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Smokestack Lightnin' Home Page' -- The Blues Profile Page
Contemporary R&B (also known as simply R&B) is a music genre
that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.
Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional
rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to
describe a style of African American music originating after the
demise of disco in the 1980s. Some sources refer to the style as
urban contemporary (the name of the radio format that plays hip
hop and contemporary R&B).
Contemporary R&B has a polished record production style, drum
machine-backed rhythms, an occasional saxophone-laced beat to
give a jazz feel (mostly common in contemporary R&B songs prior
to the year 1993), and a smooth, lush style of vocal
arrangement. Electronic influences are becoming an increasing
trend, and the use of hip hop or dance inspired beats are
typical, although the roughness and grit inherent in hip hop may
be reduced and smoothed out. Contemporary R&B vocalists are
often known for their use of melisma, popularized by vocalists
such as Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston and
Mariah Carey.
Contemporary R&B (also known as simply R&B) is a music genre
that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.
Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional
rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to
describe a style of African American music originating after the
demise of disco in the 1980s. Some sources refer to the style as
urban contemporary (the name of the radio format that plays hip
hop and contemporary R&B).
History
1980s
As the disco era came to a close, a new generation of producers
began adding synthesizers and slick drum machine beats to
African American music. Michael Jackson was among the first
post-disco black musician to cross over to mainstream audiences.
In its early years, mainstream R&B was very pop-oriented.
Notable 1980s R&B musicians include Luther Vandross, the SOS
Band, Mtume, Freddie Jackson, DeBarge, Loose Ends, and Stephanie
Mills.
Tina Turner made a comeback during the second half of the 1980s,
while Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson broke into the pop music
charts with a series of hits. Richard J. Ripani wrote that Janet
Jackson's third studio album Control (1986) was 'important to
the development of R&B for a number of reasons', as she and her
producers, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, 'crafted a new sound that
fuses the rhythmic elements of funk and disco, along with heavy
doses of synthesizers, percussion, sound effects, and a rap
music sensibility.' Ripani wrote that 'the success of Control
led to the incorporation of stylistic traits of rap over the
next few years, and Janet Jackson was to continue to be one of
the leaders in that development.' That same year, Teddy Riley
began producing R&B recordings that included hip hop influences.
This combination of R&B style and hip hop rhythms was termed new
jack swing, and was applied to artists such as Bobby Brown,
Keith Sweat, Guy, Jodeci, and Bell Biv DeVoe.
1990s
In contrast to the works of Boyz II Men, Babyface and similar
artists, other R&B artists and groups from this same period
began adding even more of a hip hop sound to their work, like
the innovative group Jodeci. The synthesizer-heavy rhythm tracks
of new jack swing was replaced by grittier East Coast hip
hop-inspired backing tracks, resulting in a genre labeled hip
hop soul by producer Sean Combs who also had mentored group
Jodeci in the beginning and helped them with their unique look.
The style became less popular by the end of the 1990s, but later
experienced a resurgence.
During the mid 1990s, Michael Jackson, R Kelly, Janet Jackson,
Mariah Carey, Aaliyah, TLC, SWV and Boyz II Men brought
contemporary R&B to the mainstream. Janet Jackson's self-titled
fifth studio album janet. (1993), which came after her historic
multi-million dollar contract with Virgin Records, sold over
twenty million copies worldwide. Boyz II Men and Carey recorded
several Billboard Hot 100 #1 hits, including 'One Sweet Day', a
collaboration between both acts, which became the
longest-running #1 hit in Hot 100 history. Carey, Boyz II Men
and TLC released albums in 1994 and 1995—Daydream, II, and
CrazySexyCool respectively — that sold over ten million copies,
earning them RIAA diamond status.
In the late 1990s, neo soul, which added 1970s soul influences
to the hip hop soul blend, arose, led by artists such as
D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell. Mariah Carey
was well known to incorporate her pop, R&B tunes with hip-hop.
Hill and Missy Elliott further blurred the line between R&B and
hip hop by recording both styles. Beginning in 1995, the Grammy
Awards enacted the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, with II by
Boyz II Men becoming the first recipient. The award was later
received by TLC for CrazySexyCool in 1996, Tony Rich for Words
in 1997, Erykah Badu for Baduizm in 1998 and Lauryn Hill for The
Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1999. At the end of 1999,
Billboard magazine ranked Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson as the
first and second most successful artists of the 1990s.
2000s–present
By the 2000s, the cross-pollination between R&B and hip hop had
increased. Mainstream modern R&B has a sound more based on
rhythm than hip hop soul had, and lacks the hardcore and soulful
urban 'grinding' feel on which hip-hop soul relied. That
rhythmic element descends from new jack swing. R&B began to
focus more on solo artists rather than groups as the 2000s
progressed. According to Billboard magazine, the most
commercially successful R&B acts of the decade were Usher,
Beyoncé Knowles, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, and Rihanna. Other
recording artists today have combined traditional R&B with
elements with contemporary pop, pop rock, dance-pop, and
electro-pop to create a lighter and more youthful sound.
This section was created from www.wikipedia.com