A Soulful Noise
Can Barack and Michelle's Relationship Trigger a Love Renaissance for R&B?
There is an inordinate amount of projecting going on when it comes to President-elect Barack Obama's influence on music and arts in general. It seems as though he's expected to single-handedly usher in the rebirth of traditionally black music, starting with making Hip Hop clean up its filthy mouth and pull up its pants. After that? Maybe warming up R&B's frigid, broken heart.
Michelle and Barack are so obviously in love it's actually helping me
to believe in love again. This is no small feat considering that I
basically grew up on what Baltimore Sun writer Rashod D.
Ollison calls the "keloid-scarred, hoot-rat [R&B] classics [of] the
early '90s" in his article "Romance Could Be Catching." According to
Ollison, the R&B of that period by artists like Mary J. Blige and
Bell Biv Devoe marked the end of things like tenderness and
vulnerability in the genre. Hip Hop slowly hardened R&B's softer
side and now the majority of contemporary R&B is devoid of the
capacity to positively promote real love between two people who view
each one another as equals, and not devolve into a battle of the sexes.
Is love in R&B lost on those of us who were brainwashed against
pure love during the 90s? In step the future First Lady and her
President-Elect.
The visibility of a powerful couple not only has the potential to inspire
contemporary R&B but also the potential to influence songwriters to
explore this dynamic, suggests Ollison-- something that was once a
staple of the R&B of the '60s and '70s. A love renaissance of this
type would be refreshing in R&B, but is a lot to expect of one
couple. Especially since so many hopes are pinned on them both. What
are your thoughts? Is this too much to expect of Barack and Michelle?
Is R&B as loveless as this article makes it seem?
Romance Could Be Catching [BS]
Tags: barack obama, michelle obama
Comments
Well, I'm not a famed songwriter, but I think I caught the Obamas' love bug. Check out my vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2J7_TKhdDI
Any feedback (good or bad) would be appreciated.
FireMadeFlesh | November 10, 2008 6:46 PM | PermalinkThat would be great, but really im just hoping it will cause people to start falling in love again, and actually being in more real relationships, besides thats my baby momma/baby daddy thing. Its wonderful to see a Black man & woman seem to really love one another. We severely need that in the Black community, cause really if you think about it thats what happen to r&b music, cause it tells stories of love and if you aint trying to fall in love, or your being to selfish to really give to another person, you aint trying to hear its soundtrack!
shannon | November 10, 2008 2:04 PM | PermalinkWhat someone needs to do is influence Barry and Michele to endorse Soulbounce and other "Nuevo-Soul sites. Because outside of a few hours/minutes on so called black radio there is no reason to hope for a sudden change in program directors decisions of who gets played.
The musicians who are of like minds to the first family have been out there for years. What can WE do to help them get the attention? Can we show that the Obamas are not an island.
I told somebody last week that finally someone will bring some Earth Wind and Fire Records up in the White House. ( Bill Clinton was more prone to rock some Rick James and Ohio Players I think.)
hoodedmonk | November 10, 2008 2:02 PM | PermalinkIt may be a stretch, but it's possible the The Obamas could have a over-reaching affect on how black music is created.
I don't think that Mary J and BBD were as influential on R&B as the ending of The Cosby Show and primetime family-oriented visibility on virtually ALL network shows. The ghettoization of Black folks was cemented in the 90s. Who better than a President and his woman to get the kind of high-profile love visibility necessary to tear it down on '09?
Stephanie Renee | November 10, 2008 1:25 PM | PermalinkI wouldn't say that R&B as a whole is completely devoid of the type of love music seemingly of a time that is long gone, but mainstream R&B without a doubt leaves so much to be desired that I'm just upset about it now. But for Barack & Michelle to influence black music is something I hadn't thought about. All at once, it's a beautiful thought, it's possible, yet it's a little unfair. Beautiful because just seeing them together gives u hope that black love does exist, even for a extremely high-profile couple. It's possible, because Barack's campaign alone sparked a huge influence on hip-hop culture from music to fashion, so the possibility is there. But to me it's unfair in the same way people look to Nas or Andre 3000 (per se) to save hip-hop. They can initiate change, but they can't do it by themselves, nor should we expect them to. But I love them as a couple, and can't wait to see how their relationship influences peoples' opinions on black love in general.
miss concrete jungle | November 10, 2008 12:46 PM | PermalinkI'm on board with a love "renaissiance" that's for sure. The Obama's can help us begin a chnage in direction, but we sure as hell will have to do the work. That's the way it should be. Bring on healthy, loving relationships and expression in music!
sdg1844 | November 10, 2008 12:46 PM | Permalink