something? You can’t appeal to everyone. Stick with where your passion is, and if that means that you only hit on the R and B or the country or the adult charts, so be it. That’s why R and B sucks so much.

    BTW, to the people jumping to defend their “idols” as talented-if he didn’t mention someone and you bring them up like you’re offended, then deep down you know that what he is saying applies to the very artist you worship.

    Peace

  85. OUPS I S*** ON YOU AGAIN September 21, 2010

    I dont think that the music is worst than back in the days.I just think than listeners make the industry …if they love the Euro pop then Euro pop will be the NEW THING.The charts are run by the teenagers who buy music on iTunes and all because olders are not used to it:It’s the born of the BEP,gaga,rihanna,Perry and all.
    Teenagers care about charts and numbers,they feel like they are apart of the success of their favs celebs.If you add twitter and facebook,I can say that they are in a relationship with their celebs.
    Music is not Music ..it’s the person behind the celebrity,the gimmick.If people love you,they will love your music no matter what.

    “Good musicians” are no more all up on ours faces i.e. popular.That’s why beyoncé is doing good,because she is popular and Amerie is flopping( even if her Go Go tracks are good too).
    That’s why Lady Gaga is the “It girl “and Kat Deluna is flopping (even if she got great tracks from redOne and an amazing voice).

  86. Yellow Gorilah September 21, 2010

    @JOJO

    AMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN PREACHH !!!! I agree 100% gooday

  87. Shine September 21, 2010

    DEAD!! Sam got you hater’s PRESSED!! Especially the Rihanna fans. Ya’ll know shade was being thrown at her. LMAOOOOOOOOOO

    I agree with him to a certain extent. I say this because I actually like Rihanna as much as I do Ashanti, Ciara and Amerie. Kelly…not so much. But I respect the fact that she’s doing her thing.

    I think the problem is there is NO BALANCE. I don’t think Sam would be bothered so much if EVERY kind of artist was getting their fair share to SHINE.

  88. Wire September 21, 2010

    Fist Brown wouldn’t exist in the 90s.

    The thing about Usher is he can actually sing. The dancing comes second.

    Nowadays all it takes is auto-tune and a poor attempt at imitating Michael and you have a record deal.

    But Fist Brown’s career is over so that’s neither here nor there.

  89. Yellow Gorilah September 21, 2010

    Sorry this blog is deluded how the hell are you going to talk about music is not the same no talented artist when the only artist you post about is gaga beyonce and Rihanna,, If you really cared then you would post about underground artist new up and coming artist this blog is PROMO even if you hate the artist by you posting on them it is still helping with their promo so I just think it stupid.

    Music is not dead music is CHANGING are you really going to sit here and say the 70’s sounded like the 90’s NO music changes all the time. Rnb is dead right now the only people who do rnb is Alicia keys well she is the on ly one that does rnb and gets success from it. At the end of the day WE are the ones to blame because we don’t BUY rnb songs BLACK people don’t but album black people dont BUy singles THAT is another main reason why rnb is dead Black artist cannot rely on black people to help there albums and singles that is why they cross over I.E Beyonce and rihanna for you to be successfully you need both white and black fan base you need to be able to please both Ciara only pleases black urban people that is why she is flopping.

    And yes This site just full of it when this is the same site that calls christina agulera a FLOP everyday when she is one of the best singers of this generation then you got the nerve =/

    Beyonce Alicia and Rihanna still make rnb/popish songs even if these last few years they have been more on the pop side but that is because pop sales but they are still considerd RNB because they are BLACK! That is what people don’t seem to understand rnb is not dead in someway but the rnb sound is dying usher omg WTF but only time will tell.. Ithink singles are going to become the new album BET MONEY ON IT! People now care more about getting number one hits then album because singles are cheaper then album plus some albums only have 2-3 good song.. And Rihanna is still riding out for the black community people seem to hate on her but she is one of 3 of black women getting sucess out there yall should be great full because 30 years ago we would not have black girls running the charts black people are just ignorant and then they will turn around and ask stupid questions why is the industry dead =/ go buy your favs album then!

  90. Fatima September 21, 2010

    @The Kiddz Lol thanks! I would be more prone to agree with Sam and Trent if I didn’t learn from their top 5 songs of the moment posts that their musical sphere is limited to about 20 artists.

    @MissChickBoom – Now that’s a post! I totally agree about the “real” labels. It’s soooo exhausting. Music is a lot of different things. And “deep” especially loses meaning when you realize the authors think Whitney power ballads are shining beacons of mindful lyricism.

  91. Wire September 21, 2010

    If people like Rihanna’s songs then they enjoy her voice.

    She always sounds just like the recording. She’s not a lip-syncer like Fist Brown.

    Besides white people love her. Your (blacks) opinion will never matter because you don’t make or break any artist. Not Rihanna, Not Fist Brown, NOBODY!

  92. Yellow Gorilah September 21, 2010

    Also dead at the chris brown stans talking about chris brown as if he is some FORCE in the industry Sit yo ass down to the LEFT!

    Chris brown is an ok artist chris brown is like a girl version of CIARA!
    His dancing is good but at the same time you can go out in the streets and see millions of black boys doing what he is doing..

    What impact did chris brown make in the industry, how many records did he break how many awards has he one how many albums singles has he sold please. He is just like the rest of the rnb dudes mediocre.

    And why do people love to put MJ in the same sentence as their FAV =/ calm down!

    Only male artist you can really talk about here is Usher as he has always had success and he has stood the test of time and he has many classics number ones awards under his belt. AND he is talented can dance sing and perform!

