By Isaiah (205.188.209.13) on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 - 06:40 am:

I know the guy is probably a terrible degenerate of a human being, but his music over the past 15 years has been the best and most soulful of his generation - and that includes anything made by Luther Vandross, Maxwell, D'Angelo, Raphael Saddiq, or any of the other pretenders to the throne... Sorry, I have to be a realist on judging his music, his personality and his terrible deeds not withstanding... His newest album was absolutely just off the hook stuff, and though I am not advocating anyone buy it, I do say have a listen... You might be messed up and confused as I was when that experience is ovah(smile!)

I think Julian once asked whether R. Kelly was on the same level as Sam Cooke, and I have to say, at this point, musically he just might be... No, he is never going to be the martyrdomed icon of Soul as Sam was, with his Ivy League, fresh-faced persona, but his body of music is just as phat, if not as interesting as Sam's... I think he has, of all the above-mentioned and then some, carried the torch of Soul into the new millienium, and he is, indeed, A Bad Man on the musical tip... If there is anyone whom you can name that compares favorably with Arruh over the past decade an a half, I humbly ask that you submit their names, because I can't think of anyone who can top this cat... Oh, and as RD said some months ago, the tosceptre of Soul Queen rests firmly in the hands of one Ms. Beyonce, too - as much as we may not like or accept that, no one comes close to her as an overall package... I think that was the point RD was attempting to make back then, which I did not see... I once was Blind, but Now I see, that Ms. B. is now the Boss on the ladies soul tip, as well... Just an opinion...

Peace!
Isaiah

By Linda Di. (66.67.198.188) on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 - 07:48 am:

My mom used to tell me if I didn't have anything nice to say about somebody, then don't say anything at all. Sooooo ... to that end ...

By ~medusa~ (68.79.118.142) on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 - 09:12 am:

Mornin Isaiah, I like R Kelley a lot, but I personally can't say he tops Maxwell or D'Angelo, or Calvin Richardson, or Luther either...they have a much different sound that I like...more soulful I might say.
...and I have to say that as long as Aretha Franklin is alive, and can carry a tune in a paper bag...Beyounce' can stay put until further notice...Impressive??? Most Impressive! but she's not "Queen of Soul" yet!! (smile). I think y'all like that Body baby (smile)
Although she's not really on the music scene a lot, I think Layla Hathaway can sing circles around Beyounce' as well as Alicia Keys 2 is a better singer~~~(2 me)
...but 2 each his/her own.

By Eli (68.236.53.71) on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 - 11:52 am:

Im with you Medusa.

By Jackie (129.7.104.50) on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 - 02:54 pm:

Hi Medusa, You are correct when it comes to the men liking the physical aspects. Beyonce is a beautiful young lady. She is talented and she is nice. She is not conceded. She is very down to earth. Beyonce is young and she is growing. When I see her perform, she reminds me of Tina Turner, Diana Ross and Aretha Franklin all roled into one. She is my home girl !! I will give credit as I see fit. She is moving up the stardum ladder fast. Much success to "B"!!.

By RD (65.54.97.186) on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 - 03:07 pm:

Beyonce is the complete package and a managers dream--no baggage. Her talent can be utilized in so many ways. Most singers are one or two dimensional, Beyonce is like a five-tool baseball player, she can do any and everything.

By R&B (138.238.41.118) on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 - 03:24 pm:

I LIKE BEYONCE ALSO,BUT LET'S NOT FORGET MS ALICIA KEYS WHOM I THINK HAS A GREAT CAREER IN FRONT OF HER.

By SoniT (66.106.213.162) on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 - 04:13 pm:

I love "Rruh" but I'd have to say that Anthony Hamilton is the most souful of the new artists. As for Beyonce being the new queen - no comment. I love Bee but I wouldn't call her the "soul queen."

By Livonia Ken (136.2.1.153) on Wednesday, March 24, 2004 - 04:28 pm:

Keep in mind that the following comment is coming from a guy who has already mentioned that he isn't about to put money into R.Kelly's pocket at this time:

I really like Anthony Hamilton's voice, but considering the body of R. Kelly's work, the musical growth from album to album, and the range of his ambition, I think AH has a ways to go yet. Feel free to disagree, though.

