The Vocoder and the Talkbox.........

Ok, I have been going down memory lane of music basically because of my utter disgust for like 90% of the bullshit hip hop and rnb out here and I was thinking about the fact that T-Pain is like the Nate Dogg of the new millenium (smh). This lame ass is like the embodiment of what i am talking about as far as the bland and no-creativity having assholes that rule the radio waves. T-Pain has started a sub-genre with artists like Lil Wayne, Young Berg, and even the biggest lame of all, 50 Cent (yeah, I said it) now using the vocoder to mask not being able to sing or carry a tune. But I want to say that Snoop's use and R-Kelly's use of the vocoder sounds good (Snoop Dogg's "Sensual Seduction" has jump started his stalled career and in my opinion the pedophile R.Kelly's "Hairbraider" hands-down is the best use of the vocoder). However, they all have to bow down to the master of the "talkbox"........

Here's one of my jams from back in the day------T-Pain could learn a few things from this guy....

This is "Instant Replay" from Mico Wave, an artist that was part of Bootsy Collins' band,this is one of the most underrated jams from the late 80's---listen and think back..

the heart and soul of r and b-----GOSPEL!!!!!!!

i was going to speak on some more old school r and b,but i am going to sidetrack a lil' bit and talk about a genre that , in my opinion, is the parent of rythym and blues, rap,jazz,etc. It is gospel. I don't care who you are, what your religion is, or what/who you worship----there is no way that you can tell me that gospel music when it is beautifully arranged and is sung with conviction---it's haunting. I am not even that religious but these tracks right here-------listen 4 yourself.....

Marvin Sapp.

Bishop Paul S. Morton----man,this is beautiful!!!!

This is gospel at it's rawest----The Canton Spirituals, one of my favorite songs growing up in the Dirty South!!!!!!!!!! 

One of my wife's favorite tracks and one of the most beautiful and haunting songs I've heard in a while----- "Yes" parts 1 and 2 by Shekinah Glory Ministries.....

Man, I miss the 90's!!!!!!!!!

So, I was sitting at home the other day,chillin' on YouTube and I stumbled upon some videos from the 90's.The first video I watched was from LeVert,then I started searching for more obscure and forgotten groups like 702,Small Change,Jade,Jon B (remember that dude?),Guy,Next,Damian Dame------Man! I sat on that laptop for hours and hours listening and watching and reminiscing....... Then I started to think about the state of today's music. I kinda got depressed. It was like an epiphany,like stumbling up on a startling discovery,but a discovery of something terrible. We are inundated and saturated with garbage disguising itself as hiphop and RandB. What has happened? I tried to be unbiased with myself and attempted to "chop it up" to the fact that I am now 34 and maybe I am getting too old and out of touch with what is now considered music. But as I read the comments that were being left by viewers on YouTube, I realized something else. There are a lotta folks like me that feel the same---hell,some of them are younger than myself. There is a growing group of folks that are getting tired of this bullshit being passed off as Rap and R and B.


Everything is cookie-cut in hiphop,a genre that I was drawn to in the late 80's because artists and groups thrived on being different and bringing different styles to the game---and being labeled as a "biter" was the equivalent of the Scarlet Letter in the rap world. You had to come with originality back then,I am talking about the whole package-the delivery,the slang,the music,the style of dress-------shit,rappers were starting trends, not following them. Everyone was checking to see who was going to bring something new, from Big Daddy Kane, Wu-Tang, Mystikal, Fu-Shickens, Boot Camp Click, Leaders of The New School, X-Clan, everytime that a new artist or group emerged,they brought their own bag of tricks to the game.It wasn't about braggadocio or gangsta shit and even the hardest of the hard told cautionary tales of how the fast-life had no future to it.

The 90's seem to be the pinnacle or climax for Rhythm and Blues. Leading up to the 90's, the genre gained a new name-----Urban Contemporary. And with that name came singers and groups that were carrying the flag for soul music,some artists even reached back to the days of old and created a sub-genre called Neo-Soul.The music had feeling and depth that were layers deep.Dudes didn't have to be ashamed of listening to this music---my crew was far from cream puffs and we bumped Mary J, Anita, Erykah, SWV, right along with Biggie,Pac,and whatever was hot----my generation, Generation X,we just wanted to hear some fly shit.


Listening to these old tracks and seeing some of the vids for the first time in YEARS took me back,for real. And I can't stop thinking about the past, I think about the first time me and my boys heard EPMD or Mary J, or Maxwell, or D'Angelo. Groups like En Vouge and SWV had me dreaming of beautiful women serenading a young playa with a song that was just as sensual and breathtaking as their face and body.MAN, I MISSED THOSE DAYS--------YOU JUST DON'T KNOW!!!

......I'm new to this blogging shit,but when I get the chance, I'm going to start posting my favorite jams from the late 80's and 90's. I took a trip down memory lane and if you don't mind,I would like for anyone who feels like me to join me.OK???????????????????