  93. Rihsus September 21, 2010

    PREACH JOJO PREACH!!
    With this Twitter ramble I was expecting him to list acts like Janelle Monae, Jazmine Sullivan and others in that “alternative” arena not basic b****** like Ashanti, C-error & Beyonce’s ex-backup singer etc. Might as well had mentioned T-error Mari & Cherish while he was at it.
    Yes music does go through a cycle -sidenote: I hope they’re right when they say album sales will turnaround- but there was worst crap back then too. Specifically in the 70s & 80s. Not ‘cuz it’s old means it’s good.

    And I am surprised by Miss Chick Booms comment.

  94. Wire September 21, 2010

    Fist Brown is a watered down version of Usher minus the talent. Nothing more Nothing less.

  95. Rihsus September 21, 2010

    And lmao @ him mentioning “dye their hair” when Ameriie [remember, it’s 2 ‘i’ now] just recently dyed hers platinum blond.
    I can’t.

  96. royalkev September 21, 2010

    @ Miss Chick Boom, I think all that you’ve mentioned really sums it all up. Sometimes coming here and reading your comments is so refreshing. I hear alot of foolishness from people that are judgmental and hypocritical. It’s nice seeing that someone has a head on their shoulder, speaks from an sincere place and most importantly is there own individual. I’d have tea with you (forreal anytime)!

    Music perhaps is shallow at this time, but so many of us may have that kind of perspective on life and those songs are relatable. There’s some folks that want a mental break and are more conservative, but use the energy and mood of these songs as an outlet to escape the realities of their own world. It all boils down to self examination. People really need to take a deeper looking into things and make sense of it all for themselves. In any event, I’m only saddened by how so many follow trends and allow the influence of different things to dictate to them what is in and what’s out! If talent was promoted more, so many would be more impressed with these kind of artist. Even though that wouldn’t necessarily be a good thing, it would mean that the publics is easily persuaded. It’s funny though because few people admit to walking around with a weak mind, so change would be damn near impossible!

  97. PLAIN AND SIMPLE September 21, 2010

    All the names calling is uncalled for. If you like someone’s music then that’s good but don’t throw shade to boost you fav. All the comments were on point until it got to certain comments. The same inmature ones. People here are talking about ther fav. you should respect that just like you want them to respect who you like. This was will never end because I see those few people want to keep it going.

    Well anyway I myself think we need to go back to the 90’s which I hear Beyonce is doing.

  98. PLAIN AND SIMPLE September 21, 2010

    oops war

  99. Rihsus September 21, 2010

    I always find it hilarious when people use Whitney as an example of a “real artist”.
    She was and still is a product. All Pop/Mainstream acts are products to some extent but she was groomed from day one. Which prob led to her breakdown ~rebellious stage~.
    She can obviously sing like no other but up till her last album in 2009 she hadn’t written any of her songs. And the fact that most of her songs were the same love stories & her biggest hit -I will always love you- is a cover.

    I will never understand why she was placed on such a high pedestal and someone like Mariah would get scrutiny. MiMi WROTE all her s*** even before she was singed. Comparing her to Whitney when she just arrived was quite frankly, insulting to Mariah.

  100. ADE September 21, 2010

    Get over it Sam, you’re such a twat. No one is here for Ciara, Ameriie, Ashanti or KELLY ROWLAND. Deal with it and find someone else to stan for. And if you think those are “real artists” than you are just as delusional as the Ciara stans.

  101. Bloggers Are Crazy September 21, 2010

    No offense but I read your blog for a really long time and I must say you guys have some mental stability issues. You hate Rihanna so much but yet you can’t stop talking about her or referring to her. You need a psychological assessment.

  102. HeLLo September 21, 2010

    And please tell me what makes Ciara a great artist but Rihanna a horrible one??

    Cmon Sam yll are so biased when it comes to the epopel yall get itnervirews from.

  103. royalkev September 21, 2010

    @ Rihsus why is it that when someone is a songwriter it takes on this profound new dimension. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Prince are all songwriters, but so is The Dream, Missy Elliot and Keri Hilson (and their not regarded as genuises). I think there’s alot to be said for having great intreptation.

    Toni Braxton didn’t write alot of her biggest hits that were written by Babyface – but her magic brought them to life. It’s a gift because 2 people can sing the same exact song and leave you with 2 totally different feelings. Madonna didn’t write as many songs as Janet did in her career, does that mean she’s automatically less of an artist ? Dolly Parton sung I will always love you first, but Whitney’s version is what became a classic. Some people have their own preference for “I’m even woman” (which Chaka Khan and Whitney have done their own versions to).

    Mariah is a great songwriter, I’m not taking anything away from her and I totally appreciate the art( I am one myself). I just don’t see how you measure whose talent was greater because of one artist singing hit songs that they’ve written vs another having hit songs handed to them. I personally feel that Whitney’s voice has something Mariah’s was lacking (and I’m sure they’re many folks that feel differently and favor Mariah more). Writing a great song means nothing with a great singer to compliment that.

    Darkchild has written songs for Brandy that she’s sung very cleverly, but I hate the way Mary sounds when he writes for her(just my opinion). I can go on and on! I just think that there’s more to singing than just carrying a tune. Would Mariah songs have been hits if Madonna recorded them? If Mariah recorded Madonna or Janet’s material would it have been a success that way?

  104. royalkev September 21, 2010

    Oooops… * Writing a great song means nothing withOUT a great singer to compliment that.

