Credit: Supplied by WENN

From The Grio

What kind of former child performer can sell a million records in a matter of days?

Such is a week in the whirlwind life of Justin Timberlake, the megastar every woman wants and every guy surely wants to be. An anomaly in more ways than one, the man is officially embarked on a path to world domination.

The birth of Timberlake-Mania

From the gilded gramophones of the Grammy Awards to the laugh-filled set of Saturday Night Live, the world’s most famous former boy-band mate and Mouseketeer is both in your ears and your face. Timberlake-Mania is racing ahead at warp speed, not unlike sales of his new album The 20/20 Experience. Timberlake’s third solo effort threatens to break one million sales after just a few days in circulation.  All of this comes less than six months after tying the knot with his longtime girlfriend, actress Jessica Biel.

Read more at TheGrio.com.

Credit: Shutterstock

If you’re an R&B/Hip-Hop music lover, 2013 is gearing up to be an exciting year for music. Although no album is official until it actually hits the market, let’s keep our fingers crossed that most of these do. Here are nine albums to be released this year.

Source: Wenn

Man! It’s no secret that there’s a severe lack of real R&B out these days. But R&B veterans, crooners Tank, Ginuwine and Tyrese are fastening their capes to swoop in and save the day. The trio, known as TGT, have collaborated on a new song called “Sex Ain’t Never Felt Better.” And it’s poppin’, in a seductive, rock your hips kind of way. I’ve always felt I shared a connection with Ginuwine since childhood, (We share a birthday.) so it was good to hear his voice again. Really, no one else sounds like him. And as much trash as Tyrese talks on Twitter, his vocals are still on point. Then for the final verse, Tank comes in with a serious falsetto. It took my ears a minute to adjust but it was pleasant once I settled in. All in all this is a great look for these guys and if this song is indicative of what’s to come, I’ll be more than happy to listen and support. The group, which formed in 2007, signed a deal with Atlantic Records this past September. They expect to release an album later this year.

Check out the track below and let us know what you think. Is this a hit?

Anita Baker, surprisingly, makes the top of the Billboard list this year. PatrickMcMullan.com via AP Images

It is that time of the year, when the lists of 2012′s bests get released. Columnist Gail Mitchell over at Billboard has rounded up the top artists in R&B and Hip Hop music. What’s surprising is the names not only included the obvious (Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Rihanna and Chris Brown), but newcomers as well, she writes.

There was a mix of established and young acts, such as Frank Ocean, 2 Chainz, Kendrick Lamar, Future, Miguel, Anita Baker, Brandy, Usher, Mary J. Blige, Trey Songz, Tyrese and Tamia.

At the top of the R&B/Hip Hop Artist list was the Young Money/Cash Money (YMCM) crew with help from Drake. Drake ended 2012 at number one on the year-end R&B/Hip-Hop Artists recap, due to his 2011 sophomore studio album, Take Care. It didn’t stop there for Drake. He was also the top male artist on the all-genre Top Artists tally. And he was king of the year-end recaps Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (with Take Care) and R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Artists.

YMCM continued its reign on the female artist side, as Nicki Minaj rose to number three on R&B/Hip-Hop Albums with Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. The American Idol judge also landed in the top three on the R&B/Hip-Hop Artists and R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Artists. Just above her was Rihanna, who with her sixth album, Talk That Talk the singer finished at number two on the overall R&B/hip-hop artists recap.

Never count out Kanye West. His Cruel Summer came in number 15 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums recap. Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Nas, Flo Rida, Young Jeezy, among others also charted in the high numbers.

Jumping over to R&B, Ms. B ruled — again. Beyoncé  took the  number one slot on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs with “Love on Top.” And, her 2011 album, 4 leveled off at number 13 on the year-end R&B/Hip-Hop Albums recap. Trey Songz made a strong return with Chapter V, which included the number seven R&B/Hip-Hop Songs hit, “Heart Attack.” Chris Brown, Tyrese, Estelle, Brandy and John Legend with Ludacris also had strong chart presence.

Among the unexpected, however was “the left-of-center, critically acclaimed vibrant R&B personified by Frank Ocean and Miguel,” reports Billboard. Channel Orange, Ocean’s debut ranked  No. 12 on R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. And Miguel showed up twice on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs recap: “His guest spot on Wale’s ‘Lotus Flower Bomb’ puts him at No. 3 and ‘Adorn,’ from sophomore set Kaleidoscope Dream (ByStorm/Black Ice/RCA) is No. 6,” according to the magazine.

This year, Billboard revamped its charting methods. Among the changes: A new R&B chart was launched. But “because the revamped data formula is only 6 weeks old, the 2012 year-end charts were compiled using the earlier methodology,” explains Billboard.

