Editorial: We Need Real R&B Back

By: Carl Lamarre and Nadine Barthole Remember the good old days when MTV was all about playing the classics and not reality shows? Or, when you were driving doing 80 on the freeway, and you were bumping those classic R&B summertime tunes? Better yet, when you broke up with your counterpart and needed that one song to help you get over? Well, we all remember and miss those times gravely. These artists were the ones in the 90′s and early 2000′s who had the game on smash in the R&B circuit. Here’s a list of who we miss, and need dearly back in this very limited genre of R&B.

1. Craig David – Before an influx of imports from England rushed over to the US for a promising musical career, one paved the way more than a decade ago. Craig David, known for his signature hits “7 Days, and “Fill Me In” carved his way into R&B with his musical opus Born To Do It. After crushing the competition in the UK with a whopping 6 million copies sold, he was able to deliver a platinum cd in America. But since, he has returned back to the UK, and changed his sound to accommodate the new changes in the era. Known For: “Fill Me In”, “Seven Days”, “Walking Away” 2. Joe – He made innumerable classics throughout his career yet is undervalued and under appreciated. His album My Name is Joe certified his cred as a legitimate R&B crooner in the early 2000′s. With records like “I Wanna Know” and “Stutter” serving as the paradigm for the game, Joe’s poignant records delivered him instant success. Let’s not forget his collaborations with G-Unit, Mariah Carey, and N-Sync. Known For: “I Wanna Know” “All The Things” “Stutter” 3. Avant – The Chi-town native introduced himself with his debut My Thoughts in 1999, and had the world head over heels for his collaboration with Keke Wyatts. There’s no doubt Avant had his fair share of hits stemming from his albums Ecstasy, Private Room, and Director such as “Read Your Mind”, “4 Minutes”, and “Makin’ Good Love.” Ever since Director, Avant slowly faded to black as his two follow-ups Avant and The Letter didn’t fair as well as his previous endeavors. Known For: “Read Your Mind”, “Separated”, “My First Love” 4. Donell Jones – “Where I Wanna Be” was every player’s anthem. This ode to the indecisive men fumbling in love and relationships elevated Jones tremendously. Because the record connected so much to the fans, he was able to solidify his position in the game quickly. He was able to work with the talented Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes on the remix to his smash “You Know What’s Up” while also delivering Pun’s farewell record “It’s So Hard.” He attempted to make strides on coming back to the game tracks like “I’m Gonna Be”, but still, the game is wishing Donell could have a shot at redemption. Known For: “Where I Wanna Be” “You Know What’s Up” 5. Mya- A DC native who is internationally known among many other talents as a songwriter, singer, dancer and model. Her music career blossomed when she released her self-titled album in 1998. Aside from her solowork she was featured on many other successful collaborations with the likes of Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Jadakiss and Jay-Z. The Ol’ Dirty Bastard hit “Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)” was up for a Grammy in 1988. Jada and Jay were featured on the hit remix to the song “The Best Of Me”. No one can forget the smash single “My love is Like Wo”. Known For: “The Best Of Me”, “Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)”, “My Love Is Like Wo” 6. Jaheim – A true soul man who wooed women with his smooth voice and through his lyrics made men think twice about putting their ladies first. It comes with no surprise that this vocalist was often at the top of the charts. Jah’s 2007 album “The Makings of a Man” has some of his most impressive work. If you feel like you’re missing great R&B the answer lies in one of the most overlooked artist. Known For: “Just In Case”, “Put That Woman First” 7. Tamia – A Canadian born singer who is best known for her massive hits “Stranger In My House” and Fabolous’ “So Into You”. Tamia’s music attracted a huge female fan base because of her relateable lyrics. The ladies sang along to her verses feeling like Tamia was one of their own girlfriends. The songs spoke to relationships and it was not difficult to resonate. The singer had multiple Grammy nominations and a long list of awards. She even dove into the acting scene and left her mark there. Even after battling many personal and family illnesses, Tamia continues to be an inspirational woman and is currently working on her next project. Known For: “Stranger In My House”, “Officially Missing You”, “So Into You” 8. Jon B- Rhode Island born musician captivated R&B fans through his romantic style. He’s been compared to some of the greats and has worked with some of the hottest names in music. The Grammy nominated singer and songwriter created some noteworthy tracks such as the hitter “They Don’t Know” and “Are You Still Down” (with the late Tupac Shakur). Known For: “They Don’t Know”, “Don’t Talk”, “Are You Still Down” 9. Brandy- Music runs in the singer and songwriters family. Brandy had many successful records shortly after the hit “The Boy is Mine” a collaboration with singer Monica. She peaked after the release of her second album “Never Say Never” leaving her as one of the most renowned female R&B artist of her time. Brandy also soared in her TV and film career. She has received a number of awards and accolades for her talents. Although she spent some time on hiatus she has recently been popping up as a feature on several tracks and landed a role on the hit TV series “The Game”. Known For: “I Wanna Be Down”, “The Boy Is Mine”, “Top Of The World” 10. Ginuwine – This kid had bangers point blank. I’m talking before he made the cameo on Honey and Juwanna Mann, Ginuwine melted the hearts of women with this extensive catalog ranging from “So Anxious” to the inescapable “In Those Jeans”, to the captivating “Differences”. Even his feature game was as admirable as he grace Diddy’s I Need A Girl Pt II. Recently, Tyrese indicated a reunion of TGT which consisted of Tyrese, Ginuwine, and Tank. If Tyrese’s words are bond, then this could be something special. Known For: “In Those Jeans”, “So Anxious”, and “Differences”