  105. NUNYA September 21, 2010

    where are the trey stans @?
    I know yall angry as hell he didnt come in at number one,LMAO
    all that seeing him every where and his ass still came in at number 2, LOL
    I know one thing people in the industry have it easy now because as mentioned, they dont have to have talent to sell records (trey songz, rihanna, cassie,nicki minaj,pretty ricky, jeremih,jholiday,) and add any other name to the list

  106. MJ – The greatest ever September 21, 2010

    Did you seriously just call Ciara an example of a great act? Seriously? Is she a cousin of yours or something..?

    I agree with you though, modern pop music is 90% s***. It’s now about attracting hormonal adolescents and children with s** and bright colours.

  107. LVMJ4EVR September 22, 2010

    I feel you on this. My friends and I were discussing the state of the music industry and we all agree that it is quite sad…to say the least. We are all quite young but find ourselves liking Charlie Wilson former lead singer of the Gapp Band over a lot of these so called vocalists today. His new song, “You are” is so beautiful, REAL artists like him don’t seem to get the attention and notoriety they so richly deserve. Today’s so called music is nothing but mess. I mean….really. Hearing “S** Room” around 7:00 am is not cool. That whole theme is just played out. I look forward to the day when REAL singers are at the forefront again. It will be refreshing.

  108. Oh yeah, oh yeah September 22, 2010

    PREACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    i’ll have to disagree with the Ciara one though 😐

  109. DION-ISH September 22, 2010

    Ciara a great artist?!?!

    ** I Think i just choked on my sour patch**

    But i dont take anything sam or trent say seriously anyway because there super bias and let there emotions get them b***-hurt when THERE FAV artist is just…..WHACK. lol nobody cares for them.

    And Plus Thats what todays “Mainstream” market is based off of…Dance/Club Hits, Radio Airplay. There plenty of artist out there that arent mainstream “which i listen too and enjoy” and its def not about popularity sooo that Sam deserves a Side-eye for you…It really shouldn’t matter if you cared that much about the “music quality”

    —–

    FYI — I Find it funny how he downplayed Rihanna’s Rated R and etc. When it was one of the most original versatile non-mainstream pieces of work released in a while from a pop artist…

  110. Ch… September 22, 2010

    @royalkev

    Mariah is no one’s legend. Let’s not be deluded.

  111. Rihsus September 22, 2010

    @royalkev

    Yes it isn’t mandatory that a singer also their all their own material but in the case of Whitney and others like her they can’t be considered artist. I personally never liked her cover of I will always love you. Her version is more impressive than expressive. Dolly wrote that song for someone she deeply cared about and sang it with a fragile emotion. Whitney’s team took it, made it into an over-the-top by the numbers, show stopping power ballad just to show off her voice. The song actually sounds more like a threat coming from Whitney. In this case, Dolly wrote/sang something from the heart while Whitney sang it just because she could.

    Both Mariah & Whitney are [were] great vocalist but Mariah wrote her own words and Whitney didn’t. Mariah wrote about real life issues she’s had to face and things that were going on in the world or things people could generally relate to. Not to mention changed up her sound over time. Whitney was just singing and essentially made the same music over time.

    Madonna also wrote her own material and she obv doesn’t have the best voice but it’s good enough to pull off something tragic like “Oh Father” that she wrote. And she’s more of a performance/theatrics artist.

    Shows like American Idol & X-Factor and such. They’re just looking for someone who can out-sing all the other hopefuls. Then they line up producers, writers etc and the winner has about 3 – 4 max albums before they fade into obscurity. They can sing and put their own spin on the songs but you wouldn’t consider them artist unless they really do something artistic.

  112. Jelena September 22, 2010

    This is exactly why I unfollowed you on Twitter a couple of weeks back… 🙂

    Because my entire homepage used to be all ThatGrapeJuice posts…seriously

    AVOID OVERTWEETING, IT IS ANNOYING, and that goes out to everyone who tweets 100+ times a day!!!

  113. True Blue September 22, 2010

    @ Rihsus:

    Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, and a bevy of other artists from that era rarely or never wrote their own songs. In fact, it wasn’t until The Beatles blew up that it became an expectation for a “real artist” to write their own material as well as perform them.

    But would you say the aforementioned acts aren’t “real” artists because they never wrote their own songs? Because part of making a song your own is interpreting it in a unique fashion. No one can ever sing “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” the way Judy did. No one can ever sing “My Way” the way Frank Sinatra did. No one can ever sing “White Christmas” the way Bing did. The point is it didn’t matter that they didn’t sing those songs, they made those songs their own with their unique vocals and style. That’s what Whitney does (and my opinion, her cover of “I Will Always Love You” will always trump the original, no shade to Dolly, though).

    Besides, there are people who have the gift of songwriting, but can’t sing for s***. And there are people who are gifted singers, but can’t write for s***. What do you suggest they do? Find something else to do for a living because they can’t do both? And not writing your own songs doesn’t always mean the artist in question has no creative control of their music. Aaliyah didn’t write any of her own songs, but she did have a say in the musical direction she wanted to go in.

    Another thing I must add… if your name weren’t “Rihsus” (and unfortunately, it isn’t tongue in cheek, either) everything you said would carry credibility. But since you admire Rihanna as an artist, and you don’t just merely enjoy her music, then doesn’t everything you just said apply to her as well?

  114. True Blue September 22, 2010

    * The point is it didn’t matter that they didn’t WRITE those songs, they made those songs their own with their unique vocals and style.

  115. JAZ0195 September 22, 2010

    Rihanna stans are haters I just saw you in a trey songz post hating on him for having the #2 album debute. What impact has rihanna made on the industry? Looking good and sounding terrible is only thing that dumbass has accomplished.

