Hip-hop and R&B dying? (singers, country, cd, genre)

[bchris02]

I have a friend who is a DJ and he says urban music is declining in popularity at a record rate and expects it to dissapear completely from the mainstream sometime in the early 2010s. With the quality of many of the mainstream artists/hits these days, it wouldn't suprise me. I do hope the genre evolves however and doesn't disappear completely. Any thoughts?

[GracieJJ]

Not much into Hip how nowadays, (i grew up, lol). But R&B i never get sick and tired of hearing, especially the really gifted artists like Anita Baker, Babyface, Brian McKnight and many others i cant remember right now.

As long as theres a demand, i dont think R&B will die very soon or in the distant future, as long there are good artists

[yayoi]

Quite frankly I could care less if most of the mainstream rap dies. Underground hip-hop will always remain. R&B isn't going anywhere.

[desertsun41]

God I hope so. Take that rap crap with it too.

[NooYowkur81]

I think your friend's assessment is a bit exaggerated. Most of the R&B and Hip-Hop being made now and days is really bad. I mean really bad, but there is a market for it. People still listen to the stuff and buy it legally(albeit, not as much as the record industry would like). There are plenty of young people that don't know any better either, which is pretty sad for them. They don't know what the good stuff sounds like.

Hip-hop and R&B are probably at their lowest levels in terms of quality. Especially Hip-Hop. R&B seemed to be on a creative up-surge a few years back with an infusion of a lot of neo-soul artists but that movement didn't quite reach its potential.

[dullnboring]

They've been predicting the downfall of hip hop for years, since the inception. It's here to stay in spite of what the naysayers say. It is now, and will always be, just as much a part of musical landscape as country and rock.

[paper doll]

Boyz II Men, Next, Genwine, Mary J. Blige, Monica, Aaliyah, Brian McKnight, Toni Braxton, TLC, Whitney Houston, Joe... who else do you guys miss?

Every time I think of Brian McKnight I remember the school Valentine's Day dance... lol.

[MissShona]

I think it's interesting that some of the most interesting "R&B" is coming from artists who are not Black; like Robin Thicke, Joss Stone and Pink. Not that it's a bad thing. It's just a shame that most Black artists have prescribed to the "beat-making" formula instead of true music creation.

[LaoTzuMindFu]

Hip hop isnt dying because it is the prefered music of today's youth (12 - 35 year olds of all races) but R&B definately is definately dying. Its terrible. Whatever happend to muscians making music? MissShona is right, the only good R&B artists are Joss Stone, Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Robin Thicke, Pink. I think its because these people are ARTISTS! Not church singers who were plucked from the choir to try to sing mainstream music.

We need real groups (like The Time or Parliament) to make a comeback to save R&B. No more of these converted church singers or harmony singing groups. I really hate R&B. There arent any R&B radio stations here in LA anymore because R&B blows. There is one station and they play mostly older music instead of todays music.

[eevee]

wasn't Kanye's CD one of the biggest hits on this year? R&B and Hip Hop aren't going away, but they aren't as popular as they were in the 90's it seems. now that I think about it, there are very few black men entering the R&B genre nowadays (or at least succeeding in mainstream R&B). R&B as a genre is fading since a lot of the popular groups have broken up and several older hitmakers have died. not many R&B songs make it to the top of lists either.

as for hip hop/rap, get rid of the gansta rap, get rid of crunk (Soulja Boy and Lil Jon along w/ other southern rappers have basically ruined the genre), get rid of any rapper w/ the word "Lil" in front of his or her name, stop trying to hype up club beats (most of the music played in clubs is crap outside the club), stop depending on sampling (I love you Kanye, but please stop w/ the constant sampling!), stop glorifying drugs and violence, and get rid of Diddy (or at least prevent him from putting out another album!), then maybe, just maybe, this genre would have a chance. at least there's always underground and overseas hip hop to fall back on