The green side of white R & B

What's up with so many white music artists singing black music? Why do white artists who sing black music get better promotion of artists blacks? Why is R & B music now synonymous with hip-hop?

These are some of the hot topics that often leave in private conversations with my collaborators and colleagues think the sector. I will try to clarify a bit 'so much need in these delicate, sensitive and controversial issues something.

To truly understand the phenomenon of whiteMusic artists to sing R & B, you should begin with an examination of the motivations and purpose behind the creation of black music divisions with record labels in the '60s. The success of Motown as a "black" operation is well documented and has been widely publicized, it lacked many of the competing labels this time staff to adequately use the wealth of musical talent black teenager.

White owned record companies cleverly called black musicManagers who are more in tune and in connection with black music (and artists blacks), created and designed to help interface with them. It 'been a time when race relations are preliminary and tense.

Many record companies and radio stations took note of the growing popularity of R & B music among young white and tries to racial barriers that prevent access to them. Their refusal was a potential economic problem, because the music industry(like most industries) thrives on supply and demand. Their solution: Give your favorite teen-age children with a "white" Or someone who "sounded black, and made" black "music, a la Elvis Presley, whose popularity is soaring. It was not uncommon for record at this time often have two different versions – a white version and a black version – which was served to the appropriate audience.

In the '70s, the push toward equality and peace, and gave birth to a sociableUnified music industry. Top bands like Sly & The Family Stone, Tower of Power, Earth Wind & Fire and The Commodores emerged and succeeded in the '70s, but many lacked crossover appeal and forced the leaders of black music in other ways as possible to save their work . One option was Disco – the hot new genre.

Disco was more than a new genre, it was a cultural derogation from the narrowness of continuing social and racial tensions of the '60s and has emerged asthe dominant form because of its mass market appeal and general acceptance. The music industry finally sober activities and libidinous drug abuse rampant disco era in 1979, just in time to endure the second worst financial crisis of its existence.

With sagging record sales and a festival of acts of music, which was signed at a disco song, leader of the community of R & B music back to its roots and soulful searched desperately for an answer to solve the problemsplagued it. The answer was not written on the wall, but was found in the album "Off The Wall" by Michael Jackson that helped the success of the transition R & B music back to a "pop-friendly" format, R & B was comparable to his peak-era Motown.

While Michael captured the hearts and imagination of white America with his dance steps inhumane, there was a lot of black music pioneers funky respecting the values and virtues of black musicAs we marched in the era of the 80s techno. R & B music seemed to undergo a much-needed revitalization.

He started the band R & B 70s, in more staff to reduce stress has been placed on acts alone (a la Michael Jackson) and vocal groups. For the artist, R & B music, the introduction of technology replaces the need, supported by a band of that time period, the producer, R & B music is heavily preached today.

It 'was at this timemany record companies began merging and restructuring, the loss of hundreds of jobs for black music executives who worked in the division has brought black music.

Shortly after, we have the emergence of "Blue-eyed soul witness," as white music artists, R & B music began, heavy and stable financial support were received from their implementation record. Hall & Oates enjoyed unprecedented success in the early '80s and a half, and proved to be a litmus test for acceptanceWhite artists, R & B, with the pretext of pop music.

While Hall & Oates skepticism in the community of music R & B can be raised, eyes wide open, when George Michael, a former member of teen pop group Wham,! He won a Grammy for the best "black" album in 1989. E 'was the first time in history that an artist's solo music white at the top of R & B charts. The music community as a veteran R & B black music artists Freddie Jackson and Gladys outragedKnight condemns the political coordination of the process makes the academy, that the nominations.

While the award was well deserved in terms of record sales and radio airplay, the color of the lines that have qualified as a "black" artist of music has been redefined. When the smoke cleared, the music industry in general and R & B music, in particular, both would be changed forever.

As we stood on the threshold of the 90s as heads of black music, record companies lost worksat down, the tendency of a merger, restructuring and downsizing in an effort to diversify their economic interests and increase their profits.

Rap music was (finally) has fully embraced as a commercially viable genre and record companies rushed to cash in on it. The appeal of low investment, and (potentially) high yields, was a fundamental change in business practices to record companies, artists and black music found themselves jockeying for position on the revised prioritiesLists of their music now predominantly white leaders. After all, Rap was already reached a high level of "underground" sales with DJ and word-of-mouth serves as the primary means of promotion.