  116. JAZ0195 September 22, 2010

    I heard beyonce and chris brown are going to have music with more meaning to it on their next albums. I think since both of them are popular they can make an impact on the industry if their albums are what they are supposed to be then maybe they can bring back real music.

  117. WHITE JESUS September 22, 2010

    oh he wants followers and he thinks c-error is a good act lol is that cus s-he tucks.

    its your bread and butter really now couldn’t you just sell your ass. 😐

    if you wanna go back in time climb back into your w**** mothers p**** dumb ass.

    if all else fails.feel free to free fall of a high building. 😐

  118. JAZ0195 September 22, 2010

    @WHITE JESUS that’s a terrible thing to say about someone and their mother. you need serious counsling.

  119. ERIC September 22, 2010

    Lol! I still don’t get people stuck in the oldies. Yes, the oldies were great, but let’s just move on, Ok… we have great talent now that’s on the mainstream, the problem is that we don’t stop to see the depth of their work and what the meaning under the commercial layers now-a-days artists have around them.
    People rant about “real music this, real music that…” and that’s just an subjective statement and we know it. The fact that some people does not show cases sky-high vocal range or acoustics without computer beats and arrangements does not mean their music is not “real”…(i wonder who started that stupid subjective statement of “real music”? must be buried alive) or even worse, that those people are not talented. Talent is not people doing what you want them to do, talent is not singing like Pavarotti or Houston, talent is being capable of exploding musical abilities with charisma and personal touch, knowing what you are doing, why you do it and what it means. If somebody creates something that has a meaning to that person and keeps expressing him/herself through the arts (in any derivation) then to me that person has talent.
    Today the music industry is for the listener, if you appeal to the listener then you will succeed. Many people have succeed now-a-days expressing their feelings through music, the problem is that sometimes the metaphor is too deep, the hooks is the only thing people notice and then that music is crap to some i-like-old-music-better people…

  120. KayB33 September 22, 2010

    Although I’m considered an “old soul” at times when it comes to music, I’ve learned to appreciate all genres and realized that art and talent are completely objective and come in a wide array. When I listen to my iPod, I find myself enjoying: Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Otis Redding, Marvin Gay, Lenny Williams, Michael McDonald, Aerosmith, Goo Goo Dolls, Nirvana, The Beatles, Chuck Berry, TLC, En Vogue, Salt ‘N’ Pepper, SWV, Run DMC, NWA, Beastie Boys, etc. I mean I could go on for days, but the point I’m trying to make is, I do completely embrace the oldies and the classics and at times I do miss that timeless music, but I can’t sit around and totally bash the present era. Nor can I sit around and say one artist is talented while another is untalented.
    I’ve always thought the only person that can truly determine whether someone is truly talented or not is God. Rihanna may not be a vocal powerhouse to you, but she is to millions. It’s easy to say her songs are meaningless, but I guarantee there is at least one person in the world who would say some of her songs like “The Last Song”, “Cold Case Love”, or even “Unfaithful” and “Take A Bow” have helped them get through something. I am a Rihanna fan, but I’m not going to be biased. Sometimes her music can be generic and just a fun song with a catchy beat. Some of her performances have not been the business and she isn’t a Pattie LaBelle. Look at it like this. In high school art class, you have those who are drawing abstract Picasso’s and others who may be drawing stick figures in front of a cartoonish looking house with an obvious message. Although one person may look at the abstract Picasso like painting and say they don’t get it and how can it be art there is going to be someone who appreciates it and can find a way to decipher it and even relate to it. On the other hand, one person may look at the amateur, cartoon painting and see something special in it and one person may say it’s rubbish. Either way it’s art to the person that made it and there is always going to be some message, but it’s up to that person to find it. Basically, as I stated earlier, art is objective. Art, of which music is form of, is forming symbolic elements in order to express a certain message, emotion, sense, or intellect. It can and will evolve. To bash music and not to bash literature, paintings, or even film is a bit contradictory because to be honest you really sit back and think of a TRUE modern day Shakespeare or Leonardo de Vinci? I will say artists seemed to express themselves more deeply in previous eras, but is it the artists or today’s fault or is it society’s? We live in a generation where less is more when it comes to clothing, fornication is the social norm, and technology is what really makes the world go around. We live in a superficial society and to be honest the generic music is just a result of that.
    Hell I remember when it was s*** for females to walk around in baggy clothes, but now for some reason if it’s not tight and short it’s not enough. I remember writing 4 page letters to your significant other and really expressing how you felt about them, but now it’s done in a text message or people are even breaking up via social networks like Facebook. Tomorrow there will be something else. The world we’re living in is fast paced and materialistic and often times you don’t even sit around and think about the fact that there are wars going on, people are dying in masses every single day from cancer, or that it’s becoming more and more hard to raise kids in society. We don’t focus on that. Artists used to focus on real life events and problems, but they don’t anymore because it’s now about what’s “hot”. Today’s issues are Lady GaGa wearing a meat dress to the MTV VMAs, but this is what WE focus on as a whole. As a whole, we settle for less whether it’s from the consumers to the actual artist themselves. To me it’s unfortunate that we most likely will go down as a era anchored on technology as opposed to something more meaningful like the Renaissance, but this is society. This is the life we live. Have you ever sat back and asked yourself what you are living for? Trust me, today it becomes harder for a person the answer that question. In the past, it was all about the “American Dream” and ultimately people wanted to make it from “rags to riches” for simple yet good and meaningful reasons like to provide for their family. Now we have people who strive to become rich to buy that Maybach and be that “it” person with all the hot gear. Not that it’s necessarily wrong, but we used to value morals a lot more. I think they put a lot more time, effort, and thought into their lyrics back in the day because it was easier to focus on it because they didn’t have all of the distractions that we have today or at least that’s one of the reasons. It was about the lyrics because you didn’t have all of the technology to distract you from it like you do today. Today, if it’s a hot beat, more than likely it’s a hot track. I’ll use OJ Da Juiceman for example, “Make the trap ayeee”? Really? BUT, I danced my ass off to this song for weeks and I still do because of the beat, but LL Cool J had me vibing to “I Need Love” because of the message. The beat was kind of simple, but that didn’t matter because I felt the guy. We’re singing about “disco sticks”, “[waking] up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy”, “Rude Boys”, and “Video Phone’s”. That’s what life is about now, unfortunately. The thing is, all of these artists also have meaningful songs, but it just so happens that the mediocre one’s garner all of the attention and it’s usually because of everything BUT the lyrics. That’s what the CONSUMER settles for though, us. Melanie Fiona, Chrisette Michele, Jennifer Hudson, and Janelle Monae all have amazing songs and are really talented but people aren’t trying to hear them because they aren’t materialistic and flashy enough. It’s sad, but it’s the truth. It’s the package that sells nowadays. I just wish we could go back to the basics and stick to them, but unfortunately in the world we live in I honestly see the only direction we’re going in as forward.
    Music is heavily critiqued today and a lot of times I do feel like we are harsh and the artist of today may have it harder on them because they have BIG shoes to fill. It’s all about posterity and who succeeds who. People like Michael Jackson and Tina Turner are hard people to follow and let’s face it, most artists of today are going to fail in comparison if you don’t look at it in an objective way; however, if you want to see a change be proactive about it. Don’t entertain something that you feel is b*******. If you feel like Rihanna isn’t a “true” artists maybe you shouldn’t promote her on a daily basis and that’s just keeping it real. I, personally, think artists are giving us what the majority is asking for or settling for, but you can’t knock them.
    I had another point to make, but it completely slipped my mind, but I may be back. I normally don’t post on here, especially long as dissertations like this, but it bugs me when people say music isn’t the same anymore. It isn’t. It has changed. It’s different, but to whether it’s gone to the bad is based on one’s unequitable opinion.

