The likes of TLC and Destiny’s Child ensured that the late 90’s/early noughties was the definitive era of “male-bashing”. Indeed, the chart-topping success of ‘No Scrubs’, ‘Bills Bills Bills’, and the like, made it abundantly clear who “ran” the music world at that time.
However, that same window saw R&B singer Nivea score a hit with revised twist on the “relationship” narrative. Flipping the script, she scored herself a winner with this week’s From The Vault pick – anti-homewrecker anthem ‘Don’t Mess With My Man’.
‘Don’t Mess’ saw the pint-sized powerhouse duet with the vocal dynamos of Jagged Edge; it was released in 2002 as the third single from the songbird’s self-titled debut. The track, which managed to hit the US Top 10 but was a minor hit in other territories, ironically remains the singer’s most well-known song on a global scale. Thanks, no doubt, to the 00’s boom of Web 2.0 (see: Youtube and the like).
The sizzling cut – which was helmed by the ever-present Bryan Michael Cox – was accompanied by a glossy video featuring the crew fooling around at a garage and dancing at a parking lot. Although a sassier (or out of the box) concept exploring the lyrics would have been edgier, the clip does a solid job presenting us an artist capable of hitting the notes and busting the all-importan moves.
In recent years, it seems people have been talking more about Ms. Hamilton’s personal life than her music. Unsurprising given her marriage, divorce and army of children with hitmaker The Dream, as well as her child with Lil’Wayne. A fact which is ever-unfortunate considering how solid cuts such as this and her sophomore set ‘Complicated’ were. Consequently, the songstress ends up in the “underrated” league alongside the likes of Ameriie and Kelis.
Still we’d like to know:
Who do you think are the most underrated R&B artists?
Your thoughts?
