R&B Artists in the Early 2000s

This blog will consist of R&B artists from the early 2000s and its impact as well as the influence it had on American culture. In the early 2000s R&B music solely talked about people being in relationships and portrayed what an intimate relationship should look like. If someone were to ask, what is R&B? The answer would be that R&B stands for Rhythm and Blues; it is a genre of music that originated in the early 1940s. Record companies who marketed toward African Americans living in urban areas generated the term. Its distinct sound is a combination of jazz, gospel, and soul music. We can see the various differences in how artists from the early 2000s delivered the same message, but created it differently.

Artists play a huge role in influencing who listens to their songs. Destiny’s Child, Joe, and R. Kelly were prominent artists of the early 2000’s. Destiny’s Child, an all female group, aimed their songs at women being independent. For example, their hit song “Bills, Bills, Bills”, talked about women carefully choosing a male partner that is able to take care of themselves and the woman.

Another artist mentioned was R. Kelly; his songs were mainly expressive about his physical intimacy with women. His audience was women who were captivated by his smooth and charismatic lyrics. His lyrics took women’s focus off of what they ultimately wanted from a man. On the other hand, the artist Joe’s songs’ portray a different approach on how a woman should be treated. He sings about how he yearns to love women for their internal characteristics opposed to their physical features.

These artists were prevalent in society and their music was broadcasted so much in media that individuals began to unconsciously meditate on those lyrics and eventually applied it to their lives. They used those lyrics as a framework on what their life styles should or should not look. Their lyrics gave people new preconceptions on relationships, and how an intimate partner should be perceived. Thus explaining their influence of promiscuity and independence on the American culture.

– Mercedes Hanks