The Musings of Leon Mayne

Big shout out to my friend Ronke of Musings of Ondo Lady for featuring me in her weekly "My Space" blog. I'll be attending her London blogger's meet up with some of the Pbleepd team so I'll post a little something on it. In the meantime check out My Space - Leon Mayne (the name's been baited now)

Hip Hop? No R&B is Dead

Had to bring this 2008 article I wrote back because certain people are mistaking certain tracks for R&B, Enjoy the read...

For as long as I can remember, the pervasive influence of music has been sustained through it’s uncanny ability to relate to human emotion as well as diversify it’s sound to please the masses. One genre in particular that represented such claims was R’n’B which up until present has been able to re-invent itself time and time again providing music for the mind and soul.

From the late 80’s onwards R’n’B was established and divided into different forms of eclectic and soulful sounds including Soul, New Jack Swing and Neo-Soul. These sub genres were the basis of the urban scene and introduced an array of amazing solo, duo and group singers. Whereas a large majority enjoyed R’n’B, the minimum record sales from capable artists in the 90’s meant that recognition was minimal amongst and against the influx of Rock, Country and Pop album sales.

Corporate strategy was therefore introduced by music labels in which they would produce R’n’B superstars; controlling their image and distribution of a certain type of R’n’B I like to call Urban pop. This would allow music sales to rise and is now seen as the forefront of contemporary R’n’B. Although this fills the pockets of CEOs, executives and artists alike, the strategy has somewhat stifled the identity that was and should be R’n’B. We are now accustomed to hearing artists sing popular songs rather than the rhythmic sounds of true R’n’B.

What is R’n’B?

Rhythm and Blues is the definition and representation of this sound often blending funk, dance and/or soul. There is a certain “limited but just right” level of exuberance shown in R’n’B music which makes it enjoyable to listen to as a genre. The combination of Poetry, Feeling, Flow and soul of the artist (hence where the sub genre “soul” came from) enabled listeners to have an emotional attachment to the content and meaning of an R’n’B song. However it seems in this era that these components of R’n’B have disappeared and the overall essence of the genre has left. The content is still the same, with the words portraying soulful stories however the substance has gone….Blues with no Rhythm.

One of the major reasons for this decline is the lack of true Rhythm and Blues artists in both the UK and the US. The 90’s (and partly noughties) had an abundance of talent filling our Discmans and stereos with R’n’B music.


Do you remember…

UK: Lynden David Hall, Beverley Knight, Omar, Eternal, Floetry, Terri Walker
US: Blackstreet, Jodeci, H-Town, Shai, Boyz II Men, SWV, Keith Sweat, 702, TLC, Brownstone, Montell Jordan, Next, Monica, Tamia, Lauryn Hill (etc etc etc)

UK have tried to bring in R’n’B influenced artists but their time has been short lived leaving it an almost non-existent genre in the UK. This wont surprise many as there has never been a sole year where a flood of UK R’n’B artists are on the scene at once even though there have been a number of them spread over the years. What makes the US list interesting is the number of groups involved in the generation of soul and swing. Today’s industry shows a decrease in melodic groups representing the genre. The solo artists are scattered around in different sub genre’s however the so called forefront of R’n’B has artists involved in Urban Pop and judging by the success it may be this way forever.

Contemporary R’n’B is dominated by the likes of Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Rihanna, T-Pain and Akon. All are talented, creative and entertaining artists, but they have been moulded by their labels into Urban Pop Figures. This wades well to the popularity of R’n’B but doesn’t truly represent the genre’s art form. Some may argue the case, as all of the named artists have produced songs that rival or emulate the sound of the 90’s; however the difference between the sound of today and the 90’s is that at least 90% of songs on an album in the soul/swing period had production representing R’n’B whereas today’s albums have at least 30-40% (often much more) urban pop tunes (club bangers). The search for sales rather than sound has reached even the legends in R’n’B with the King, Queen, Prince and Princess (R.Kelly, Mary J Blige, Usher and Beyonce) of the genre having to accommodate their styles and sounds to the up-tempo expectations of their labels and ultimately fans of popular music.

R’n’B artists such as Bobby Valentino are dropped by their labels due to record sales. This is no coincidence as Bobby V is known for producing tracks with more soul orientated content and flow. It seems as though the more records an R’n’B artist sells; the less soulful influence is involved.
LOWER RECORD SALES: NEO SOUL/SOUL - Musiq, India Arie, Dwele, Jill Scott, Anthony Hamilton, Erykah Badu
R&B - Trey Songz, Brian Mcknight, Donell Jones, Tank, Tyrese, Faith Evans

HIGHER RECORD SALES: URBAN POP - Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Rihanna, Akon, T-Pain, Ciara

With the gap between Urban Pop and R’n’B record sales increasing it seems more and more likely that the genre as we know it will never be the same again. Could we be heading into a change of name for the genre? Is R’n’B dead? Well put it this way, if it isn’t dead it’s gone beyond a life support machine and is on its very last breath.

Complex Soundboard....Coool

Just click on the faces....I thought it was cool....dont judge me!

Classic!

So I gotta hold of the BP3 album couple of weeks before it came out (sorry Jay) and after a thorough listen I gotta say it's pretty good. Despite the consipracy theory behind the album which has me bobing and weaving between whats true and what's hype there's no denying that when he is talking about something meaningful his skill his almost unmatchable. Thank You, Empire State of Mind & Venus Vs Mars are my personal faves but we all differ.

But I digress...

Whilst I was editing my friend's BP3 review for Pbleepd someone went as far as to say it was a classic album to which I responded with "come on now, its good but it aint THAT good". I mean when it comes to LPs there's certain levels of good. There's decent (Keri Hilson - In A Perfect World) , good (Rick Ross - Deeper Than Rap), brilliant (Eric Roberson - Music Fan First) and there's CLASSIC. But what consitutes a classic album? Answers are relatively similar but with different meaning

"A classic album is a collection of tracks that are as relevant or exciting to hear in 10 years as they are now"
"If I can listen to a whole album without skipping a track, its classic"

"There's a certain emotion that tracks evoke from you through its lyrics and its production, if it happens with multiple tracks then yeah..its classic"

My definition encapsulates all of these but with a slight twist on it. If an album is able to envoke the "stank face" from me every time I hear the intro of the production on the tracks, then its classic. You know what face Im talking about, the one where your cheeks tuck in, your eye brows fall closer to your eyelids (looks like you've just smelt something wrong) and you make a sound along the lines of "woooo". If I do that throughout the album then its a classic.

My first memory of ever doing that was when I was 13 and I was chilling at my cousin's house and he played what was and still is my favourite album to date. Donell Jones - Where I Wanna Be. I'll never forget hearing it and thinking classic straight away. Song after song...dopeness!! There's been other classics before and since but that one caught me like no other. What's YOUR classic album?

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OFFICIAL VIDEO: Maxwell - Bad Habits

Probably my favourite track off the Black Summers Night album. Enjoy!

Quote Of The Month

"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good" - Ann Landers

Is A Title Needed?

It's been relatively long since I've been taken aback by someone's theory that wasn't on the same wavelength as mine. Lo and behold it wasn't a new found discovery or an epiphany, just an examination of current affairs. It started off with a question..

The Theorist: Do you see yourself getting married?
Broadband: Yeah
The Theorist: Hmmm
Broadband: Hmmm ok or Hmmm I dont believe you?
The Theorist: Just Hmmm
Broadband: Yeah good luck with that. How about you?
The Theorist: No!
Broadband: Why?

"Marriage is merely a glamorous ceremony followed by a generic contract, I dont need it to consumate or define the bond between me and my partner" - The Theorist

Followed by three abrupt and interchanging diagonal finger clicks she sat down proud of herself. I laughed for a few minutes but she made a valid point. Indeed it's the opinion of more than one of my friends that marriage is not an option; whereas some have yet to experience love and could possibly be deemed naive to pass judgement, there are those that have been there and made their reasons justifiable. Thirty minutes after The Theorist sprung her analogy it got me thinking.

Is Marriage a manufactured tradition made for social structure?

It's arguable yet intriguing that we are more or less geared and guided towards one direction in life. Although our journeys are different and some refuse to follow the concepts, it's still the majority that view this direction as the path of happiness and contentment. And that is:

Academia --> Job --> Relationship --> Marriage --> Family

The path is almost a birthright that most feel fine with but can appear like a forced structure built by societies' standards. There are no rules that say you have to follow this tradition and the rebels in alot of us dont but this seems like the general jist of life's journey and Marriage is fittingly the breaker of the middle ground between one side of contenment/happiness and the other.