Source: thisisrnb.com

If you’re a fan of TV One’s “R&B Divas,” you probably got to see a behind the scenes look at Avant and KeKe recording this song, “You & I” together in the studio. Since then, this R&B ballad has been all over the grown and sexi radio stations and you’ve had a chance to decide if you love or loathe the entire version.

I’m personally glad to see the modern day Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell back at it again. I knew I was going to be a fan of this song just from the snippet of vocals we heard from KeKe on that episode. Like she said, if she can’t do anything else, she knows she can sing. (And that’s the truth Ruth.)

Check out the video below and let us know if you’re feeling the song and the visuals.

We just know that you remember girl group Jade. From the waist-length box braids to their hits “Don’t Walk Away” and “One Woman” Jade had going on in the ’90′s. If you’re a fan of true R&B, you’re probably wondering what ever happened to those girls. Well, we’re about to answer some of those burning questions. We caught up with founding Jade member Joi and asked her where you been?

Source: www.rap-up.com

“No gimmicks. Real R&B music,” is how Brandy describes her sixth studio album to Rap-Up.com.

Is it just me or does Brandy just SOUND so READY both in the press and in these last few singles she’s released? While I have to admit that the duet (“It All Belongs To Me”) with Monica was not my fave, the collab with Chris Brown “Put It Down” had me sitting in the car even after I had reached my destination just to hear the song in its entirety.

About a month ago she released “Wildest Dreams” a nod to the love she’s found with music exec, Ryan Press, and a few days ago she released two more singles off of her upcoming album, including, “No Such Thing As Too Late” and “Let Me Go.” And I must admit – I haven’t been disappointed yet.

Maybe it was watching her whole story told on VH1’s “Behind The Music.” Or maybe it’s simply because I always saw her as a vocal beast and role model from “Sittin’ Up In My Room” up to now. Maybe it’s just a solid mix of the two, but without a doubt I am completely ready for Brandy to take her place sittin’ on top of the charts again. She’s had a rough go of it with albums that just weren’t quite there sonically or were overshadowed by her serious bouts with depression, a publicly failed relationship and a tragedy of a car accident which left vicious bloggers and commenters calling her a “murderer” when in fact, she had not been completely at fault in the ordeal.

It seems the media and fans/haters alike got so caught up in her personal life that they forgot how ridiculously talented and perfectly human Brandy is. She was never a drug addict or a serial dater. She had no leaked sex tapes and never fought in public. But somehow the very human mistakes of her life were blown so enormously out of proportion that her voice and passion for her craft got lost in the melee. So yes, I’m ready for her to put it down on the charts with her new album, Two Eleven, which is set to drop today. To this day I have never heard a teenager riff with the maturity and ease that Brandy had on her debut album back in 1995. Her tone, range, honesty and humility have long been missed. She didn’t need sex to sell because she was just the beautiful girl next door who could SANG. That alone pushed her further than many of the other singers of her era.

Having called upon the talents of some of the most noted producers in the industry to work on Two Eleven, including Rico Love, Frank Ocean and Sean Garrett, Brandy is ready to put it down, not just for herself but for fans and the memory of her longtime mentor, the late Whitney Houston, whose passing on February 11, 2012 (also Brandy’s birthday) was also the inspirati0n behind the album’s title.

“It brings significance to my life… I wouldn’t say it was never there before, but now I feel like I have a bigger responsibility to not only dedicate my life to my family, but my music family as well,” Brandy shared in an interview with Hartford’s Hot 93.7.

There is a huge outpouring of support from fans worldwide as we anxiously await the full return of B-Rocka.

Are you a fan of Brandy? Are you excited for her new material?

Check out Brandy’s latest single “No Such Thing As Too Late” here and follow her on Twitter: @4everBrandy.

I’ve been perplexed and dismayed for a few months now when thinking about the current state of music. We’re living in the era of music that relies too heavily on free downloads, more beats than thought-provoking lyrical content and shocking ‘announcements’ to drive album sales.

I just started listening to the radio again at the beginning of the summer. Was I happy with what I was hearing? Meh, maybe 75 percent as opposed to the good 90 percent of the late 90s and early 2000s. The cause, I realized, was that every song pretty much sounded the same. If I wanted the depth and relatable sounds I had grown up on, the SWV, Jagged Edge, Guy, Brian McKnight, Aaliyah, and Joe, then I would have to dig deep, reach back and pretty much forsake much, if not all of what is being played right here and now in 2012.