  121. True Blue September 22, 2010

    ^^^ No one is saying Rihanna’s music is terrible, just that she is at best a mediocre singer and a worse performer. And yes, she has sold millions of albums… so have Milli Vanilli and Vanilla Ice. Album sales doesn’t necessarily mean the artist in question is talented. The reason that people are bothered by her popularity is because there are a myriad of artists far more talented than she is who don’t get a fraction of her breaks. Try to see it that way instead of people just merely being snobbish.

  122. JAZ0195 September 22, 2010

    @TRUE BLUE Co-sign

  123. WHITE JESUS September 22, 2010

    not if they wanna go back in time

  124. jojo September 22, 2010

    jaz0195

    UR THOUGHTS ARE F****** RETARTED…………CHRIS BROWN IS ONLY POPULAR WITH BLACK GIRLS U PEOPLE ACT LIKE DUECES WAS HIS COMEBACK, BEYONCE WHO I LOVE WAS TALKING ABOUT MAKING PARTY MUSIC………….AND U JUST HATE RIHANNA SO U WILL NEVER SEE ANY GOOD IN HER OR SAY SOMETHIN POSITIVE SO HOW DARE YOU SAY SHE HAS BROUGHT NOTHING TO THE IDUSTRY …………..STUP THE HELL UP ….RATED R HAD MORE MEANIG THAN ANYTHING CHRIS HAS EVER MADE…………AND SAME WITH BEYONCE ………………U PEOPLE ON HERE ARE SUCH LIARS AN JUST SAY DUMB S*** JUST CAUSE YOU DONT LIKE SOMEONE ………….NEXTTIME DONT —-THINK BEEFORE YOU SPEAK

  125. True Blue September 22, 2010

    ^^^ Before you tell others to “think before they speak”, try taking your own advice first.

  126. WHITE JESUS September 22, 2010

    rihanna is this and that yet ciara cant come out with her album till she finds a new dance(no more matrix) bwah haaha i mean WTH.

    ciara who’s had two boob jobs is a ”good” artist in what f****** universe is getting bigger breast and showing your assets in magazines to prove your not a t***** good artistry SMFH

  127. wow!! September 22, 2010

    @ all ciara haters ciara is talented she has written a lot of her material and if you listen to the evolution it’s a pretty good album that just got overlooked just like most of her more recent material

  128. Landen September 22, 2010

    @yellow Gorilla And @ Wire.

    Chris Can Def. Sing. Just go to

    Chris-Daily.com and type in watch

    the video of him partying in Miami

    where he takes over the mic and

    starts singing. Alot is done in Acapella.

    And again for the third time, check out the

    two links in my comment found on the last

    Chris brown post on here,, You;ll hear unmastered

    versions of Calypso, Another One, and Rest

    Of My Life.

  129. JAZ0195 September 22, 2010

    @JOJO umm chris has fans of all races and second of all one of I don’t hate rihanna I just hate the delusional stans like you. Dueces was apart of chris brown’s comeback what #1 did he have before that? Can you tell me? Can you explain to me what rihanna has brought into the industry? She is not the same with beyonce what a insult.

    What the hell does stup the hell up mean?

