Rhythm and blues: Encyclopedia II - Rhythm and blues - Contemporary R&B

Rhythm and blues - Contemporary R&B

The term R&B today defines a style of African-American music, originating after the demise of disco in 1980, that combines elements of soul music, funk music, pop music, and (after 1986) hip-hop in the form known as contemporary R&B. In this context only the abbreviation "R&B" is used, not the full expression.

Sometimes referred to as "urban contemporary" (the name of the radio format that plays hip-hop and R&B music) or "urban pop", contemporary R&B is distinguished by an slick, electronic record production style, drum machine-backed rhythms, and a smooth, lush style of vocal arrangement. Uses of hip hop inspired beats are typical, although the roughness and grit inherent in hip hop are ususally reduced and smoothed out.

Rhythm and blues - History

With the transition from soul to R&B in the early to mid 1980s, solo singer Luther Vandross and new stars like Prince (Purple Rain) and Michael Jackson (Off the Wall, Thriller) took over, and dominated the charts throughout the 1980s. Jackson's Thriller, which repopularized black music with pop audiences after a post-disco backlash among United States mainstream audiences, is the best-selling album of all time world-wide.

Female R&B singers like Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson gained great popularity during the last half of the decade; and Tina Turner, then in her 50s, came back with a series of hits with crossover appeal. Also popular was New Edition, a group of teenagers who served as the prototype for later boy bands such as the New Kids on the Block, The Backstreet Boys, and others.

In 1986, Teddy Riley began producing R&B recordings that included influences from the increasingly popular genre of hip hop music. This combination of R&B style and hip-hop rhythms was termed new jack swing, and artists such as Keith Sweat, Guy, Jodeci, and BellBivDeVoe (featuring former members of New Edition). Another popular, but short-lived group, with more pronounced R&B roots was Levert, whose lead singer, Gerald Levert, was the son of O'Jays lead vocalist Eddie Levert.

In the early 1990s, R&B group Boyz II Men repopularized classic-soul inspired vocal harmony, and several similar groups (among them Shai, Soul for Real, and Dru Hill) would follow in their footsteps. Boyz II Men, and several of their competitors, benefited from lush ballads from producers such as Babyface and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who brought Michael Jackson's sister Janet Jackson to fame during the late 1980s and early 1990s. As a solo artist, Babyface and contemporaries such as Brian McKnight eschewed prominent hip-hop influences, and recorded in a smooth, soft style of R&B termed quiet storm.

In the early 1990s, alternative rock, adult contemporary, and gangsta rap ruled the charts, and R&B artists began adding even more of a rap/hip-hop sound to their work. New jack swing had its synthesizer-heavy rhythm tracks replaced by grittier East Coast hip-hop inspired backing tracks, resulting in a genre labeled "hip-hop soul" by Sean "Puffy" Combs, producer for Mary J. Blige. Blige and other hip-hop soul artists such as R. Kelly, Montell Jordan, Brandy, and Aaliyah, more than their slicker new jack swing predecessors, brought hip-hop slang, style, and attitudes to R&B music. The sub-genre also includes a heavy gospel influence with vocal inflections and sounds. The style became less popular by the end of the 1990s, but later experienced a resurgence. The hip-hop soul sound continues to be heard in the work of artists such as Jaheim, Amerie, Chris Brown, Ne-Yo and Keisha Cole.

During the mid-1990s, highly successful aritsts such as Mariah Carey, girl group TLC, the aforementioned Boyz II Men brought contemporary R&B to the mainstream. Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey recorded several Billboard Hot 100 #1 hits, including "One Sweet Day"., a collaboration between both acts which became the longest-running number-one hit in Hot 100 history, In addition, both Boyz II Men and TLC released albums in 1994, II and CrazySexyCool, respectively, that sold over ten million copies, earning them diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. Other top-selling R&B aritsts from this era included singer Toni Braxton, singer/songwriter/producer R. Kelly, and girl group En Vogue.

During the later part of the decade, neo soul, which added a 1970s soul music influence to the hip-hop soul blend, arose, led by artists such as D'Angelo, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell. Several artists, most notably Missy Elliott, further blurred the line between R&B and hip-hop by recording in both genres simultaneously.

During the late-1990s and early 2000s, the influence of pop on R&B could be heard in the work of several pop musicians, most notably Jennifer Lopez and the later recordings of *NSYNC and the early recordings of 98 Degrees. *NSYNC's lead singer Justin Timberlake went on to make several successful solo recordings that showed heavy influences from both R&B and hip hop music. Other pop stars who perform heavily R&B influenced pop music (sometimes referred to as "dirty pop","urban pop", or a modern definition of "hip-pop") include Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, and Pink.

In the United Kingdom, R&B found its way into the UK garage subgenre of 2Step, typified by R&B-style singing accompanied by breakbeat/jungle rhythms. Among the most notable 2Step artists is Craig David, who crossed over to American R&B audiences in the early 2000s.

In addition, several producers have developed specialized styles of song production. Timbaland, for example, became notable for his hip-hop and jungle based syncopated productions in the late-1990s, during which time he produced R&B hits for Aaliyah, Ginuwine, and singer/rapper Missy Elliott. By the end of the decade, Timbaland's influences had shifted R&B songs towards a sound that apporximated his own, with slightly less of a hip-hop feel. Lil' Jon became famous for a style he termed "crunk & B", deriving its influences from the Southern hip hop subclassification of crunk music. Jon gave his main R&B artist, Ciara, the title of "the Princess of Crunk & B", and Brooke Valentine and Usher have also recorded R&B songs with strong crunk influences.

Rhythm and blues - The present day

By the 2000s, the cross-pollination between R&B and hip-hop had increased to the point where, in most cases, the only difference between a record being a hip-hop record or an R&B record is whether its vocals are rapped or sung. Modern R&B lacks the hardcore and soulful urban "grinding" feel on which hip hop-soul relied, and began to focus more on solo acts rather than groups as the 2000s progressed. Some of the artists who have successfully recorded in this style include Usher, Beyoncé and Destiny's Child, Mario, Ashanti, "the Princess of Hip Hop and R&B", and Ciara, the "Princess of Crunk & B".

dumists, such as Alicia Keys and Angie Stone, moved on to neo soul instead. Neo soul continues to be popular, with new artists like John Legend and American Idol winner Fantasia showcasing classic influences in their work. Some R&B singers have used elements of Caribbean music in their work, especially dancehall and reggaeton.

Quiet storm, while still existent, is no longer a dominant presence on the pop charts, and is generally confined to urban adult contemporary radio. Most of the prominent quiet storm artists, including Babyface and Gerald Levert, began their careers in the 1980s and 1990s, although newer artists such as Kem also record in the quiet storm style. Its influence can still be seen in singles such as Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" and Usher's "Confessions, Pt. 2"

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Contemporary R&B", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki