JD Speaks On State of R&B

JD might not be in the music scene as he once was, but the man is forever a legend. He worked and built Usher's career from the ground up. He was fully behind Mariah Carey for her The Emancipation of Mimi album, and several other of her albums. R&B is not where it is used to be, and R&B artists are now choosing to mix some techno and pop into their music to stay relevant. In a recent interview, JD spoke on this issue, and what he feels is the problem-





 I feel like one thing that people don’t understand about music is that the fans don’t change. Fans ears don’t change, it’s the artists that change. If you study music and watch over the years as a big artist comes out with a great album and then they come out with another album that’s not as good as that last album. The reason they fail is not because of the fans, it’s because they didn’t pay attention to what the fans actually love about them. Artists believe they are supposed to change their sound every time they come out with a record as opposed to sticking to what is already working. I tell people everyday “All of these black artists, they keep making these dance records. Their careers are completely left of what it was when they were making straight r&b music.” They might be doing more shows and they might be doing festivals and other things, but as far as the love for their music and the way you felt it before, it’s completely opposite. I don’t think people completely understand that. The fans never change. That’s why all of these older groups can go on the road and do shows and people continue to keep coming to see them. If you take Frankie Beverly and Maze for example, they’ve been on tour probably as long as I’ve been alive. They’ve been performing the same records. They haven’t put out any new music. It’s basically because the fans don’t change, the fans want to hear it. People believe that the fans change but the fans don’t change, the artists change. (global14.com)







He also spoke on working with Mariah Carey on her yet to be titled 12th album-
 We have a crazy relationship. We have a very interesting working relationship. As Hip Hop as I am, she wants to be double Hip Hop. When we go in the studio, it’s like I turn into the R&B person and she turns into the rapper. It’s a real weird situation. She wants to do everything that all the rappers are doing like everything that’s happening in the club. I’m more like “Yo, can we make this singing song like a beautiful ballad please?” I’m tuned into what I believe the fans want when I work with Mariah. I believe Mariah has been making music for so long that, like I said, as an artist she wants to change her sound and do this and do things differently than what she’s done. As an artist that’s had a long career like hers, you have to respect that. At the same time though, I’m the person that is always there to be like “Listen, the fans want this.” We go round and round, but it’s a really creative process because we find a happy medium. (global14.com)




It's very true, Mariah is a big Hip Hop enthusiast. If you have followed her career, you would notice she likes to add elements of Hip Hop into her songs...from rapping/sing-songing with Bonethugz-N-Harmony, to featuring Ol Dirty Bastard, The LOX, Nas, Jay-Z, Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, Meek Mill and other rappers on her various songs.





JD continues about Mariah's upcoming album-
It’s been the same process. I don’t know what is coming and what ain’t from what we’ve done, but I do know I did do a song with Mariah almost a year ago that y’all haven’t heard yet. I know if it gets on the radio, it’s going to blow up and go crazy. I can tell you that. I don’t know what she’s going to do with the song, but I tell her every day that the song is crazy. (global14.com)