  130. WHITE JESUS September 22, 2010

    no hate just truth all of her competition is either finishing tours(rihanna,gaga) or starting new albums(beyonce,gaga,rihanna) so there’s no main female going full blast now.

    why in holy f*** isn’t she going all out right now when all thems ^^^ just basically in in prep mode.not a lot of male artist up to much either and trey and and them got that s*** together right quick.

    MUST BE SOME EPIC S*** ALL THIS DAMN WAITING.

  131. KayB33 September 22, 2010

    True Blue, as I stated talent and art is objective. I was simply saying although there are those who don’t think Rihanna is talented there are also those who do. The saying goes different strokes for different folks. Some people prefer powerhouse vocals and others don’t. I personally don’t think what voice register a singer can achieve or more importantly what voice register a singer CAN’T achieve defines whether they are talented or not. It may measure HOW talented they are, but to knock a single because they can’t hit a falsetto is ridiculous. Rihanna can’t SANG, but she sings and a lot of people feel like she lacks things such as stage presence, but I think she has her own element she tries to achieve during her performances like maybe an emotional connection with her songs and her audience. I don’t want to make it seem like I’m praising her like a lot of the crazy stans on here because I’m not, but to say other artists are more talented than her is subjective. A lot of people consider Prince to be more talented than Michael Jackson, believe it or not, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s lived in his shadows the majority of his career. The same can be said for Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera and many others.

    We love in the digital age and I think the music reflects that. It’s not hard to understand. How successful are the meaningful songs compared to the generic ones with catchy beats and I speak in terms of an artist selecting their singles. Rihanna’s “Russian Roulette” was mildly successful compared to “Rude Boy”. GaGa’s “Bad Romance” success blew “Speechless” out the water. Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” dwarfed “Halo”. Rihanna, Lady GaGa, Beyonce, etc. all have meaningful songs, but nowadays, it’s superficial. I feel like that’s why the more “thorough” and “deep” artists such as Chrisette and Janelle don’t get any justice. Hell I can listen to Chrisette Michele’s “Epiphany” from start to finish and I appreciate her as an artist, but she isn’t that marketable; however, why all of a sudden in this day and age is numbers all that matters (especially when it’s actually pretty hard to have an accurate count of sales)? That really defines an artist? You know I’m actually willing to bet that a lot of artists that people think are slept on may indeed be selling more than the ones that saturate the market. It’s hard to actually tell because there are those that cater to mainstream audiences and those who cater to those who are less likely to go out and buy a CD. It might be annoying that the people you do prefer to listen to gets more recognition that others, but why does it matter if a person is more popular than another? I wish everyone could co-exist, but with people being as opinionated as they are today I seriously doubt if that will ever happen. I think the whole “flop” thing is a stupid argument because I think there are those who deliberately saturate the market in order to produce high sales and garner more attention and there are those who simply release music for the passion and hope the world will listen to their stories. As I’ve said before, the world we live in is superficial even the basis of this argument is superficial when you think about it. Why is recognition so important? We praise these artists like Gods. People go to work every single day and work their asses off and most of the time it does go unrecognized. It’s reality. You ever been in a situation when you know you’re doing something just as good or better than someone, but they get more recognition for it? It does p*** you off, but in the long run you have to look at it optimistically and say well I’ll let my work speak for itself or you’ll be rewarded one day.

    I see where you and others are coming from True Blue, but I sort of feel like the whole idea of this argument is petty, for a lack of a better word. If you like someone, why does it matter if someone else does or is it just the principle?

  132. GROW UP PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!! September 22, 2010

    Sam Honey
    I get that u find it frustrating that people you find unworthy of success are. For instance no one can make me understand how solja boy has a rap career. But what I do respect is his hustle. He’s not robbing banks so y get mad. I wouldn’t buy his stuff, but I im truly happy for him. Here’s the problem I have with you and this site. Just because i like your favorite rihanna does not mean i cannot appreciate great talents like Whitney, Mariah, xtina, clay akiens, Carey underwood and a few others. I just like to have fun. To say that rihanna is some huge talent is crazy, but hey i like the chick and she gives me something I enjoy. I like her voice even if u think im tone deaf. I think lady gaga is not that great, but getting angry and attacking other artist because she is more successful than people like my girl fantasia is just crazy. You are right u do take it personally. Just look how u attacked trey songz just now because Chris brown did not do that this time around. I love Chris brown, but im not mad at trey for getting his even if hes an SOB. Don’t be mad at the record labels be mad at the public who buys it. Life is so hard people just want to have fun with their music. If u just enjoyed the music and stop thinking so damn hard it would not p*** u off so much that trey sold over 200 copies, and rihanna keeps getting number ones. Everybody needs to calm the hell down.

    When beyonce sings and dances her ass off i could care less if she wrote it or not, when i see MJ perform im to blown away to care about the b*******. When i see Rihanna’s sing Russian roulette i just love it, when chris brown jumps over tables and s*** im just loving it, when xtina sings beautiful im like well damn, when i hear Mariah sing one sweet day i think about my mama, when i hear Rick Ross, kanye, JZ, and even waka flaka i just bop my head. DO YOU GET THE POINT.
    Some artist are more talented than others and that does not always mean success. As unfair as you and others on this blog feel it is it is what it is

  133. True Blue September 22, 2010

    @ Kay B33:

    I agree that sales does not and should not define an artist. A great album remains a great album whether it sells a million copies or one copy. I am certainly NOT one of those people who only listens to what’s popular; but at the same time I’m not a music snob who thinks anything remotely mainstream is automatically crap without giving it a chance.

