VIBE Calls Sam Smith The Ruler Of Soul Music

[No1]

Naming a couple artists who are exceptions to the rule doesn't mean the rule is invalidated. Black women have strong purchasing power, they help make a lot of films successful...but they aren't spending nearly as much on music.

The burden is not on me and it is on you. You are the one stating that black people do not support soul singers that they are aware of. I am not. I have simply provided easy examples, and you have provided none whatsoever to defend your position.

Go to a jazz or soul festival and tell me what you see. Or a blues festival. White people everywhere. Part of that is due to demographics of course but even that doesn't explain why black purchasing power has moved away from music. That's just a fact homie.

Keep using anecdotal evidence and stating facts without citing or referencing anything and we will all keep sitting here giving you the . Second, you ignore the fact that today's crop of R and B artists only appeal to young people. The Boys II Mens were liked by mothers, fathers and their children. So it is about product as well. Third, black people are 12% of the population, if there is a minor shift in our interests on anything that we support predominately then it will be noticeable. For every white person that is at a Jazz festival there are 35 white kids at a Taylor Swift concert, and 10 black kids at a Meek Mill concert. We just do not have those numbers if we are not all interested in something. @BlackAchilles

Sam being white doesn't disqualify him from being a soul singer or even the top soul singer...but my problem is moreso that a black guy wouldn't get the same shot from audiences. White people found out about Motown because of black people shooting it up the charts and buying enough singles to make noise. That's generally how black artists have become mainstream. But while white people are still entranced by traditional black music like soul, we have moved on to other stuff. Yet there are black artists doing amazing soul and r&b out there.

A similar black artist not getting that shot is not the blame of black people on the ground, that has more to do with label executives and their refusal to break new soul artists. Black people did not organically discover Sam Smith. You cannot be seriously using that Motown example--an era where everything was purchased--as a mean of critiquing purchasers of the present. That is the equivalent of nothing but Tyler Perry movies dropping every month. That model has no bearing in 2014.

So I ask again, who are the recent black soul artists that did not get that attention from black audiences that should have? This is an honest question because I literally do not know who they are and I am not alone. 70% of the black people I know thought Sam was black before the Stay Wit Me video.

 

[O.G.B]

They have always cared about it, from the Rolling Stones onward. I wish British brehs could explain it to us better. George Michael doing duets with Aretha Franklin. :wowwow2: Just making great music. You wouldn't catch culture vulures like Timberlake doing that shyt.

This is why I don't have a problem with some of the great white bands & singers of the 70's - 80's era (R&B, Pop, Disco, Contemporary Rock, Jazz) because many paid homage to past/present black artists & music without trying to completely swagger jack or overtly imitate & emulate our culture for their gain.

 

[CHILLL]

I wasn't sure whether he was gay or not but that's the gay ear, for an earring. Apparently if you only have one earring and you rock it on the right, it means you're a homosexual.

the song stay was written for a married man he was sleepin with
thought id share that with you
learnt that on the radio

 

[Wild self]

 

[Roberto Dinero]

the song stay was written for a married man he was sleepin with
thought id share that with you
learnt that on the radio

 

[Marvel]

It s apparent that the so-called white man is wiser than our people. He took over every other music genre created by black people the exact same way. Whether it was country, rock, dance/techno. Now he is actively taking away soul/rnb and people are shocked. Guess what? He can do that because he owns the masters, record labels, the itunes, radio stations, etc. He has the means to invest , promote and build artists. He had made it to where the market wants to her soul/rnb from pink faces. It is only going to get tougher for black soul/rnb artist to last in the industry with the way their sales are.

 

[Piff Perkins]

The burden is not on me and it is on you. You are the one stating that black people do not support soul singers that they are aware of. I am not. I have simply provided easy examples, and you have provided none whatsoever to defend your position.

