Male artists in R & B and Hip Hop are singing to each other!

[Thedy B]

I went thru my music recently and I have TONS of music! I was looking to get some inspiration for some songs that I wanted to write. So I began checking out the male R & B artists whose music I have. I could find only a handful that I had bought!

I started asking myself why? I have lots of music by female artists! So why so low an inventory on male R & B artists? Then it hit me: I don't buy much of it because:

1) I don't relate to the content
2) while I like listening to the male artist, I don't "relate" as a female to the artist...i.e. can a sista have somebody to drool over! lol
3) Men are singing to men about men topics

Who else would relate to songs like I'm in love with a Stripper? Who else would relate to Same Girl? Bust it Baby? Two grown men fighting over street cred?

What happen to the LL's of Hip Hop who would rap to the ladies?

What happen to the Mint Condition of R & B that would sing and make a grown woman fall in love?

Where are the young adult male artists who can sing more about love and lovemaking? Is Robin Thicke all the R & B artists we can produce for the ladies?

I wonder where it became not so cool to sing to women and not just ABOUT women?

I wonder where it became not so cool to sing about love and not just about sex?

Why are male artists singing mainly to each other? in particular black men?

Is this due to the increase in homosexuality that men feel the need to talk about how hard they are?

[RyanD2]

Well I don't have much 2 write on this subject". When I write!! I write about love mostly, but I also write about things that happened 2me in my life or what I want. Now Most of the male rappers & singers that are part of a major lable don't have creative controle over the lyrics that are written or given to them.

[Thedy B]

Yes you are a romantic! Keep it up!

[Paul Phillips]

Hi Thedy. Interesting topic. As a male R&B artist I can relate to what you are saying. I think there is a big void missing in R&B music. As an artist most of my songs are written for women. The majority of my fans are women because of the content of my music. One of the biggest compliments I ever got was from a women who came up to me after one of my shows and said she wished her husband could have been there to hear me. That let me know how much I was relating to my audience. Women are looking for this type of music. As male artist I think we are failing in this respect. I think it's time we give the women what they want. Check out the tracks on my page and let me know what you think.

[Thedy B]

Hey now, I'm older, not old by the way which is why it's hard for me to find music I like.

[ATL VIBE]

TRACEELLINGTON.COM THIS IS MY R&B ARTIST ON THE TOP 100 INDIE PLAYS 5 DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTS GIVES A HELLUVA LIVE SHOW SINGS ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU JUST SAID BUT POSITIVE CAN BE NEGATIVE NOW DAYS IT AIN'T WHAT YOU KNOW BUT WHO YOU KNOW AND HOW BIG IS YOUR BUGET GUESS WE DON'T KNOW THE RIGHT PEOPLE OR HAVE ENOUGH MONEY WHY TAKE A CHANCE ON SOMEONE WHO SINGS TO LADIES LOL THAT WHATS HAPPENING TO YOUR R&B BROTHERS

[Thedy B]

by the way I listened to the music. Thanks for providing it. I met your artist at the Billboard R & B Conference. How ironic.

[Sean]

Real R&B music hasn't gone anywhere, it's still here! We can't blame the radio or video broadcast networks for the crap we see today, we must blame the people who support it. If we keep supporting ignorance they will keep selling it to us.

I can't speak for other artist I can only speak for myself, and I will never disrespect women on a record or period. Most women who buy my music are mature because my content speaks for itself, but it's sad that a lot of women of today don't have any respect for themselves therefore they support the very music that degrades them. I will never understand that..... and sadly a lot of black women support the very music that's mentioned in the original post. It very sad that if you demonstrate real love or positive character you'll be viewed as weak or a scrub.

As far as the gay issue, well it seems a lot of people are turning to that, I guess it's suppose to be the new popular thing to do. Well they can have that too.....

Good music still exist and I'm speaking for myself again........

[Thedy B]

You're viewed as weak and a scrub by men? or by women? or both?

Yes, some women equate thugism as power and they are attracted to that. I'm not one of those type women which is why I don't buy a lot of hip hop music. But as Phil said earlier there is other alternative music out there.

[Jigabod]

Iiiiiii don't know about this one Thedy.

1. Personally, I think there's plenty of male R&B songs singing TO women. From Joe to Ne-Yo to Mario to Bobby Valentino to Brutha to Day 26. I know there's songs with dudes relating to other dudes, but there always have been. Think back to "Get An Ugly Girl to Marry You" or "Poison" or "Poison Ivy". It's just the re-emergence of an old method.

2. I see how a woman like you might not be able to relate to what's being said because you have class and high standards, and that's fine. But just like you have different types of women on the dating scene, you have different types of women on the music scene too... many of which aren't hard to please at all. There are women who are offended by present-day R&B male vocalists, and there are also women who eat it up and pack out their concerts.

3. One thing that we know (and debate about): the industry is driven by the market. If it wasn't working, the style would've changed by now. It continues in current fashion because there's a market for it... somebody's listening.


I think a lot of it comes down to, music has allowed itself to be motivated by different things than in the past. Money used to be a factor, but not the dominating theme. But that has changed; and as long as money is the dominant motivator, it's gonna be about gimmicks and comfort zones moreso than daring to be different. Because there's no (economic) incentive to cater to a minority. At least, not in the short term--- which is all that matters in the capitalist mindset.

[Thedy B]

You know who's going to those concerts? our young women...young, impressionable, BET, MTV, VH1 fed teens mainly. There are some older women but it's mostly our young women.

And men must be feeling this type music too or else there would be no market for it either. I didn't/don't see a large outcry from men to the songs. Instead some men seem to be GLAD that finally somebody said exactly what they always wanted to say.

And again remember I did say that I have music by men who sing to women and speak to what I feel about myself as a woman. I acknowledge those men and support them by buying their music.

Am I upset that men are relating to men? Only when it's to the extreme: when that's mainly all I hear. Because on the flip side, it's like being a fly on the wall: to be able to hear what men REALLY think. HOWEVER, the problem with the fly on the wall thinking though is that women will start to believe that ALL men think like that.

[Thedy B]

You're also right that in this economy and economic time, that money is the predominating force.

[Kay'Vion]

Is it that male artist aren't writing the proper type of song, or the radio isn't playing it. Working at a studio I hear many male artist who are singing to the ladies, but for some reason this type of music isn't getting any play. Makes me wonder if it's because of the lack of supply, or lack of interest form the radio/consumer? Really enjoyed this post Thedy, keep them coming.