    But there’s no denying that the less talented yet more popular artists don’t become huge by accident. They have a major label with a major budget backing them, crafting and manicuring their image and sound to make them more marketable to the public, and oversaturating their presence. Meanwhile the talented yet unconventional artists are mainly ignored because they don’t fit into any typical mold. So the majority of the public doesn’t even know about those artists, and that’s how you have Rihanna outselling the likes of Janelle Monáe and Chrisette Michelle.

    So it’s more or less a problem of the record labels tricking people by limiting their choices. Don’t you notice how most mainstream radio stations ALL play the same songs, for example? MTV as well? There used to be a time where radio played a wide variety of music from many artists of many genres. And MTV used to showcase both mainstream and alternative acts. Now they all stick to one formula, so anyone who doesn’t fit the mold doesn’t have a shot in hell of making it big in the mainstream. Lady Gaga is probably the biggest rule to that exception in years, and I hope that her great success will open doors for other quirky yet talented acts who are largely ignored by the mainstream.

    And yes, I agree that talent is to a certain degree subjective, however in no way did I say that one must be a powerhouse vocalist in order to be talented. I like a lot singers who don’t have powerhouse vocals, and singing isn’t the only way in which a musician can be talented. Bob Dylan can’t sing to save his life, but he is one hell of a poet. Jimi Hendrix sang, but no one talks about his voice, it’s his guitar skills that he is renowned for.

    But as far as Rihanna goes, I feel that she lacks emotion in her singing and her performing, not to mention that she neither plays an instrument nor writes her own songs. I enjoy her music, but not her as an artist. However, I am not saying that you must feel the same way as I do.

  134. KayB33 September 22, 2010

    I understand where you’re coming from and I know how record labels and the entertainment industry works, that why I definitely think popularity is petty. If there is a “problem” with music, I don’t think it lies within the artist, but more so in the business aspect of it. Everything is about money now and they are all working together for a common goal and if a certain artists isn’t in the scheme then they’re s*** out of luck. It really sucks because I know all of them work hard and probably even harder than some of the mainstream artists because it’s safe to say a lot of mainstream artists get things handed to them. The thing is, i quit listening to the radio a longggg time ago for the simple fact that it IS on repeat and as a music fan I don’t want that. I want to listen to any and everything. I don’t really watch MTV anymore because their favoritism is blatantly obvious. I mean dang, I like GaGa, but you would swear MTV is her channel and that annoys me.
    To be honest, I’m waiting to see what Rihanna does in the future. I would like to see her dabble into other areas like acquiring a music instrument or something of the sort and I mean be passionate about it and not just play it for a song or too because it’s “fashionable”. Maybe she should dig deeper into her “drumming”. Her performances to me, aren’t groundbreaking and breathtaking, but I don’t think they are as terrible as a lot of people make them out to be and they do actually entertain me. I’ve seen her cry and have emotional performances, but then there have been times when she’s came off as stiff, but who am I? I mean sometimes Beyonce and GaGa seem over the top for me, so I can appreciate simple performances. I use to compare everyone to Michael Jackson when it came to performing and no one compares so I had to quit doing it and realize to each its own. There will never be another Michael Jackson.

  135. not good September 22, 2010

    Iam not a rihanna fan/stan but what’s funny is that this whole rent was about rihanna don’t have to think hard to know that. anyways is not a slow news day especially in the rihanna world because is a post running around right now about rihanna endorsement deal with doritos you could have posted that sam and trent. remember that whole {who that chick} video that you guys was talking s*** about that got leaked. yeah that video was for a dorito deal she has sign up for. iam sure you guys remember that video right but i guess y’all coulden’t think of nothing negative to throw at her with that endorsement post that is running around right now. However iam sure you guys will soon find a post about her to throw shad at, since y’all whole insistence is to let everyone know how untalented she really is and how she sounds like goat yet she still here. s*** it seem like the more shad this b**** get the more she shins so i say to sam and trent including others pleas don’t stop the shad keep it up. look at my fav. beyonce with all the shad she went through before and even now not as much as before but she just kept shinny.

    furthermore you think that the music industry today suck just because the artists that the industry represents are different in ways you dislike now that sounds like a personal problem to me. you are very swallow to think that just because an artist who’s talent doesn’t meet your standards shows that todays industry is bad and doesn’t recognize talent. to say that industry does not recognize real talent is just your opnion correct because to me and millions of others that buys music and request them on radio the industry is doing just fine which is giving the listeners what they want have you thought of that. is sad that you feel this way because in life nothing is meant to stay the same, look the same, walk the same and likewise understand little boy maybe in your little world it should but in the big world we live no, no, no oaky. How about you guys stop talking about rihanna untalented ass as you put it although millions disagree and talk about artist that you think has talent to help them out silly. Oh and to say someone has talent or not is pure base on opnion just like everything else in life because whatever is not gold to you might be gold to others. poor you i feel sorry for you because rihanna is not going any where hope you guys don’t kill yourself cause of her more to come success.

  136. Boy Stop September 22, 2010

    People kill me when they say they want “real R&B” back. Don’t they realize that “Real R&B” hasn’t been done since the 70s when funk and disco became popular in Black Music. And no, don’t talk about the 90s, New Jack/Jill Swing Era. That was VERY watered down version of what “real R&B” is like(ask any old head and they will tell you) and a mix and match of genres.

  137. True Blue September 22, 2010

    @ Kay B33:

    Agreed 100%. And to be honest, I don’t watch MTV, so I don’t even know if they play Lady Gaga often, because I thought they have dedicated their entire programming to reality TV. Right now, it’s more “Jersey Shore” central then it is Gaga central, lol.

