Scoop Entertainment Roundtable
Hip-Hop & R&B: When Worlds Collide
The realms of both Hip-Hop and R&B have existed in their respective worlds for decades and established an assortment of artists and songs that will never be forgotten by fans of both genres. The idea of these separate entities united to create an incorporated front would at one point been a pipedream that only collective minds deep within the industry could have conjured up. In spite of their fundamental differences, the infusion of these two musical powerhouses was inevitable and within this union has given the fans a newfound appreciation for music that independently could not weld the power or influence alone. In being the entertainment source here in Indianapolis, we reached out and connected to four individuals who are knowledgeable in their relevant crafts to devise a forum in an attempt to speak on this phenomenon and the direction of this merger and all of its benefits. Our panel consists of Taz “Stuntman” Fox, CEO and artist of Stuntman Entertainment, and a prominent producer, writer and DJ named Rumble. DJ Redbone Alex, the most renowned female DJ in the city, and T. Harris who is an artist and CEO of Kushbang Entertainment, rounds out our team that will break down the unification of Hip-Hop and R&B and how it has influenced their works.
Jerry: Briefly discuss how you were influenced to get into music, whether it being Hip-Hop or R&B?
DJ Redbone Alex: The first experience for me was going to the Junction, where I was really into freestyle dance and I met DJ Top Speed. He eventually would become my mentor and was a huge influence to me becoming a DJ. Watching what he did behind the ones and twos blew me away!
Taz: For me it was taking some of my uncle’s rap tapes and hearing DJ Quik’s Just Like Compton for the first time. Combined with a background of growing up hearing a variety of music, I knew that this was something that I could be successful in.
T. Harris: There were a lot of neighborhood influences that drove me to want to become an artist. I had one of those old karaoke machines and we would be in the basement of the house rhyming over the last instrumental parts of popular songs. The better I got at doing that amongst my friends and family, the more I wanted to be a part of music.
Rumble: I remember getting a dual cassette player with the record player built on top of it for a Christmas present. The next year, I got a Casio Sample Keyboard. The first Beastie Boys album was another influential part of the reason why I wanted to become an artist.
Q: The combination of Hip-Hop and R&B has initially proven to be a successful venture. In the long run however, do you feel that this will hurt one genre or the other or, will both still co-exist?
Rumble: You’d have to believe that at one point in time, you were not going to hear Luther Vandross doing a song with MC Eiht but, in this new age it seems to be working for both sides. Initially there were not enough resources or willing individuals to do so but now, it’s taking over all forms of music.
DJ Redbone Alex: I agree, in fact I’ve heard more from Charlie Wilson than I had in almost a year! This move is helping both sides and eventually, there will be no genre classification for the music itself.
Taz: Yeah, but I feel that it will be most beneficial to the R&B artist. DJ Redbone brought up a great example with Charlie Wilson. I mean, it’s like his career has been revamped due to hooking up with artists such as Snoop Dogg and Kanye West and here he is a member of the Gap Band.
T. Harris: When it comes to music, if you are not evolving or changing at some point then you will become stale. You can’t deny that rappers collaborating with R&B artists isn’t going to change the game, I mean look at Miley Cyrus. She is all over the place now!
Q: So seeing that we are on the topic of collaborations, what do you feel is the best Hip-Hop/R&B collaboration?
Taz: I think the best collab I heard that really helped the careers of both artists involved was Shawty by T-Pain featuring Plies. You had the hard-core, thug persona of Plies and T-Pain being the “rapper turnt singer” and the timing could not have been better.
DJ Redbone Alex: I would have to say the song 23 with Miley Cyrus and Juicy J. The song just works and it’s all in the club and over the radio.
Rumble: The best Hip-Hop/R&B collab I’ve heard has to be Chop Me Up with Justin Timberlake featuring Timbaland and 3:6 Mafia.
T. Harris: I’m going to say the song with Jon B. and 2Pac Are You Still Down (room erupts in wows!). That was the first time I had heard a song like that and it just stuck with me.
Q: In regards to Hip-Hop, who do you feel is the most overrated/underrated artist in the game?
DJ Redbone Alex: I feel that Lil Wayne is the most overrated right now. Don’t get me wrong, his work with the Hot Boys was dope but, after awhile he just went down to me. Then he began using the AutoTune in his music and the whole rock album he put out just did it for me. Underrated artist I would say is Bun B. I feel his whole career he was in the shadow of Pimp C and once he passed, he began to come into his own while still carrying the flag of UGK.
Taz: I would have to say that Jay-Z is the most overrated right now. The only album he put out that was quality was Reasonable Doubt. I believe it’s his status that keeps him above everyone else but, musically his other albums never matched up to the first one. Andre 3000 is hands-down the most underrated artist in Hip-Hop. When Outkast went their separate ways and they both produced their own albums, a lot of folks thought Big Boi’s album was better but, The Love Below was a superb album in terms of production and lyricism.
T. Harris: Kendrick Lamar is overrated! He’s got a great buzz right now but, a few good singles doesn’t warrant you the kind of attention that he is getting right now. Underrated artist right now I would have to say Drake. His wordplay and lyrics is unmatched by anyone I have heard recently.
Rumble: I would have to disagree with you on that and say that I feel Drake is highly overrated. Look how long it took for Drake to not only get on Saturday Night Live to perform but to actually be able to host the show? His music is not gearing him towards a career that will be focused on longevity but more to get him in the door for other venues such as acting. Underrated artists I would say 3-6 Mafia before they disbanded. DJ Paul and Juicy J always came with such hard production and beats and Juicy J was an artist that was lyrical and would engage the listener to always remember what he said on a track. There has never been an equal balance of being a producer and a rapper and I feel that they had both.
Q: When Ice Cube released his latest LP, he made the comment that he was focusing on “brain food, not booty food”, meaning he wanted to speak on more conscious issues rather than something just to make you dance. How do you feel about this statement and just how relevant is it for an artist to either be more conscious or just making music that gets your body moving?
Taz: Being an artist myself, my stance on it is that you have to first be business-mined in terms of what you are putting out and the audience that you are attempting to reach. A balance of both brain food and booty food can be successful. I have done songs that have fallen under both of these categories and the end result has always been effective in both realms.
Rumble: Agreed. You can be a conscious artist but adjusting to the market is key to gaining both sales and credibility.
DJ Redbone Alex: I am going with booty food! (laughs) Being a DJ and playing certain songs in the club normally generates a mixed response in terms of what is pumping through the speakers. If I am playing a song that is more conscious then, women aren’t going to dance and people will not be happy. But if I throw on that club song that is making the women dance, then everyone is happy and could care less about what is really being said.
T. Harris: There is a time and a place for both types of music. Redbone has a point on the booty music in the club setting but, not everyone is going to go for that all the time.
Q: With R&B being around for as long as we can remember and Hip-Hop going forty years strong, where do you see this combination going in the next twenty years?
DJ Redbone Alex: I see it eventually becoming one genre altogether. You will still have Hip-Hop artists that will produce on their own and the same for R&B artists. The more music that gets produced when they are combined will prove it to be a force that will probably have to be renamed at some point.
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