I think RD nailed it with his Beyonce comments. She is a producers/managers dream.

Regards,
Ken

By Ju (152.163.253.70) on Thursday, March 25, 2004 - 04:01 am:

Beyonce is gonna be what they wanted Diana Ross to be.

When I'm 50 I'll probably be pulling out my R.Kelly anthology at the backyard barbeques the way my pops pulls out the Sam Cooke hits cds.

R. Kelly musically has proven himeself to be "that guy." Musically he represents playerism and coolness the same way Sam Cooke did.

By Eli (68.236.53.71) on Thursday, March 25, 2004 - 02:30 pm:

Just curious.....

If Beyonce was not good looking at all, but still possessed the same multi- talent capabilities, would y'all stil feel the same way about her?

If R. Kelly was a straight up r&b singer
without all the sexual inference, would you still like him?

By RD (65.54.97.150) on Thursday, March 25, 2004 - 03:10 pm:

Beyonce's good looks is what helps to make her a multi-talented commodity. She's the complete package and her looks is part of what makes her package complete. It's like saying would Derek Jeter be as marketable if he didn't have good looks but was just an excellent baseball player? The answer would be no. But you can't hate on her or Jerek because of their looks. If neither had the talent just the looks they would be nobodys. I see women as beautiful as Beyonce quite often. But are they dedicated? Can they sing, dance, write, act...are they addiction free, etc? As for R. Kelly, I think he's a good singer period.

By ~medusa~ (68.79.113.169) on Thursday, March 25, 2004 - 10:20 pm:

Hey there Rd...how R ya?
I don't think no one is hatin' on Beyounce',we're just stating what we feel about her being the Queen of Soul..
Aint no doubt about it, she's a Very Beautiful Young Woman, no one can take that away from her, but again, she aint in no position at this time to dethrone our present Queen, Aretha...and again aint nothing wrong with liking that body Baby(LOL)...I would think any Man in his right mind would...and any Woman in her right mind would like to have a body like hers, I know I would...so aint no hatin', just statin'

By ZEKE (205.188.209.13) on Thursday, March 25, 2004 - 11:17 pm:

Lady Medusa, when I say Beyonce in the new Queen of Soul, I say that not as a comparison to the one and only, nor as a measurement of the talent between Aretha and Beyonce, because, frankly, there aint none(smile!) Comparing Aretha's pipes to Beyonce is like comparing a tricycle to a Bentley... Queen in this case is little more than a titular position, a way of saying that she is the best of a not-so-great lot, and I'm not just talking about her singing... I'm talking abou the overall package... By the way, I've seen Alicia Keyes body, and I think she compares quite favorably to Beyonce, so it can't just be all about the boom boom, know what I'm saying... Beyonce's furniture doesn't move me to the degree that I forget all of the luscious sights I've seen in this life - no way... And I think Jill Scott's thousand watt smile leaves more of an impression on me than Beyonce's highknee... I've been seeing that all my life, and it's got to be special to leave me all in a heap(smile!) I really think that there's a refusal on the part of the older generation to accept this young woman's talent... What I like about her is that she keeps on proving folks wrong, as with her superbowl performance of the National Anthem...

As for R. Kelly, he compares favorably with all or most of the great soul men... We sit at this board and praise a Major Harris who had one hit in life... We praise the Luther Ingrams, Lattimore's, Al Wilson, Billy Paul, and so forth, and these guys do NOT have a 15 year body of work, producing hits for other folks, as well as their own... R. Kelly has such a history... How many hits did Jackie Wilson produce for himself, much less for others... But he's a God at SDF... I don't have a problem with praising the greats of yore, but I find that R compares quite favorably with them... Lets' not even bring the unfulfilled talents of D'Angelo and Maxwell into the equation, and let's not bring the as yet untapped potential of Anthony Hamilton and Cal Richardson up for comparison with Kelly... Who is to say they wont both become the D'Angelo's of tomorrow??? Let's just deal with what Kelly has achieved, and compare it with the Al Green's and Marvin Gayes, and Isaac Hayes's... I think he compares favorably with them, as well as many other greats... Like Julian said, I think we will be talking a different game come another 10 years from now, as regards this young man and his music... We can start now, to give the devil his due... By the way, Sam, Jackie, Marvin, and I am certain, a number of others, are guilty as hell of messing around with underaged girls... Read Jackie's book, and deal with the admissions made by HARLEAN HARRIS WILSON... As much as I love these cats, I don't love 'em because they were some kind of saints...