    But yeah, if Rihanna learned a musical skill for real and dedicated herself to it (be it an instrument or dancing) and took more charge of her music and image (she doesn’t necessarily have to write her own stuff, but perhaps become less of her label’s puppet? Because I get the feeling that they control every aspect of her), then maybe people would respect her a bit more.

  138. Doofus September 22, 2010

    Music is a business … the investors are looking fior profits.Period. It is obvious that if artist A is not selling money will not be spent on promotion. If Artist B is selling ( even if she is not the best singer) she will be promoted…Its called playing the odds.

    Kay Talent is subjective… and relative… Most importantly Sales has never been proportional to perceived talent.

    Lets look at the market… The USA is predominatly white, then hispanic , then black then asian. Singing music that appeals to most people increases your chances of seling. Hence singing ‘black’ music will appeal primarily to the blacks but is that market big enough …?

    Ciara tried to go POP and failed and she does not sell enough in the R&B markets.

    Rihanna sells through all racial demographics hence she is very marketable

    Fantasia is mainly R&B and therefore more limited.

    There are exceptions of course in that Ciara fisrt songs were dance oreinted and crossed over to Pop. However her image an dare I say talent has not captured pop audiences.

    Whitney when she fisrt came out was marketted to POP over R&B. Because ofher singing she easily cpatured the R&B audience but her looks and her light R&B songs helped her mainatain a POP audience. In fact back then there were many in the R&B community that criticise her for not being able to dance and for singing ‘ show tiunes ‘ instead of real R&B.

    But guess what she was far more successful and made the investors very happy …much so than say other talented ‘bllack singers’ like Melissa Morgan etc…

    So Sam please do your Music history!!!

  139. Corrosive Sounds September 22, 2010

    I kinda thought TGJ had lost it’s way until I read that rant. I’m glad to see u still love music & not just the celebrity that goes with it.

    Less posts about Trey Songz & Rihanna. More about Mary J & Eminem. Let’s give promo to the genuine talent!

  140. THAT GRAPE S*** September 22, 2010

    oh ma DAYZ only Sam a.k.a. THE S*** would make a post ABOUT HIMSELF.

  141. KO September 22, 2010

    Yawn @ this entire post

    Throwing a bitchfit becuase Rihanna is selling and Kelly isnt wont help her sales.

    This whole “real music” vs “fake music” is load of BS

    Your just bitter cuz you dont like Rihanna

    The industry has never made talent mandatory

    Hell the Chimpmucks had a #1 record in the 50s
    Madonna’s career has lasted over 30 years
    They told Janet Jackson she was talentless when she 1st came out
    and the list goes on and on

    Like a previous poster said “True R&B” hasnt even been made in decades, so I have no clue why ppl are getting just now upset . And even when R&B was in it heyday it didnt even sell like that.

    Its funny, I recall during the 90’s ppl called the music vapid and water down crap, but today ppl swear its the best era of music ever. I’ll never understand why ppl are so fickle

  142. Caitlin September 22, 2010

    Let’s here it for Sam! Here, Here! I agree with you SO MUCH.

  143. KD September 23, 2010

    @ SAM, could you please elaborate on how Kelly, Ciara, Amerie, Ashanti & co. are such great acts. The very people that you laud are also responsible for some of the most deplorable music that is out at the moment i.e. Ciara’s Ride “He likes the way I ride it”-I don’t get a Michael Jackson “Heal the World” vibe (message) from this song.

    Do not criticize the music industry because of your frustration @ Rihanna’s success (& while you did not mention her name it is clear that she is one of the people that you were referring to i.e. the “dye” comment).

    This post is just so hyprocritical and pointless & a sad attempt at trying to come across as a musical aficionado, that I just can’t take it seriously at all.

  144. MR. STILL STANDING September 23, 2010

    60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and early 2000s R&B music is epic. I think partly the reason why R&B is in the dumps is because people are more “pop-infused” R&B, instead of straight up R&B music. But I do think that R&B has made a slow-building comeback. You have Monica. You have Fantasia. You have Alicia. You have Jaheim. You have Raheem. You have Chrisette. You have Ne-Yo. You have Lloyd. You have Tank. You have a lot of R&B artist committed to bringing R&B back to it’s roots.

    And Sam, it’s actually good R&B out there and you have yet to promote them. K. Michelle is a prime example. She’s new R&B artist with so much personality and have such a big voice that’s reminiscement of Mary J. Blige and Keyshia Cole and you have never featured her in your blog.

    Miguel is another R&B on the rise that makes great R&B music.

  145. MR. STILL STANDING September 23, 2010

    60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and early 2000s R&B music is epic. I think partly the reason why R&B is in the dumps is because people are more “pop-infused” R&B, instead of straight up R&B music. But I do think that R&B has made a slow-building comeback. You have Monica. You have Fantasia. You have Alicia. You have Jaheim. You have Raheem. You have Chrisette. You have Ne-Yo. You have Lloyd. You have Tank. You have a lot of R&B artist committed to bringing R&B back to it’s roots.

    And Sam, it’s actually good R&B out there and you have yet to promote them. K. Michelle is a prime example. She’s new R&B artist with so much personality and have such a big voice that’s reminiscement of Mary J. Blige and Keyshia Cole and you have never featured her in your blog.

    Miguel is another R&B artist on the rise that makes great R&B music.

  146. Win Quibids April 9, 2013

    Can I just say what a relief to find somebody who actually knows what theyre talking about over a internet. You genuinely know how to bring an difficulty to light and make it important. A lot more folks need to read this and understand this side in the story. I cant believe youre not much more popular due to the fact you definitely have the gift.

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