Bobby Brown Could Have Ruled The 90s But Chose Drugs & Complacency Instead...

[Ziggiy]

Ralph would've been super duper huge as a solo had he not brought his friends along all those early songs could've easily been solo songs especially with that voice j\s

No your absolutely right.


BUT


I still think Bobby had better potential solo. He had the look, swag, personality and energy to go along with his talent. Ralph had talent definitely but also look at the direction he chose to go in once he did go solo.

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

No your absolutely right.


BUT


I still think Bobby had better potential solo. He had the look, swag, personality and energy to go along with his talent. Ralph had talent definitely but also look at the direction he chose to go in once he did go solo.

Ralph could sing
Ralph could dance
Ralph wasn’t Bobby

Bobby’s unpredictable energy was pretty unique and what drew people to him. The same shyt that got him kicked out of the group worked well for his solo stint

 

[Threnody]

Bobby Brown actually overachieved

"Don't Be Cruel" and the NE "Heartbreak" album were suppose to be Ralph Tresvant solo LP's....hell it was suppose to be just him in the first place

"Don't Be Cruel" was all Ralph the sound, the swag all of it he gave it to Bobby....Bobby Brown is basically a Ralph Tresvant copy

Bobby Brown didn't run out of steam....He was always someone who had someone else's battery in his back he was dope don't get me wrong but Ralph is the one who should have ruled the 90s

 

[avon barksdale]

 

[get these nets]

In order to understand the force of nature this guy was we should take a look at the numbers during his peak years



Took wayyyy to long between albums
It took this guy 4 years to follow up Don’t Be Cruel. The DBC tour granted was a huge success but he went away at a time that black music was about to undergo serious changes. New Jack Swing would be all but finished by 92 and 90s R&B wasn’t going to be at that same frenetic pace that NJS was known for. In spite of that the Bobby album still went Double Platinum so imagine if he came out in 1990 like he should have instead of waiting so long...

He didn’t have his eyes on the future

Drugs
We all know the story..

Moral of the story? There is absolutely no reason this guy couldn’t keep on as the 90s went on. By the time he was 23 it was basically over. He basically removed himself from contention and proceeded to go down a rabbit hole with Whitney. The hip hop/R&B Bad Boy lane he basically gave birth to went on without him. Usher/Ginuwine didn’t even break until the mid 90s so he should have been afforded years before any competition.

fukk it...life ain’t shyt without memories right?

Good heartfelt post, OP

I disagree with some of it.

NJS wasn't over in 92.........R&B has been using Brown and Teddy's formula/template since DBC.

Some of Bobby's problems are what you mentioned, but you left out the biggest thing. He had the same problem that the late Michael Jackson did after Thriller. THE PRESSURE OF FOLLOWING UP A MONSTER ALBUM.

DBC succeeded beyond anybody's expectations and way beyond what New Edition had ever done artistically or commercially. Bob was, arguably the biggest American star, and one of the biggest stars in the world for a 2 year stretch.

You could come out with a triple platinum album as a follow up, and comparatively it would be a flop.
Years later, Lauryn Hill ran into the same wall.

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

I think it’s safe to say everyone in here commenting is well aware of the big reveal shared in this video lol

 

[avon barksdale]

I think it’s safe to say everyone in here commenting is well aware of the big reveal shared in this video lol

The point was bobby wasn't a good enough singer to "rule" the 90s...he wasnt taking R.kelly,boyz 2 men,jodeci spot

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

Good heartfelt post, OP

I disagree with some of it.

NJS wasn't over in 92.........R&B has been using Brown and Teddy's formula/template since DBC.

Some of Bobby's problems are what you mentioned, but you left out the biggest thing. He had the same problem that the late Michael Jackson did after Thriller. THE PRESSURE OF FOLLOWING UP A MONSTER ALBUM.

DBC succeeded beyond anybody's expectations and way beyond what New Edition had ever done artistically or commercially. Bob was, arguably the biggest American star, and one of the biggest stars in the world for a 2 year stretch.

You could come out with a triple platinum album as a follow up, and comparatively it would be a flop.
Years later, Lauryn Hill ran into the same wall.

I understand. This is why I never mentioned the idea of following up DBC in any means to top it. Few artists reached those sort of heights multiple times. I do wholeheartedly believe that new jack swing as it stood in 88 compared to 92 were vastly different phases. There is no doubt that fast tempo club R&B was not in vogue

None of Jodeci’s hits were upbeat
90% of Kel’s hits weren’t upbeat
None of Toni’s hits were upbeat
Mary had Real Love & Reminisce but it wasn’t exactly On Our Own or even Groove Me

The few people who did well with more uptempo shyt was like Cece Peniston & Jade but there was definitely a transition to Hip Hop Soul vs New Jack Swing

If Bobby wanted to continue with his brand of NJS he should have been back on the scene in 1990 while he still enjoyed king clout. I believe if he was able to come up with some catchy shyt he would have seen 4-5 million of DBCs 7 million which pro would have been considered a great follow up