Keep using anecdotal evidence and stating facts without citing or referencing anything and we will all keep sitting here giving you the . Second, you ignore the fact that today's crop of R and B artists only appeal to young people. The Boys II Mens were liked by mothers, fathers and their children. So it is about product as well. Third, black people are 12% of the population, if there is a minor shift in our interests on anything that we support predominately then it will be noticeable. For every white person that is at a Jazz festival there are 35 white kids at a Taylor Swift concert, and 10 black kids at a Meek Mill concert. We just do not have those numbers if we are not all interested in something. @BlackAchilles

My point is that black people aren't buying music in general, not simply soul music. The concert point may be anecdotal but think about it this way: if you went to a Badu concert in the 90s the crowd would be a lot blacker than it is today. Same with The Roots, although in that case it's understandable because they've become more mainstream. The point is that traditionally black genres are driven by white dollars. Ultimately it boils down to supply and demand. Music sales are down overall across the board but the younger demographic continues to be run by white female $.

A similar black artist not getting that shot is not the blame of black people on the ground, that has more to do with label executives and their refusal to break new soul artists. Black people did not organically discover Sam Smith. You cannot be seriously using that Motown example--an era where everything was purchased--as a mean of critiquing purchasers of the present. That is the equivalent of nothing but Tyler Perry movies dropping every month. That model has no bearing in 2014.

So I ask again, who are the recent black soul artists that did not get that attention from black audiences that should have? This is an honest question because I literally do not know who they are and I am not alone. 70% of the black people I know thought Sam was black before the Stay Wit Me video.

The label issue is tied directly to sales though. Labels aren't pushing new black soul or r&b artists because white artists have a higher sales probability. Demographics play a big part obviously. But ultimately everything is run by money, and right now I don't see many independent artists coming up with a large black fanbase, before hopping into the mainstream field. They start out aiming for the mainstream field, and it's harder to do when you don't have a base of support. That's the point of the Motown comparison: those artists had a BASE of black fans, and everything else was built on that, like a springboard.

In terms of black soul, Daniel Caeser is dope. Moreso in the Frank Ocean r&b feel than pure soul.

 

[Solano707]

Don't care. If black people wanted, a black man could be the King of Soul again, but nikkas don't purchase black soul artist albums nor support their music.

you right breh.

tbh, sam smith been crushing the buildings; haters would say otherwise because the color of his skin.

 

[Idaeo]

he can sing....but that album is pretty much IMO. it sounds like the same song over and over again....

 

[SomaliLandCruiser]

I think he's alright

 

[Mowgli]

My point is that black people aren't buying music in general, not simply soul music. The concert point may be anecdotal but think about it this way: if you went to a Badu concert in the 90s the crowd would be a lot blacker than it is today. Same with The Roots, although in that case it's understandable because they've become more mainstream. The point is that traditionally black genres are driven by white dollars. Ultimately it boils down to supply and demand. Music sales are down overall across the board but the younger demographic continues to be run by white female $.



The label issue is tied directly to sales though. Labels aren't pushing new black soul or r&b artists because white artists have a higher sales probability. Demographics play a big part obviously. But ultimately everything is run by money, and right now I don't see many independent artists coming up with a large black fanbase, before hopping into the mainstream field. They start out aiming for the mainstream field, and it's harder to do when you don't have a base of support. That's the point of the Motown comparison: those artists had a BASE of black fans, and everything else was built on that, like a springboard.

In terms of black soul, Daniel Caeser is dope. Moreso in the Frank Ocean r&b feel than pure soul.

We just arent buying what they're selling and they're selling shyt, so since we dont want to buy their garbage, they just give it over to the cacs, but that was probably their plan all along.

 

[Dr. Acula]

However, I think this is happening because our hottest R n B singers are coming out with straight trash. The men do this rapping singy songy type singing and the women all sound like whispering mice.

Pretty much.

I've had the song "Nirvana" by this dude on repeat for a while. Dude makes some soulful music and one of the few recent songs I can actually enjoy. A lot of shyt coming out now a days sounds manufactured and the same.

 

[Raye82]

Pretty much.

I've had the song "Nirvana" by this dude on repeat for a while. Dude makes some soulful music and one of the few recent songs I can actually enjoy. A lot of shyt coming out now a days sounds manufactured and the same.

Yeah, that song is excellent. Probably one of my favorites by him.

 

[Regine Hunter]

 

[KravenMorehead™]

Stamping history. This is how culture is usurped. Problem is cats don't see it cause we're in it. It takes decades...