Peace!
Isaiah

By Rodmann (12.223.170.105) on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 12:32 am:

Well said Medusa. Beyonce is a Grade A piece of azz! LOL. Her looks and her dedication are her main talents! You can believe that! India Arie and Lil' Mo are excellent vocalists who write their own material too but I don't see them getting half of the breaks that B has gotten. That's because they don't have her looks! The media outlets are selling images today. No one is into selling talent. That's the reason why every singer or rapper that has a Top 10 hit is being starred in movies (DMX, Britney Spears, Meth & Red, etc) and given several endorsement deals. That's not TALENT that's GOOD MANAGEMENT!

Out of today's crop of so called singers B's one of the best but that's not saying much when the top "singers" are folks like Ashanti, Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez! B's an OK vocalist but her vocal work is laughable when compared to classic artists like Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Phyllis Hyman, and Jeannie Reynolds. Someone made a comment about B is going "to be everything that Diana Ross was supposed to be". Now I'm not a Diana Ross fan but Miss Ross released her first record in 1959 and is still selling out concerts. Only time will tell if B will be able maintain her high profile career for that long. She's only been around since 1998. Beyonce's a very lovely young lady but I'm not going to let that loveliness have me thinking that she has more talent then she really has. I promise you guys that I'm not hating on her and I wish her years of success. She really does seem like a sweet girl.

I don't really see the R. Kelly/Sam Cooke comparison but I do feel that he's the Curtis Mayfield of his generation. Both are Chicago artists/producers/writers who have their own record labels (Curtom and Rockland). R's music is also very street savvy, the same way that Curtis's was in his day (although I don't think that R's is as socially significant at Mayfield's was). Even the most hardened thug will admit to liking R. Kelly's music. You can't really say the same about any of the other male R&B singers of today. I'm not a huge fan of R's work but I have liked some of it and I guess the charts and the people haven't been wrong for the last 14 years. Everything the man touches seems to turn to platinum and gold. I don't see any of the other male singers from 1990 (Christopher Williams, Aaron Hall, Johnny Gill, Bobby Brown, etc) hitting the charts anymore. It just so happens that I prefer the work of Curtis Mayfield, Bobby Womack, and Roy Ayers to R. Kelly classics like 'Bump And Grind', 'Feelin On Yo Booty', 'Sex Me', etc. but R does have his fans. They've stuck by him through thick and thin and it looks like they will continue to for many years to come. I don't think he's as talented as Curtis, Bobby and Roy but he's certainly as popular if not more popular than those guys were in their day.

By Ju (205.188.209.13) on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 03:23 am:

"... Now I'm not a Diana Ross fan but Miss Ross released her first record in 1959 and is still selling out concerts..."

Yeah, like that "Supremes" tour the other year.

I'm not a Diana Ross basher, she and my mom were friends at Cass, I'm just making a prediction based on Beyonce's trajectory.

R. Kelly is today's "Mr. Soul."

By Ju (205.188.209.13) on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 03:29 am:

I remember going to a concert with LL Cool J billed at the top in '96. Before LL were Xscape and R. Kelly. R. Kelly turned it out! That was a show! LL was good but Kelly's performance was the apex of the affair, and the Michigan Chronicle affirmed what I felt the next week in its music column.

By Richard Felstead (128.40.91.183) on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 06:17 am:

Interesting thread.I guess it's all relative to each of our tastes isn't it.

