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What's the Most Played-Out Trend in Hip Hop and R&B Right Now?

 

Calm down, children! This is one of our least-intense Soul Polls ever. Occasionally, we can spark serious discourse about music or provide you with a platform to just poke a little good-natured fun. Today's poll would be the latter. If forced to choose, what would you consider the most played-out trend in Hip Hop and R&B right now? We're not talking about the stuff we've been railing against for the past 5 or 10 years, just the recent things that already seem to be peaking. The choices follow after the bounce. Again, we're doing this one for kicks and giggles.

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nOvaMatic  |  09/03/2008 at 1:21 PM  |  Comments (27)  |  Permalink

POLL: Should Labels Take Responsibility For Leaks?

 

Welcome to the Internet, Music Industry. In recent weeks, T.I. and Chris Brown have cried foul over the leaking of upcoming material. These artists certainly have a right to be irritated, but there's almost never an attempt to hold their labels and producers culpable for these infractions. It's always The Internet's fault, like The Internet snuck its way into someone's studio and walked away with the music like a thief in the night. The Internet doesn't just find things that aren't left sitting out.

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nOvaMatic  |  08/27/2008 at 11:35 AM  |  Comments (3)  |  Permalink

QUICK POLL: How Much of A Difference Does Darkchild Make to Brandy's Success?

 

Much is being made of Brandy once again employing Darkchild to helm her new project. I love all of Brandy's albums, and although she created a signature sound with Rodney Jerkins, I hesitate to declare him the one and only producer that's fit to work with her. Mike City's "Full Moon" gave Brandy a sexy grown-up groove that complimented her smoky vocals. Timbaland took her to the clubs with "Turn It Up". And her early work with Kenneth Crouch mostly holds up today. Human, so far, looks like it will involve a king's ransom worth of production creds, but it's the Darkchild stuff that's getting the most attention. Check this new track via UMB called "Porcelain" and hit our poll after the jump, in which we ask--

"How Important is Darkchild to Human's Success?"

Brandy: "Porcelain"

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nOvaMatic  |  08/26/2008 at 2:00 PM  |  Comments (12)  |  Permalink

Soul-Poll Results Episode: And The Dopest MC Out Right Now Is.....

 

We'd like to thank everyone for telling MTV where to stick it. Our Dopest MC poll has come to a close and the winner is revealed after the bounce. You know you wanna click! The image above represents 4 of the Top 5 but not the "Dopest," according to the whopping 100-something readers that voted. Who could've possibly beat out Jay-Z, Common, Lulu Elastic and Black Thought? There will be cheers, there will be tears. ill Mami, our West Coast Editress, qualifies the win after the bounce. Do you agree?

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nOvaMatic  |  06/25/2008 at 12:30 PM  |  Comments (8)  |  Permalink

YOU TELL US: Who's the Dopest MC Out Right Now?

 

Our Dopest MC poll is heating up and there's still time to put your bid in! Due in part to the response to MTV's hottest list of stand-up comedians and Mean Girls, we thought it prudent to have the SoulBounce audience weigh in on this very important and timely topic. Real Hip Hop won't die if you don't let it, people! The potentially shocking and mind-numbing results will be revealed next week!

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SURVEY.

nOvaMatic  |  06/12/2008 at 3:00 PM  |  Leave a Comment  |  Permalink

One Question, One Answer: Who's the Dopest MC Out Right Now, PERIOD?

 

Not for nothing, but MTV's Hottest MCs to Ever Earn a Gossip Headline 2008 received more than its fair share of side-eyes and death threats from our readers. So we decided to ask you, The Unrelentingly Opinionated SoulBounce Hip-Hop Guru, who's the dopest out right now?

Our poll is over 30-deep, with the option for one we missed. To wit, we purposely left off some likely characters such as your Weezys and Jeezys and Rick Reezys because this is SoulBounce, people! We're not hating; we're just sick of them. Also, it was important for us to highlight some of the cats that are really putting in work under the radar, as well as those that have been grinding for years and still maintain a level of integrity that has, for the most part, flown out the window in pursuit of lining the pockets of some old corporate dude that doesn't even listen to Hip Hop. Third, unlike MTV's Hip Hop Braintrust, we believe an MC has a ridiculously enormous vocabulary and not only knows how to pronounce those words, but knows their definitions too.

You can only choose one. We might keep this one going for a minute.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SURVEY.

nOvaMatic  |  06/04/2008 at 2:00 PM  |  Comments (9)  |  Permalink

Algebra's Next Release: Break The Dead Heat!

 

According to our latest Soul-Poll, it looks as if folks are really feeling both songs up for Algebra's next single. So much so that they are in a statistical dead heat (sorry, too much CNN lately), with "Halfway" holding a slight lead over "Run and Hide." But there's still time to cast your vote and let your voice be heard. Click here to listen to both tracks and have your say.