R&B was a mainstay for me growing up. There was soul there. Though I couldn’t completely relate to Faith Evans telling her man that she would never let him go, or Babyface outlining just exactly how fierce his girl’s “Whip Appeal” was, I saw R&B as a goal. I wanted to know love like that and yes even in some silly way I wanted to know the heartbreak of it too. R&B was what we came home to after pop, rock and rap amped us up for the day. Now, the house is no longer a home because R&B has been kicked out to fend for itself outside the realm of the mainstream music industry.

It’s been kicked out by everyone in the house: First of all, consumers. We complain that “Don’t nobody sing about nothin’ no more,” yet we twiddle our thumbs and look everywhere but to the music shelves in our local retailers when great R&B albums are released. When do we come out of pocket? For a Jay & Yeezy concert? Okay, that’s cool if that’s truly your preference. But honestly, Carl Thomas and Tamia, two of the brightest voices of R&B for YEARS, have put out absolutely phenomenal albums this year and I had to go in search of reviews for both. We say we want it, but do we support it? I’ll never forget how people used to wait in line to buy whole albums. To get that CD in their hands. To support the artistry that spoke the most into their lives. Now we pick apart these artists’ hard work and effort, barely ever spending that little $9 to $12. I’m guilty of it.

Secondly, R&B has been kicked out by the new generation. And to be fair, it’s not entirely their fault. When I was coming up, R&B was good music because it was relatable. People were in love. It wasn’t corny or foolish to put yourself out there for the sake of love. It was real, honest, respected. Grown folks could see themselves in the music and us young folks had something beautiful to look forward to. Nowadays, people mostly look to music to live a life vicariously that they’ll never get to experience firsthand. I will never know the life of a bada** rockstar. I’ll never know the lifestyle of a foul-mouthed, bootylicious Barbie but Rihanna and Nicki Minaj give me an all-access pass into that world. No shade. They’re getting theirs. But the depth they’ll deliver to me is few and far between. And so it is with the newer generation. “Love” and all of its highs and lows is for the birds to them. It’s wack. They can’t relate to a love song, but they can sure get with a jam about sex. People who thought the 90s were hyper-sexualized and overly gaudy are probably crapping bricks right now. Where we used to love music we could relate to, we now love music we pretty much know nothing of the lifestyle except in fantasy. People are not openly proclaiming that they are in love and everyone is cynical about the possibility. The real R&B artists who are STILL MAKING MUSIC, as an amazing musician friend of mine pointed out, aren’t being supported and won’t draw a cult following like Nicki Minaj because nowadays the masses want crazy, flashy sex in their music instead of easy, sweet adoration. We cling to heavy beats and synths instead of deep, poetic lyrics.

Thirdly, the music execs and DJs have abandoned R&B. Raphael Saadiq’s Stone Rollin’ album last year was the bees knees. It brought a sense of balance from new and old school back to today’s music. How much press did he and his ridiculously talented band get? How much promo did he get? How much air time did he get? DJs play the same four songs in the heaviest of rotations DAILY. Where’s the pressure for them to be more open to a wider range of music? DJs have a larger amount of power than they let on and we, AS THE LISTENERS, even believe.

The blame can’t be placed on any one group. All of us, consumers, execs, DJs, lovers and friends have done our part to push R&B out to make way for anything and everything that will “cross over.” Anything that will make a fist pump, and anything that can become a dance jam for a club where they twirl around glow sticks and dance off beat. It’s time we start making our way back to the artists who are still making music of substance before we look up and realize too late that one of the greatest genres has become extinct.

La Truly is a late-blooming Aries whose writing is powered by a lifetime of anecdotal proof that awkward can transform to awesome and fear can cast its crown before courage. Armed with the ability to purposefully poke fun at herself and a passion for young women’s empowerment, La seeks to encourage thought, discussion and change. Her blog: www.hersoulinc.com and her Twitter: @AshleyLaTruly.  

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Source: Zimbio

Where are these 90′s R&B male singers, you ask? Your guess may be as good as ours, but as a contrast to the popular TVOne hit reality series, R&B Divas, we would love to cast these men as our R&B Fellas.

Avant

After releasing a new single this year, a duet with KeKe Wyatt called “You & I,”  this gave us a reminder of the R&B singer, who sung the hits “Don’t Take Your Love Away” and “My First Love.

tumblr.com

I really hate when I, a music junkie, am made to suffer because members of my favorite groups cannot seem to get along.  Selfish? Perhaps but when you’re in a group, you have to realize that there is someone who’s the better singer or performer and you cannot let the group suffer because you’re all up in your feelings. Check out some of our favorite groups who have let ego, pride, anger, jealousy and anything else you can think of get in the way of us enjoying them together.

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