R.Kelly has written some good songs in his short career, most notably a couple of cuts from the Shaft soundtrack. The remake staring the one and only "Samuel L Jackson".
I'm not that keen on R.Kelly personally, as I find it difficult to seperate the personal from the work. He will continue to mature and come to realise at some point, that his behaviour will need to reflect the responsibility that goes with being in the public eye.

Beyonce is for the most part, the perfect package, from a labels point of view.
For me at the moment, it's more style over substance.
Again with time, her songs will I hope, reflect that change, but the talent is most certainly there, it just needs to be nurtured, with the right choice of song.

Both are a fair way off from being handed those titles for the moment.

On a different note, Roddman, you need to hear the cd "Street Troubador" - Andreus.
It's not all to my taste, but it's certainly street, without too much swearing, and I tell you what !!!!!, Curtis would have been proud.
Very proud indeed.

By ~medusa~ (68.79.113.64) on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 07:53 am:

Isaiah, when U said Queen of Soul, the first thing that comes 2 my mind is the singing voice.
I personally don't believe "Soul" has anything 2 do with the way a person looks, or personal issues, anything new, has to be used, and molded for a perfect fit, to be comfortable.~ so that right there unwraps the 'whole package deal'. Beyounce & R Kelly are great, but they are still Babies on the scene. (soul is not physical, but soulful, a natural mystic infleunce, and more).
May I say I think Ernie Hudson, Miles Jaye, & Denzel are 3 of the sexiest Men in the Lime light,(2 "ME") but there's no comparison to Sidney Poitier, James Earl Jones & any of the Male crooner of the 60's, when it comes to being seasoned (and well preserved)...ok, just tryin' 2 make a point here.
P.S...and believe me when I say, Every Woman had or has furniture (as U call it) to move a Man (smile) (I like the way U put that Isaiah)~ maybe she had a Smile, Hair, Lips, Eyes, or maybe the Junk In Her Trunk(Body),but she moved some Man somewhere...and we still do, and we always will.

By Ju (152.163.253.70) on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 02:39 pm:

Medusa I wouldn't say R. Kelly is a baby on the scene. He's been hitting the top ten and the number one spot since 1991 or about that time, and he written and produced a lot of hits for a lot of other folks.

I wouldn't say Beyonce is a baby on the scene, either. She's been doing the same thing Kelly has for the last six years.

R. Kelly has soul because you can feel what he's singing about oftimes, and the music. You get that vibe, like Isaiah said, even the hardest of hard fella on the block will nod his head to some R. Kelly. He knows how to write a standard-like song (I Believe I Can Fly), he can get the old folks (sorry!) on the floor (Step In The Name Of Love), and he satisfies the hip-hop generation. He's almost like Sam Cooke in that he has something for everybody, musically.

By ~medusa~ (68.249.244.75) on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 03:44 pm:

Ok Ju...but I don't believe he compares to those who came before him and paved the way..what I, meant by them being Babies, is that they have a ways to go.
I like R Kelly's singing voice and style, but again, it's like comparing Kid Rock, or Emimen to Elvis,or D'Angelo to Barry White, or Isaac Hayes etc...there is so much talent out there, and a lot of it is good...Angie Stone is one of the best young singers out there. Before there was Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye, there were others before them. but...todays (so~called) music industry is all about the fast $$$, no talent required. R Kelly has something special, and I guess I can't disagree with you on that. From what I've heard from Beyonce's voice, there's really nothing so special about her singing, that couldn't easily be topped by someone else, she's beautiful, she's a great entertainer...and that brings us back to "it's that Body Baby" (LOL) and I still say she would make a better Actress or Model...

By Rodmann (12.223.170.105) on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 05:05 pm:

Let me remind everyone that there have been 3 recent topics about Diana Ross selling out concerts all over Europe. It's ironic that I have to defend her seeing as I've never been a huge fan of her work (although I've liked some of her songs through the years). Her Return To Love tour may have flopped but I doubt that she'll be applying for food stamps any time soon! 45 years as a high profile entertainer is nothing to be scoffed at. Diana hasn't been making much of an impact on the charts lately (at least not here in The States) but for 30 years she was actually having legitimate hits! 30 YEARS! LOL. If Beyonce makes it to 15 or even 10 years in the public eye you can bet that she'll have some setbacks along the way. I'm not ready to call her a legend just yet!