All the record companies had to do was to bring to the surface and to provide its sales and marketing resources. Because much of the music was already recorded, which could also avoid many of the affected coast. While the music industry has an open and deliberateAttempt to provide a place that seemed to be an insatiable demand for rap music, have lost sight of the distinction between R & B and rap.

R & B music lovers powerless, as orders from leaders of white elements in rap music R & B songs to record, more competitive, with rap, rap artist as a clear and direct threat to record sales of R Music Artists & B are observed.

To have the time, Mariah Carey and Color Me BaddEnjoying newfound fame, which (it was once again) the result of white music executives pushing a program of innovation of white music artists, R & B music. Both those measures were first considered (by a black audience) as an alternative to their black competitors (Whitney Houston and Boyz II Men), but with strong support such as marketing and promotional activities, both Mariah Carey and Color Me Badd were able to prove their identity in a rapid.

Today,Trend continues with white music executives actively marketing and promotion of white music artists like Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Joss Stone, Anastacia, etc. to sing R & B. Some insiders say that the music industry continues to deliberately and consciously to find alternatives to black music artists to white audiences Service. Industry experts say that Britney Spears is essentially a clone of white Janet Jackson, which emulates Pop / R & B format, the dance choreographymoves, sex appeal and calculated.

E 'suspicious when newcomers like American Idol's Elliot Yamin will be quickly embraced and hailed as "great" American R & B, even if against the R & B long-term survivors as Brian McKnight, Anthony Hamilton, Joe and respect.

While some argue that it is not simply a matter of black versus white, because, as some of the artists mentioned in this article are not white, but from different ethnic groups or even part black. The fact is that verywidely in the black community is that if you do not see black (African American of course) functions, then they are not. But I'm not black, and "white" is a reference to, or a description, a vague category of race.

The new business model of the music industry has created new opportunities for black entrepreneurs, but many of them do not have the financial resources necessary to exploit the advantage. Consequently, they are often forced to participate inProduction of rap music, or R & B with rap music production for production or product, and artists who seek to enable them to partnerships and joint ventures with the same companies that have made their black music divisions provide First start.

History and research show that the music industry has continued to systematically reduce the executive role of black music, because there's shooting, and (with a higher frequency and less justification) to dismisstheir white counterparts. Many who remain are often on the role now do without the liaison officers, gatekeeper, and hand holder for acts in difficulty in rap hip-hop refers to this new era. Far from being a time when once they were responsible for research, development and support the premier black music artists, some of the best music today has created a soundtrack to the story of view of this country.

These songs are still the choice of middle-aged Americans who tune to oldiesRadio stations around the country have introduced the "Classic Soul" as a new format. Where is R & B artists in music today? Are you left or unite to compete with rap artists, because they were thrown into the same "urban" or "hip-hop into a pot of" Music "category.

The use of such R & B, a commercial element in rap music to inject contributed significantly to the fusion and confusion regarding the distinction between the two genres. This can be traced back to the '80s, whenR & B acts like the lake, and Confunksion Teena Marie had big hits with songs including rap ( "Fantastic Voyage", "Electric Ladyland" and "Square Biz"), has launched the R & B music at a wedding in test lasted.

R & B is now used for the level of perception of talent, turn to a black audience, and increase record sales of white music artists in every genre. Even Country (a genre that knows how to knit from a closed circle of management protection is kept) borrowed,heavily on R & B.

Country is a genre that is ripe for infiltration by conventional R & B artists, but in contrast to the R & B music – what kind of a community without a competitive while preserving the rights attached to them – the chances are slim unquestioned and unchallenged due to the exclusion of other races.

The most important issue in the R & B artists of white music artists Black Music R & B can be reduced to one question: who gets the largestCommitment and support from their record companies to serve a broader audience of consumers?

If one considers the level of commitment, dedicated resources and funding opportunities that are more abundant white R & B music artists available, and blacks make up only 15 percent of the population, and white music artists inherit a wider audience for the beginning of understanding the green side of white R & B is very simple.

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