Also, for everyone who has been searching high and low for Algebra's CD, I've gotten word from her people that they are working on improving distribution. But in the meantime, Purpose can be found on iTunes, at Circuit City stores, and online at Amazon and Buy.com. If you've found it somewhere else, please leave the 411 behind in the comments.

Butta  |  02/29/2008 at 1:30 PM  |  Leave a Comment  |  Permalink

SOUL-POLL: Choose Algebra's Next Single

 

If you got Behind the Groove with Algebra, then you heard that she wants the public to choose her next single. This is pretty out-of-the-ordinary for a debut artist, but Algebra isn't afraid to change the game. The two cuts up for debate are"Run and Hide" and "Halfway," which were both produced by the Boy Genius himself, Kwame. (Can we go ahead and call him the Man Genius now?) Listen to both tracks, then cast your vote in the poll and leave behind a comment. The winning song will be released as Algebra's next single and (hopefully) have a video filmed. Power to the people!

Algebra: "Run and Hide"


Algebra: "Halfway"

Butta  |  02/25/2008 at 6:00 PM  |  Comments (8)  |  Permalink

The Results Are In: You Don't Take Grammy Seriously

 

Much like India Arie, you don't really trust the Grammys. When we asked why the Grammy telecast's ratings took a dip, most of our readers voted that they can't take the ceremony seriously. That could mean a number of things, and perhaps I should've been more specific with the choices? We'll simply infer that you believe the ceremony is just a way for the industry to pat itself on the back, with no input from the public that is actually consuming the product. Although, if the Grammys were voted on by the public, then Soulja Boy would've won for "Best Rap Song", effectively revealing what my own personal Hell would look and sound like. Also, that's a fantastic segue into the next paragraph.

nOvaMatic  |  02/19/2008 at 1:30 PM  |  Comments (1)  |  Permalink

There's Still Time to Vote!

 

Our latest Soul-Poll closes next Tuesday.

nOvaMatic  |  02/15/2008 at 2:12 PM  |  Leave a Comment  |  Permalink

SOUL-POLL: Lowest-Rated Grammys Ever?

 

According to Variety, this year's Grammy telecast averaged only 17.5 million viewers, although CBS won the night in ratings. This would be the third lowest ratings average for the ceremony, only beating out 1995 (17.3m) and 2006 (17m). Out of the entire 30-something years of the televised ceremony, what made this year and others so different from the rest? Why didn't it draw as many viewers as it could've?

Enter conjecture:

• The Grammys are irrelevant. A popularity contest that only exists as a tool for the recording industry. We don't take it seriously.
• The Grammys happened Sunday? They need to advertise it better.
• The Writer's Strike jinxed it.
• Mary J. Blige and Michael Jackson weren't there. Why should I watch?
• I decided to wait for the YouTube highlights. Who watches TV anymore?
• Why bother? 2007 was an awful year in music.

Vote after the bounce.

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nOvaMatic  |  02/12/2008 at 3:10 PM  |  Comments (8)  |  Permalink

SOUL-POLL: What Should be Mary J. Blige's Next Single from 'Growing Pains'?

 

Geffen is in the process of determining Mary J. Blige's next single from Growing Pains. We all thought "Work That" was a go, but, we just learned different. Welcome to the wonderful world of PR-generated emails, people! Listed below are some SoulBounce-selected tracks we're nominating (The full poll is located over on Mary's Myspace.)

• Work That: Already a defining and familiar track from the album, this is the natural choice, but might be a bit belated at this point. We still love it though!
• Til The Morning: This seems to be everyone's favorite track on from GP. It would be a good follow-up to "Just Fine" because it keeps the momentum with the disco vibe. Can you imagine how this video would look?
• Shake Down: This might help Usher more than Mary, but it's a smooth, grown track, and we need more quiet storm on the radio, no?
• Hurt Again: Ok, full disclosure, I just really really like this song. I can't even come up with a fair qualifier for its inclusion. Sorry?
• Roses: My current anthem. But is the radio ready for "You suck it up!"? Coming from a woman, that is?

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nOvaMatic  |  01/07/2008 at 12:00 PM  |  Comments (8)  |  Permalink

Holiday Soul-Poll Results: It's Gonna Be A 'Silent Night' 'This Christmas'

 

Now this is a surprise. After falling behind early, The Temptations pulled ahead of the pack and put the smack down on The Jackson 5, Nat King Cole, and even Donny Hathaway in our last Soul-Poll of 2007. Over half of the poll voters chose "Silent Night" as their favorite Classic Soul Christmas song, and even though there are a lot of Hathaway fans scratching their heads right now, you really can't be mad at this result. The Temps sang the definitive version of "Silent Night," and on this Christmas Eve it's the perfect song to listen to. Wouldn't you agree?

The Temptations: "Silent Night"

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone! Come back in 2008 when we'll have a lot more Soul-Poll fun. 

Butta  |  12/24/2007 at 12:00 PM  |  Comments (2)  |  Permalink