I do agree that R. Kelly is the crème de la crème as far as R&B superstars go but he goes way overboard with the sex stuff. His hits include 'Sex Me', 'Feelin On Yo Booty', 'The Greatest Sex I've Ever Had', 'Pus*y', 'Down Low', 'I'm Fu*kin You Tonight', etc. Every now and then he writes something overblown like 'The World's Greatest' and 'I Believe I Can Fly' but for the most part it's all about sex. Folks like Curtis Mayfield made sexy songs too but they put a message in the music. R. Kelly is telling me to have all of this sex but he's written nothing about what to do when you get an STD, get your girlfriend pregnant while in highschool or when that baby-mama comes after you for child support! You're not gonna learn anything about that from him. I'm not denying that R. Kelly is a big hit with today's audiences but from a musical and social standpoint his music is a sick joke!

I totally agree that Beyonce and R. Kelly are on top of their game right now but you do them an injustice when you compare them to legends in the business. It rubs people the wrong way because they are forced to make comparisons based on talent and these young artists never come out on top! Why can't they just be the first Beyonce or the first R. Kelly? These comparisons are ridiculous. R. Kelly is the next Sam Cooke, Beyonce is the next Aretha Franklin, Britney Spears is the next Barbara Streisand, Justin Timberlake is the next Marvin Gaye, Mary J. Blige is the next Chaka Khan, B2K is the next Temptations, Ashanti is the next Whitney Houston. Come on people! There ain't gonna be another Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin or Streisand! The talent and Soul just ain't there.

By Isaiah (152.163.253.70) on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 07:57 pm:

Shuga Brown, you wanna argue, woman, come on girl, let's do this(smile!)

I am simply saying that we need to look at this objectively, and give R. Kelly his due props... Like I said, for his generation he is absolutely the man... When I compared him with Sam Cooke - only my favorite entertainer of all times - I did it looking at Sam's dominance of the early 1960's on the pop and R&B charts, and R's dominance of the those charts in the '90's and early new millenia... The guy is 36 years old, and has been dominating the scene since roughly 1996, or there abouts... Prior to that, he was busy establishing himself as a force in the industry...

When I look at his body of work, it is more copious than that of Joe Tex, Joe Simon, Luther Ingram, Lattimore, and a whole host of great cats, and I think he should be classed right along with them, if not way above them... He is a producer, also, of other artists, as well as himself... He does soundtracks that are fantastic, as well, something many of the afore-mentioned cannot claim... I like the music of all eras, and I try to give props to the truly talented and revolutionary artists of each era... Sure some are better than others, but that really is not my criteria... My criteria for the artist is not stringent at all, just about their impact on the record-buying public... And R. aint broke, that's for sure...

As for Beyonce, she aint all that beautiful, really... She's sexy and sensuous for days, but as those things really emanate from a place deep within one, that's no negative... Like I said, I don't compare here with Aretha or Chaka or Patti, and the Divas with the Pipe Power... She's not there, and probably never will be, but she is a star for more reasons than her looks - has to be, because, as I said, she aint all that(smile!)Like you said, Lady Medusa, she has a bit of growing to do, but then, so did the Josephine Baker's and Eartha Kitt's, and Lena Horne's... No one begrudged these ladies, however, in those stages of their growth... Sex appeal has always been used in the entertainment industry to push an artist toward superstardom... Sam was put on album covers in a time when it was not deemed wise to attempt to sell Black folks to the mainstream public... Elvis's sensuality was a part of his rise to superstardom, as well as, Tom Jones...

Is this an issue about Black Womanhood being elevated in this way??? Just as J.W. Alexander told Bumps Blackwell back in the day, little black girls and boys need their sex symbols and idols too... I see absolutely ZERO wrong with selling Beyonce in this way - or Venus and Serena in that way... I am certain these young sisters are stylin' and profilin' boom booms all da way to the bank...