@avon barksdale edited

 

[get these nets]

Bobby Brown actually overachieved

"Don't Be Cruel" and the NE "Heartbreak" album were suppose to be Ralph Tresvant solo LP's....hell it was suppose to be just him in the first place

"Don't Be Cruel" was all Ralph the sound, the swag all of it he gave it to Bobby....Bobby Brown is basically a Ralph Tresvant copy

Bobby Brown didn't run out of steam....He was always someone who had someone else's battery in his back he was dope don't get me wrong but Ralph is the one who should have ruled the 90s

Bobby had the swagger of a rapper. Things were crossing over from the 1980s smooth pretty boy era. Rap was on the rise and Bobby captured that energy perfectly. Rappers were actually swaggerjacking him.

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

The point was bobby wasn't a good enough singer to "rule" the 90s...he wasnt taking R.kelly,boyz 2 men,jodeci spot

That wasn’t his bag to begin with. He was a performer & an entertainer with serviceable singing. What we know is there will always be a lane in the music business for nikkax who can cut a rug

 

[Threnody]

Bobby had the swagger of a rapper. Things were crossing over from the 1980s smooth pretty boy era. Rap was on the rise and Bobby captured that energy perfectly. Rappers were actually swaggerjacking him.

Without "Don't Be Cruel" none of that happens that shyt was GIVEN to him except "My Prerogative" even the swag he from coming up with Ralph

A good 90% of the BB, NE, BBD would have been all Ralph he would have been the biggest thing since MJ

Bobby got that shyt from Ralph they were the same only difference Ralph was the lead so his image had to fit that pretty boy mold If Ralph came out with "Don't Be Cruel" everybody would have been swaggerjacking Ralph and not Bobby.....Ralph did a a radio interview that blew my mind people don't understand how much Ralph helped his boys out they had next to nothing they should be damn near worshiping Ralph he really looked out for them

 

[Detroit Wave]

He was young enough to still be relevant and drop heat. nikka squandered his future for drugs bum ass nikka shyt for real

 

[Devil Plisken…CMS]

Without "Don't Be Cruel" none of that happens that shyt was GIVEN to him except "My Prerogative" even the swag he from coming up with Ralph

A good 90% of the BB, NE, BBD would have been all Ralph he would have been the biggest thing since MJ

Bobby got that shyt from Ralph they were the same only difference Ralph was the lead so his image had to fit that pretty boy mold If Ralph came out with "Don't Be Cruel" everybody would have been swaggerjacking Ralph and not Bobby.....Ralph did a a radio interview that blew my mind people don't understand how much Ralph helped his boys out they had next to nothing they should be damn near worshiping Ralph he really looked out for them

I can’t begin to describe how hot this song was. To me this was a top 5 hit...unfortunately it came & went. When Ralph finally hit Sensitivity was a classic but the shyt didn’t hit the way you would have thought it would . He went platinum which is nothing to sneeze at but nowhere to the degree of what BBD & Bob did. The truth is sometimes in life the next man’s shoes may not be your fit. Ralph was a team player with the spirit of an Angel. He had the Mike comparisons since early on. I think he would have been a great success when he was initially approached with the Sony deal before the group kicked off. To say that Ralph would have the same success with DBC when Bob’s wild man routine was just as important as the actual music that was on the album....I don’t see it

 

[keond]

Bob was that nikka but no one was getting in Kell's way, Bob, Aaron hall, nobody

Kellz was in a different lane. In the 90s, shyt was diverse enough that Luther was still doing well, the girl bands, golden age of rap, Jodeci, Guy, Tevin. Kellz coulda been Prince and Bobby coulda been Mike. Creative genius versus the pop total package. Bobby was legit the only threat to Mike in the late 80s, not Prince who was putting out shyt like Graffiti Bridge. He ruined his voice, looks, dancing for drugs and Whitney. His ego is also is what fukked him up. I remember he started shytting on Babyface and La for some reason. They made 95% of his hits, not Teddy!

 

[avon barksdale]

I understand. This is why I never mentioned the idea of following up DBC in any means to top it. Few artists reached those sort of heights multiple times. I do wholeheartedly believe that new jack swing as it stood in 88 compared to 92 were vastly different phases. There is no doubt that fast tempo club R&B was not in vogue

None of Jodeci’s hits were upbeat
None of Kel’s hits were upbeat
None of Toni’s hits were upbeat
Mary had Real Love & Reminisce but it wasn’t exactly On Our Own or even Groove Me

The few people who did well with more uptempo shyt was like Cece Peniston & Jade but there was definitely a transition to Hip Hop Soul vs New Jack Swing

If Bobby wanted to continue with his brand of NJS he should have been back on the scene in 1990 while he still enjoyed king clout. I believe if he was able to come up with some catchy shyt he would have seen 4-5 million of DBCs 7 million which pro would have been considered a great follow up

Everyone you name had fast songs