Does love need a title via contract? Are relationships bound by wedlock? Or is The Theorist seeing past the initial or overall values of marriage and even religion?
If it is indeed part of the system then kudos to the inventor because this is one artificial battery thats gonna forever be caught up in the matrix.

What do you think?

"Love: a temporary insanity, curable by marriage"

Mish-Mash #6

I'm back for the second time, the hiatus is officially over, was a break even needed? I mean between scriptwriting the "demands" of Twitter, BB contacts, business meetings, football and food, I had time to blog right? Quick shout out to my new followers/members Elusivebabe, Shirley and Tira Im definitely feeling your blogs. Stay tuned while I try and step my blogging game up. So what exactly have I been doing?


iWrite

- Finished writing a short film and just as I was ready to start working on filming, my producer friend leaves her film production company, so the proposed pbleepd and blog premier this summer is postponded til further notice.

- Still working with a co-writer on a proposed comedy drama, we're 15 episodes deep, just tryna refine the scripts for TV exec networking. 70% done.

- Wrote an R'n'B track that I need to provide melodies to for my old Uni friends Garbz (SuperGarbzTwitter) and Ikes (IkesontherealTwitter) for one of their artists on their record label.

The Music


If you havent already make sure you pick up Maxwell's Black Summer's Night Album. Dope!! Good music is becoming ridiculously rare these days so Im glad he's back. Just got hold of Fabolous' new album too, I feel sorry that his stuff got leaked all over the net because in my opinion this has been his best album since Ghetto Fabolous. Again cop it if you can.

Tracks Im Feeling Right Now...

Fabolous Feat Ryan Leslie and Keri Hilson - Everything, Everyday, Everywhere
Maxwell - Bad Habits
Fabolous - Money Goes, Honeys Stay
Clipse Feat Pharell - Im Good
Lupe Fiasco - This is for my N*****
Fabolous Feat Marsha Ambrosius - Stay
Amerie - Red Eye

Back to Business

www.pbleepd.com relaunches next month, we're gonna have faster updates, better articles, better news and better blogs. Its all a growing process so expect developments as times goes on. Anyone who wants to contribute to Pbleepd, email pbleepd@hotmail.co.uk

Im starting a new script venture and will need a group of keen writers to jump on board, more will be revealed at the end of next month but if interested email leon.mayne@hotmail.co.uk

And Finally....

Yours truly has been invited to field his perspective on 'You're Beautiful, Woman', an event put together by a group of driven female personalities including Ronke Adeyemi owner of The Musings of Ondo Lady blog.

"You're Beautiful, Woman! is an annual event celebrating black female beauty inside and out. Its aims are to motivate and inspire women to recognise their own self-worth in every avenue of their lives. We do this through a detailed programme of seminars and workshops, beauty demonstrations and stalls selling everything you will need to feel fantastic"

It takes place on Saturday 15 August at Highgate Newton Community Centre. Tickets are only £5 so see the website for more information:

http://www.yourebeautifulwoman.com

Be Blogging Soon...

WQST Radio Presents Melanie Fiona Meets The Illadeplphonics

Questlove & Melanie Fiona

What do you get when you mix one of the greatest drummers and musically educated minds with one of the best and sexiest modern voices of my time???....A mixtape. Im looking forward to hearing what these two have to offer on "The Bridge". I just downloaded it via Melanie Fiona's twitter. Im expecting good results after seeing this video. Click on the link below to download the mixtape.

DOWNLOAD HERE

"A painter paints a picture on a canvas but a musician paints their picture on silence"

"I Just Wanna Be, I Just Wanna Be Successful"

Thought I had an idea of what my house would look like until I saw this. Just when humility had taken over Im now back in the black hole of cliched ideologies. Success is a defying definition.

Ok let me paint the picture....

16,400 square feet, Eight bedrooms suites, Nine bathrooms, Six reception rooms, A cinema, Beauty salon. Gym with pool, Elevator service and underground parking.

... Cue this amazing London home designed by Anil and Marisa Varma.

I've seen a few mansions in London but nothing quite like this, give me a couple years.

"The home is the bottom line of life, the anvil upon which attitudes and convictions are hammered. It is the single most influential force in our earthly existence. No price tag can adequately reflect uts value. No gauge can measure its unltimate influence for good or ill. It is at home, among family members that we come to terms with circumstances. It is here life makes up its mind."

Quote Of The Month

"Don't bother to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself" - William Faulkner