But it is cool if folk don't agree with me on this... I pretty much knew that folk wouldn't - at least for now... But I think that in another 5 or 10 years there won't be much to do but agree that R. had a 20-25 year body of work that compared favorably to anything the Sam Cooke's and Jackie Wilson's ever did... By the way, a great singing voice is NEVER the end all for me... I believe soul is all about the vocal, but the vocal don't ever have to be pretty... Best Gospel cats I ever heard were not pretty-sounding... Same with the ladies... Pipes aint everything, just go ask James Brown or James Cleveland about that...

Peace!
Isaiah

By ~medusa~ (68.79.83.37) on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 09:35 pm:

Isaiah, I don't think you really want to argue with me right?~~right. (smile)...and after just reading your response, I missed the whole point in the first place...when U stated "Their Generation" and U are right on that...
R Kelly????~~~ok, I gotta give him his props. Are we running out of Young Black Male singers? (although Gerald LeVert is another good singer).
Beyonce'???...She's exciting, beautiful,and energetic, but much better as an Actress or a Model...I can't compare her voice with anyone, except~(maybe J Lo), but I guess that's the style now for this generation. Vocals/pipes are everything, when I drop in a CD/Cassette,I want to hear some good Music.
b-( Isaiah

By dove-7 (24.7.93.239) on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 10:46 pm:

Rd wroteBeyonce's good looks is what helps to make her a multi-talented commodity. She's the complete package and her looks is part of what makes her package complete. It's like saying would Derek Jeter be as marketable if he didn't have good looks but was just an excellent baseball player? The answer would be no. But you can't hate on her or Jerek because of their looks. If neither had the talent just the looks they would be nobodys. I see women as beautiful as Beyonce quite often. But are they dedicated? Can they sing, dance, write, act...are they addiction free, etc? As for R. Kelly, I think he's a good singer period.


Well alicia Keys aint no beast. To me she's finer or just as fine as Beyonce. Alica will be the one that will endure in the end, because she's not only a decent singer, but she also writes her own music. That can't be beat!

But honestly, I'm not into anyone of them. I feel that there are and were better female artist out there. I just can't get into Beyonce's music. Something's missing. And she has the voice. I just think it's whoever is writing her music.


Beyonce has a body and all. But it's just something exotic and sexy about Alicia.

By Isaiah (152.163.253.70) on Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 07:33 am:

Dove-7...

I wonder who in the world told you Beyonce don't write her own music??? She's been awarded songwriter of the year awards already - didya know that??? Consult my man Moan for the rest of that story, OK?(smile!) And Alicia got Boomin Body, but she aint my idea of beautiful either(smile!) Nor is she a GREAT singer... Fact is Jennifer Holiday, Martha Wash, and Cheryl Lynn have pipes gone to bed, but they are not considered the prettiest ladies in the world... I know that's a freakin' shame, but I aint even trying to see their videos with the sound down anymore than you are...

Lady Medusa, yeah, I was talking about this generation of singers, but I think R. Kelly could hold his own in any generation... Beyonce could compete with the Kellee Patterson's and Anita Wards and Irma Thomases, no??? Irma aint got great pipes... She's not Etta James, Big Maybelle, Big Mama Thornton... All of these ladies could blow SOUL, but their looks held them back from great popularity on the mainstream level... That's how the industry works, unfortunately... I think Jill Scott and India could very well be victims of the same kind of biases, as they are talented vocalists, too... Those two ladies may very well be better vocalists than an Alicia Keys, but there we have our own ingrained prejudices, no???(smile!) Awright, check dat at da door, yo(smile!)


