Staking Their Claim
R&B and hip-hop continued to experience crossover success this year
By Ron Wynn
When Louis Jordan and a handful of comrades began cutting early R&B singles in the late ’40s, their efforts went unnoticed by almost everyone except black audiences. Though R&B soon became profitable for enterprising independent record owners and visionary radio executives, it’s highly doubtful anyone could have predicted in 1947 that the music’s appeal would extend so far outside the African American community in the years to come.
Even though it’s been many years since the rise and fall of Motown, Stax, Philly International, and disco, African American popular sounds ruled throughout 2000. Not unlike rock ’n’ roll in the late ’50s, rap has become youth music, obliterating issues of race and class while constantly triggering controversies over content and image. Hip-hop lexicon and dress now influence fans from Latin America to Europe to Africa to Asia.
Meanwhile, current R&B acts have met the challenge of their rap cohorts, racking up some popular successes while also carving a distinct musical identity that’s both reverent of the past and mindful of the present. Instead of becoming obsessed with crossover, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, and others are tapping vintage sources for inspiration. Rappers are following suit, using live backing bands and sampling classic reggae, Afro-pop, and Brazilian tunes.
Just as significantly, today’s urban performers are becoming ever more business-savvy. Unlike the bad old days, when R&B and soul singers willingly relinquished song and publishing copyrights, no contemporary performer would ever sign a contract drafted on a restaurant napkin. Hip-hop combines such as the Cash Money Millionaires now employ big-name attorneys to safeguard their assets, and their examples are being followed overseas, where African music greats like King Sunny Ade are fighting the rampant piracy that has crippled their earning power.
Certainly, things are far from perfect, particularly in the world of rap. Both Jay-Z and Puffy Combs face criminal trials in 2001 that could put them in prison for lengthy terms. The deluge of videos featuring women thrusting their rear ends (and more) into the camera remains a deeply troubling phenomenon, as does the endless wave of tunes with homophobic, misogynistic, and even xenophobic lyrics. However, these trends were countered by releases from rappers like Common, De La Soul, the Rawkus crew, the Jurassic 5, and others whose messages intelligently explore social issues. The “conscious” rappers didn’t equal the sales figures of the bounce-and-party bunch, but they’re poised to continue making audience inroads over the next year.
Here’s a list of my favorite releases from the other side of the pop world—those genres encompassing everything from R&B and hip-hop to world music and sophisticated pop.
Albums
1. D’Angelo, Voodoo (Virgin)
2. Common, Like Water for Chocolate (MCA)
3. Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP (Aftermath/Interscope)
4. Jay-Z, The Dynasty—Roc La Familia 2000 (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)
5. Yossou N’Dour, Joko: The Limit (Nonesuch)
6. Omara Portuondo, Buena Vista Social Club Presents (World Circuit/Nonesuch)
7. Jill Scott, Who is Jill Scott?: Words & Sounds, Vol. 1 (Hidden Beach/Epic)
8. Shelby Lynne, I Am Shelby Lynne (Island)
9. Outkast, Stankonia (LaFace/Arista)
10. Beenie Man, Art & Life (Virgin)
11. Cheikh Lo, Bambay Gueej (World Circuit/Nonesuch)
12. Gary Burton, Libertango: The Music of Astor Piazzolla (Concord)
13. Wyclef Jean, The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book (Columbia)
14. Erykah Badu, Mama’s Gun (Motown/Universal)
15. Gerald Levert, G (Elektra)
Singles/album cuts
1. Toni Braxton, “He Wasn’t Man Enough,” from The Heat (LaFace/Arista)
2. Kelly Price, “As We Lay,” from Mirror Mirror (Def Soul/Def Jam)
3. Carl Thomas, “I Wish,” from Emotional (Bad Boy)
4. Destiny’s Child, “Independent Woman, Part 1,” from Charlie’s Angels: Music From the Motion Picture (Columbia)
5. Jurassic 5, “Quality Control,” from Quality Control (Interscope)
6. Shaggy, “Dance & Shout,” from Hotshot (MCA)
7. Joe, “I Wanna Know,” from My Name Is Joe (Jive)
8. Nelly, “Country Grammar,” from Country Grammar (Universal)
9. Dead Prez, “We Want Freedom,” from Let’s Get Free (Loud)
Reissues/box sets
1. Various artists, A Shot in the Dark: Nashville Jumps: Blues & Rhythm on Nashville’s Independent Labels, 1945-1955 (Bear Family)
2. Sam Cooke, The Man Who Invented Soul (RCA)
3. Jackie Wilson, Live at the Copa (Brunswick)
4. Johnny Adams, There Is Always One More Time (Rounder)
5. Various artists, The Funk Box (Hip-0) and The Stax Story (Fantasy)
6. Van Dykes, Tellin’ It Like It Is: The Mala Sessions (Sundazed)
7. Nappy Brown, The Night Time Is the Right Time (Savoy/Atlantic)
8. Etta James, The Chess Box (MCA)
9. Dells, Anthology (Hip-O)
10. Fela Kuti, Best Best Of and Original Sufferhead/I.T.T. (both MCA)
11. Roland Alphonso, Something Special: Ska Hot Shots (Rounder/Heartbeat)
12. Various Artists, The Music of Cuba: 1909-1951 (Sony Legacy)
13. Bill Withers, Lean on Me: The Best of Bill Withers (Sony Legacy)
14. Lee “Scratch” Perry, Songs Produced by Lee “Scratch” Perry: The Ultimate Collection (Hip-O)
15. Various Artists, Calypso Awakening: 1956-1962 (Smithsonian/Folkways)
13. Bill Withers, Lean on Me: The Best of Bill Withers (Sony Legacy)
14. Lee “Scratch” Perry, Songs Produced by Lee “Scratch” Perry: The Ultimate Collection (Hip-O)
15. Various Artists, Calypso Awakening: 1956-1962 (Smithsonian/Folkways)
