A Rhyme: "Next To Me" - Emeli Sandé

With a voice that sounds like a cross between Beyonce and Leona Lewis and a sound soulful and reminiscent of the orchestral elements of the Motown era, Emeli Sandé brings a classic sound to a genre that's populated by the latest innovations, with "Next To Me". Her refreshing vocals on the chorus soar into a smooth falsetto. Sandé has the kind of vocals that sooth the listener and still makes the song comfortable enough for you to get into the groove.

Like, Leona Lewis, Sandé hails from the U.K. and has the chops to go up against her and many other contemporaries. She currently has the U.K.'s biggest selling debut album of 2012 called Our Version of Events with good reason. The album is currently out stateside.



Source: EmeliSandeVEVO

A Rhyme: "Put It Down" - Brandy feat. Chris Brown

Brandy released the lead single from her new album "Two Eleven", due in May. The employs techniques used on R&B and Hip-Hop songs as of late--auto tune, rapid repetition, and other vocal manipulation techniques like stuttering and deepening of the voice. Chris Brown provides a rap in the bridge, different from how most would expect to hear him on a record.

The song isn't necessarily a club song but it can generate a nice dance video if need be. Chris could definitely have a routine in the video and it wouldn't be out of place. "Put It Down" doesn't sound much like what is on the radio as far as the instrumental is concerned but the repetition should make it good radio fare.

A Riff: How Hip-Hop Wasn't My Thing

When I was younger, I never used to listen to Hip-Hop/Rap. You could say that I never grew up, but while most of my peers had moved on past the era of 2000s bubblegum pop, I stayed with it and continued listening to the genre and found myself listening to, and liking my local hits and top-40 radio stations. During this time period I even found myself moving into country music and liking it as well. I didn't think this was a bad thing until my peers started talking about artists I knew nothing about. Lil' Fizz--who is that? Hip-Hop and R&B were out of my realm. The only time I was exposed to R&B was in the car when my mom had it on those stations (that was when R&B was good. I still prefer '90s R&B over today's any day.)

Lil' Fizz, member of the boy band B2K, that split in 2004

When I would ask "Who is that?" I would get a flurry of "You don't know who____is?!" It made me feel embarrassed. Then when the conversation came to "Who is your favorite singer?" or "What kind of music do you listen to?" my answers would be criticized. Don't let me bring up the fact that i listened to country music, because as many people know, apparently country music is a forsaken genre. It just doesn't have the mass appeal that other genres do. But I did bring it up and that pretty much stopped the conversation. Unless there was a "Why do you like it? I can't relate to it." It's not about relating to it, I don't related to agriculture being my way of living either, nor do I relate to drug dealing and lusting after women. And since that had such a terrible reaction, I dare not tell them who my favorite singer is. (See my twitter and you will quickly find out who it is.)

A certain...Fatale

Recently, however I have liked Hip-Hop and R&B mostly due to me just being exposed to it more. Undoubtedly the best artist out right now is Eminem. simply because he is so refreshingly honest and raw at the same time, plus, there are not antics. Em just is. And now I like the Hip-Hop genre and R&B too. There is room for Pop and Hip-Hop both in my repertoire.

Image Credit: Randee St. Nicholas, bestylistik.com

A Rhyme: "Red" - Daniel Merriweather

Released on Colombia records, "Red" is actually Daniel Merriweather's second single from his sophomore album, Love & War. The song debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number 5, Merriweather's second top 10 single. The singer says "Red is a song "about the blindness of war and the absence of compassion displayed by western administrations."

Currently featured as a Vh1 "You Oughta Know" artist, his song has been playing quite often on Jump Start in the morning. It was there that I first heard the song and liked it ever since. I'd describe Daniel Merriweather as a male version of British songstress Adele. If you like her song, "Chasing Pavements" you'll probably like this song too. Check it out below!

Source: Wikipedia

A Rhyme: "Confessions" - Usher

"Confessions" or "Confessions Part II" is the fourth single released by R&B crooner Usher on his 2004 album of the same name. It is a continuation of the interlude, "Confessions Part I" which tells of a mans infidelity. Part II goes on to convey a man confessing his infidelity to his beau about getting his mistress pregnant. Of course, the song stirred rumors that Usher himself had impregnated a woman while cheating on a girlfriend, but Usher maintained that it had never happened to him. Instead, one of the co-writers of the song, producer Jermaine Dupri admitted that the ideas behind the songs on the album are his. Still, rumors persisted that Usher had cheated on a girlfriend and knocked up a lover.

The issue of pregnancy, specifically unplanned ones, still looms. Especially among teens. The teen pregnancy rate has been increasing in recent years. Perhaps the most shocking aspect of this trend is that some teens actually want to get pregnant--as young as age 13! Some defend teens, saying they feel a need to be loved or they feel a void that needs to be filled. But teen pregnancy is inexcusable and is the fault of both, irresponsible partners. It is a serious undertaking to raise a child and it should, not be taken lightly.

Picture Source: wikipedia, blogs.blackvoices.com