Peace!
Isaiah

By ~medua~ (68.79.119.233) on Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 09:45 am:

ok, so I was right all the time...
"IT'S THAT BODY BABY" (hahahahahaha)
'cause she definately can't sing...
(Damn, I was trying not 2 say that)

By Soul Sister (65.43.144.46) on Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 12:03 pm:

Isaiah;
Your statement, sad but unfortanately true. There was no more soulful expression of a lyric than in Big Maybelle's ballads. A beautiful soul, its so sad what the industry did to her, they used, abused, & addicted her, literally destroyed her career not only as a great (yes great) singer but as a promoising talented actress too, but I'll leave that sorry tale alone. Big Maybelle is just one sad story that never got her deserved recognition. Incredible talent!
S.S.

By Moanman (24.44.218.110) on Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 01:46 pm:

Leave it to you, Zeke, to bring this heated topic back onto the front burner (smile). How you been, Chief? As I type this, ironically, Bee�s latest vid �Naughty Girl� is playing in the background. My GOODNESS! She is straight up HHH: Hot Hypnotic Honey! I think my stance on the wonders of Duh Bee-Woman has been voiced on numerous occasions in this forum. In short: she�s the Real Deal. Recognize. She ain�t goin� nowhere soon. Recognize. So whether one loves her, hates her or is completely indifferent to her skills and talents�at least recognize! She CAN SING. She CAN Dance. She CAN Write. She CAN Entertain.

Of course, she�s mad-crazy-super-stoopid-red-hot now, and her career, like every career, will wax and wane. Her star might descend a bit, and she�ll most probably have her peaks and valleys. But when and if this happens, people, PLEASE don�t be so quick to jump on that I-tolya-so wagon. Face it: the greatest singers and entertainers in history have had career lulls, no matter their luster from: Sinatra, Al, Smokey, MJ, Diana, Aretha, Patti, Gladys, the list is endless. What Beyonce has in her favor is the ability to morph (Change Clothes And Go�) into acting, producing, WRITING, dancing, product endorsing, etc. Could those other idols rely on the ALL the same skillz in slower times? I think not, because IF they COULD certainly they would have easily picked up the slack when their careers began to wane. RD is quite correct when he states Beyonce is a manager�s �dream�. Yes, she�s a pretty and very sexy young woman. Yes, she�s got legs, and an azz like a small pick-up truck. God Hath Blessed her. But when the looks fade and booty goes south, I still would not count her out, because, as many people who post here can attest, there�s much cabbage to be made by being a fixture *behind the scenes.

If there is any doubt about her writing ability, Beyonce won the 2001 ASCAP Pop Songwriter Of The Year Award for the song �Survivor�. She became the first African-American woman -- and the second woman ever -- to receive it. She was all of 19!!! Where�s the Black Female Pride in this accomplishment? It ain�t up in here. Why the quick and easy dismissal? Puzzling.


Mind you, I�m not disrespecting any artist who came before her. I�m not crowning Beyonce Knowles the �Queen� of anything-- other than her own destiny. But she most certainly is The Princess of Potential. Unless one is blind, it�s very evident she displays several talents, and thus, she provides an excellent blueprint for the next generation who are watching her career trajectory. Those who choose her path, and who�ll seek longevity in the entertainment biz might begin to cultivate more than just one skill, and that will serve them well in the future.


Re: Alicia Keys. I really dig her stuff. She�s a good writer with the potential to become an even better one. Vocally, she�s a soulful singer, and music needs those strong flexing vocalists. She�s clearly one of the best currently penning music. However, personally I don�t find her to be quite as dynamic or magnetic as Beyonce. Beyonce has an otherworldly sensuality. Alicia has that NYC cool. She is charismatic, yet lacks a certain IT Factor. It�s indefinable, but one knows it when they see it. No doubt, physically, she�s a gorgeous young woman, despite her cankles (little or no delineation between one�s calves and ankles, thus: �cankles� �yeah, they�re kinda thick� hence her proclivity towards slacks or shoes w/ankle straps). Hopefully she�ll branch into acting as well. I certainly see a big future ahead for Alicia�cankles notwithstanding.

