Chris Brown Touches On R&B Lacking "Artistry," "Showmanship," & "Confident Males That Can Sing"

BY Erika Marie 6.4K Views
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Chris Brown
He believes that with Hip Hop dominating the industry, R&B has fallen behind.

Much has been said about this era of R&B and debates regarding how the genre has evolved have caused a divide. There was a time when R&B dominated the global charts—it didn't matter if artists were solo, duets, or groups. Singers were belting out love hits, breakup anthems, power ballads, and everything in between, but in recent years, the takeover has widely come from Rap.

This, of course, doesn't mean that there aren't phenomenal artists taking over the R&B scene of today, but entertainers like Chris Brown have been in the business long enough to know the difference.

“[R&B is] obsolete in the fact of it being primary," he said. "Meaning, you used to listen to the radio and they had an 'R&B Day.'"

“Not to take anything away, Hip Hop has just been dominating sh*t," Brown continued. "A n*gga can’t hate on Hip Hop. I’m a part of it, so, I love it. Let all the Hip Hop be heard." He also seemingly criticized some of his peers who have emerged in R&B with his perception of what has changed.

"I feel like, not to sound lame when I say this, it’s really no more artistry left in that type of showmanship lane. A lot of the R&B people have to go introverted or look like they’re emo, and if they’re not that, people will give them the Neo Soul-type of genre. I don’t feel that’s right. I feel like there’s a scarcity of confident males that can sing.”

Watch the clip of Chris Brown below.



About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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