Hathaway
Someday, We'll All Be Free
I know this is random but that thread about the current state of Hip Hop really got me dissecting the current state of R&B. I was just thinking about how through each decade, the 60s, 70s, 80s and even the 90s and early 00s, we had legendary and iconic voices. One of a kind vocal ability.
Think about the 1960s. Think about all of the iconic voices we had in black music and R&B during that time. David Ruffin, Smokey Robinson, a young Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, James Brown, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding.
The 70s was a fukking bloodbath. The greatest decade of black voices in history and it will never be close. Barry White, Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Patti Labelle, Peabo Bryson, Earth Wind & Fire, Marvin Gaye, Teddy Pendergrass, Ojays. fukking INSANE. And I omitted ALOT of people. Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes, Isley Bros, Al Green, Spinners, Emotions, LTD, Frankie Beverly!
GOT DAMN IT. SHYT MAKING MY dikk HARD
I could go on and on with this shyt. The 70s were CRAZY. I can't imagine being bombarded with such soul moving music every hour of every day back then. Shyt was unbelievable.
The 80s: Adult MJ, Whitney, Luther, Prince, Chaka Khan, Donna Summers, Anita Baker, Stephanie Mills, Janet.
The 90s legendary voices: R. Kelly, Boyz II Men, Brandy, Mariah, En Vogue, Erykah Badu, Babyface, Mary J, Lauryn Hill, Brian McKnight, Gerald LeVert.
00s - D'Angelo, Jill Scott, India Ari, Musiq Soulchild, Usher, Beyonce, Aaliyah, Justin Timberlake, Robin Thicke, Jamie Foxx, Jazmine Sullivan
Current Era: HER, I guess Chris Brown? Ariana Grande? Does she even have an R&B song?
I may be missing a few icons here and there but I was coming straight off top. Notice the disparity in vocal talent the closer we get to the current era. Each decade had MULTIPLE all time voices. Voices where if you hear them on a radio, you'd immediately know who it was. Legendary voices and ability. Undeniable talent.
It's discouraging seeing that this current era (2020-Present) has not delivered one voice that would go down among the greats.
I rate myself a solid 7 on a vocal ability scale and I know if you were to put me up against any of these new nikkas (Giveon, Bryson Tiller, Weeknd, Khalid, Daniel Ceasar, Brent Faiyaz) in a straight raw singing comp, no autotune, no microphone. I'm bodying every single one. Only nikka I respect is Lucky Daye. He got skills.
This shyt breaks my heart that we don't have any iconic voices in this generation.
Think about the 1960s. Think about all of the iconic voices we had in black music and R&B during that time. David Ruffin, Smokey Robinson, a young Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, James Brown, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding.
The 70s was a fukking bloodbath. The greatest decade of black voices in history and it will never be close. Barry White, Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Patti Labelle, Peabo Bryson, Earth Wind & Fire, Marvin Gaye, Teddy Pendergrass, Ojays. fukking INSANE. And I omitted ALOT of people. Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes, Isley Bros, Al Green, Spinners, Emotions, LTD, Frankie Beverly!
GOT DAMN IT. SHYT MAKING MY dikk HARD
I could go on and on with this shyt. The 70s were CRAZY. I can't imagine being bombarded with such soul moving music every hour of every day back then. Shyt was unbelievable.
The 80s: Adult MJ, Whitney, Luther, Prince, Chaka Khan, Donna Summers, Anita Baker, Stephanie Mills, Janet.
The 90s legendary voices: R. Kelly, Boyz II Men, Brandy, Mariah, En Vogue, Erykah Badu, Babyface, Mary J, Lauryn Hill, Brian McKnight, Gerald LeVert.
00s - D'Angelo, Jill Scott, India Ari, Musiq Soulchild, Usher, Beyonce, Aaliyah, Justin Timberlake, Robin Thicke, Jamie Foxx, Jazmine Sullivan
Current Era: HER, I guess Chris Brown? Ariana Grande? Does she even have an R&B song?
I may be missing a few icons here and there but I was coming straight off top. Notice the disparity in vocal talent the closer we get to the current era. Each decade had MULTIPLE all time voices. Voices where if you hear them on a radio, you'd immediately know who it was. Legendary voices and ability. Undeniable talent.
It's discouraging seeing that this current era (2020-Present) has not delivered one voice that would go down among the greats.
I rate myself a solid 7 on a vocal ability scale and I know if you were to put me up against any of these new nikkas (Giveon, Bryson Tiller, Weeknd, Khalid, Daniel Ceasar, Brent Faiyaz) in a straight raw singing comp, no autotune, no microphone. I'm bodying every single one. Only nikka I respect is Lucky Daye. He got skills.
This shyt breaks my heart that we don't have any iconic voices in this generation.