Re: Arruh�I won�t even get into his personal life, as no one can excuse nor gloss over the fact this cat has some serious probs. But as far as R & B MUSIC�who else among the legion has been representing as strongly over the last 15 years? I�ve gotta give it to him, because the man does indeed have the gift for writing, producing and cranking out numerous R&B hits, ballads and up-tempo jams. The list is quite impressive and diverse. While he completely loses me with his blatant sex-you-up and pimp-style braggadocio antics, when he composes a Real Song based upon Real Emotion (and he�s composed his fair share), the boy quite simply smokes. No one (with the possible exception of Babyface) can touch him. Yes, I too believe much of his material will (fly?) stand the test of time.

Question: just how consistent need one be to receive the acknowledgement that�- yes-- they are indeed a force with which to be reckoned?

Zeke, Pa, surely you must realize we ain�t go�n change NOBODY�s mind up in here, when they have their favorites, and share an emotional history and an undeniable fondness w/ the artists of the past. I admire many of those icons as well. But my eyes remain open to the new and the current. It ain�t no sin to Recognize. I have to wonder why many of us tend compare or dismiss the current crop, and cease to give them props when they are due. But I guess, ultimately, it doesn�t matter what some think. CD sales, music charts, movie and concert tickets sales spell success. Beyonce, Alicia and Arruh�s numerous awards and honors tell the story that some will continue choosing not to read or acknowledge. Love, hate or dismiss, Time will be the greatest barometer.

One.

Moan

By Isaiah (152.163.253.70) on Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 06:13 pm:

Hey, now, what's up, pa! Nice to see you in fine form, man!(smile!) Yeah, I know this thing aint nothing but an uphill climb to the bottom, but I thought I would post my revised and updated opinions of R. and B.(nice ring to that, no?)since I have come to a newer appreciation of them both... I like to think that we are all at liberty to change our opinions, that we all have the ability to be open-minded about things... I guess we do, but old habits are hard to break, and I dig that many of us cannot digest the sound of today, and will not even try... That is everyone's right, and I'm gonna leave it right there(smile!)

You know, on another note, I remember when New York Undercover was the rage back in the early and mid 1990's, and James Mtume was their musical director... He had Tevin Campbell and Brandy do a Donny&Roberta's You Got A Friend, and this young twosome tore that song up! I was amazed that they could just stay on the song without all of the pyrotechnic melismania so prevalent even at that time... Too bad that someone outside of James MTUME did not take note of what these two couldve achieved doing some duets... They might've been the '90's version of Marvin and Tammi... Anyone remember that particular episode???

Peace!
Isaiah

By LadyMystique (216.108.206.177) on Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 06:27 pm:

Beyonce is a talented artist (she also writes her own material), but I am scared for her because she is SO out there now that I hope the powers that be don't abuse her time in the limelight. R. Kelly (if we put the personal drama aside ) is talented as well...but you can't compare any of them because each have their own style. Personally although I like both, Alicia Keys can go further musically than Beyonce IMHO because if Alicia's pipes were to go, she can still play the keys (no pun intended) and write/produce music.

By ~medusa~ (68.79.115.7) on Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 10:20 pm:

I just got finished talking to SisDetroit, and she gave me a message:
She asked me to tell you that Beyonce' is in the same Diva catagory as~
Cher, Celine Dion,Britiny Spears,Janet Jackson, Miriah Carey
There's only One Queen, and we know who she is
There's only one Crown and we know who wears that Crown,
When Aretha was on the Diva special, she wasn't a Diva, she was the "Queen".

By Ju (152.163.253.70) on Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 10:28 pm:

I was wondering where Sis has been!

By RD (65.54.98.167) on Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 10:32 pm:

Personally, as female singers go, I listen to far more Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Barbara Acklin, Barbara Mason, Mica Paris and Cherokee than I do Aretha Franklin. Rarely do I play my Aretha Franklin's Greatest Hits double CD set at home and I never listen to her in the car. She's a great singer, so is Luther Vandross, and I don't listen to him much either.

By ~medusa~ (68.79.115.7) on Saturday, March 27, 2004 - 11:04 pm:

...and why is that RD, Curious Minds want to know??

By ~medusa~ (68.79.86.251) on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 08:52 am:

Hey RD, when U really get tired of Arethas' CD's, I'll take 'em (smile)