July 2006 Archives

Approx. First Week Sales
NOW 22 - 54,726
LeToya - 29,218
Pharrell - 15,592
23.92% of sales tallied

Since many followers of R&B news are curious about the first week sales of LeToya Luckett's self titled solo debut, I will be updating her sales numbers throughout the day at the top of this and tomorrow's blog as they become available. The website I use to report the sales numbers and chart position begins updating around 12pm EST. Check back then!

(Janet's Official New Album Cover)

There is still a great debate over whether or not Kelis' new single "Bossy" is ahead of its time, as are most things with Kelis or if people are slowly just getting use to it. In my opinion, "Bossy" is one of the hottest tracks I've heard in a while and yes, Kelis is that chick! But is it enough to carry her new album, Kelis Was Here.

Can someone answer a couple questions for me... Is Hype Williams, director of Janet Jackson's new video even worth the bullet? Is he even worth the time it takes to load the gun? By the looks of "Call On Me", I say hell to fuckin' nah!

Watch the video on AOL First View!

Have you noticed that the relationship between hip hop and R&B went from the subtle flirtings of Jody Watley's "Friends" featuring Eric B. & Rakim in 1989 (considered hip hop and R&B's first date) to R&B artists like Tyrese creating full length albums featuring himself as a rapper (an all out bukakke).

The artistic line between the two genres has been crossed, moved and will soon be erased. On one hand, blending together the best of what each genre has to offer can create masterpieces such as Lauryn Hill's Miseducation, however for every masterpiece there have been countless calamities.

While you were wondering if the internet rumors of Kelly Rowland's pregnancy are true or not, we were remembering that Letoya Luckett's self-titled debut CD hits stores today. I would direct you to episode #2 of her reality show H-Town Chick but it seems her site temporarily crashed. Let's hope it's an influx of eager beaver fans and not sabotageee!

Speaking of reality shows, "Making The Band 3" is my favorite reality show yet I hate that damn show. I hate it because it's taking too long to make a band that probably won't last as a band anyway. Besides black people, urban acts black people don't fair so well on reality television anyway.

A lot of SOHH Soulful readers, whom I think represent a good cross section of the music bootlegging buying public have been inquiring about men in R&B. No, not so much as to where they are or what they are doing but more specifically -- WHERE IS THE MAN CANDY!?!

In the latest effort to promote her highly anticipated 9th studio album, 20 Years Old, Janet Jackson is giving her fans the opportunity to design her new album cover. Four contest winners will get the opportunity to see their designs grace the cover on September 26th, the album's release date.

Janet and her team have provided over 33 images that can be "remixed" by contestants and used in their final designs. Click here for details and specific rules.

Ok, now that I've regurgatated all of the prescribed message. Have a look-see at one of the design SOHH Soulful & NovaSlim came up with.

"Ya'll wanna floss with us..." ~ J.D. "Money Ain't A Thing"

These days you cannot turn on the radio without hearing three or four songs in succession that were produced by Jermaine Dupri. The man owns the airwaves these days. It's similar to the way Puffy, Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Diddy, Doodie Sean Combs owned the airwaves from like 1995-1998 with the numerous Bad Boy hits.

In the last few months J.D. has up'd his game. Despite Kanye's gold diggin', Timbaland being promiscuous and Pharrell doing whatever it is he does, Jermaine Dupri has delivered consistent hit after hit for some of music's most notable performers and his biggest project has yet to take center stage.

Thankfully this time around the Neptunes are somehow contractually unable to work with Justin Timberlake. Despite all the hype around his debut solo release Justified and Pharrell's contribution, the Timbaland-produced "Cry Me A River" is the album's crown jewel.

Pharrell Williams, producer, rapper turnt sanga, rocker, skateboarder, designer for Louis Vuitton and all around ego fuckin' maniac is being spread pretty thin these days. Everyone knows Pharrell is a good producer. Although I am sure he would say that he was greatest. He's created hits for Jay-Z, Mariah Carey, Gwen Stefani, his own group N.E.R.D. and like everyone else who seems to get some shine on behind the scenes he is ready for full frontal nudity, so to speak.

By now you’re probably worn out from all the dance ‘music’ that has come out of Atlanta. But I wonder, do the ladies of Cherish provide an exception? The four sisters connected with Jazze Pha and the boys over at Sho Nuff and managed to score a hit with “Do It.” Now, Jazze could have easily passed that song to Ciara and it still would have been successful. Based on what seems to be the trend in musicâ€"“Do It” is a good song.

Are alter egos on sale these days? I put up with R. Kelly's 2nd Kelly on his double cd R. Mary J. Blige's alter ego Brook Lynn was actually well placed as a feature on "Enough Cryin" and Busta Rhymes' "Touch It" Remix from his recent not-so Big Bang. But I am not sure I am ready to stomach a full cd from Tyrese's RAPPING alter ego Black Ty.

SOHH Letoya Luckett has been riding the No. 1 spot on "106 & Park" for the last 23 days with her debut single "Torn" which has been on the countdown for a total of 47 days. That's pretty impressive for a girl who held the No. 3 position in the now defunct (yea right) group Destiny's Child.

Ever since we began this blog, I have been championing or at least spotlighting the accomplishments of male R&B stars. Females in the game have it so much easier because their level of creativity is never really stunted as a result of prescribed gender roles, where as with men, their level of creativity is always somehow kept in check by "cool pose" so to speak or they won't sell.

(would his crack binge look sell millions and garner Grammy's?)

A lot of talk, especially in urban music, has been centered around the decline in quality of hip -and R&B over the past few years. There are many different factors that contribute to this so called decline, but the one I want to talk about today is sexuality. Can a person's sexuality, their sex appeal or their sexcapades affect whether or not you buy a CD?

What ever happened to good magazine editing? That's the question I've been asking since Emil Wilbekin left the editor's chair at Vibe Magazine back in 2003. I'll leave the stone cold bashing to our blogging cohorts over at bittervibes, but I will say that if it weren't for two major urban culture magazines being masterminded from the same household I'd be exstatic about Danyel Smith's return to the helm.

I was strolling down forty duece yesterday and saw the new "Sexy Issue" of Vibe. Back when I first reported that Keyshia Cole would replace Christina Milian on the August 2006 issue I was a little disheartened, but after seeing the finished product I was more than disheartened... I was down right disappointed.

I was dreaming when I wrote this, forgive me if it goes astray. ~ Prince, "1999"

Hate it or love it, I am sure by now everyone can agree that yes Janet Jackson is indeed a music icon. I am also sure that many will attest that at the very least, Beyonce (DING!) is building a sound resume of hefty accomplishments that will certainly catapult her to icon status one day. The comparisons between the two are often exaggerated and misconstrued and ultimately these two ladies only compete in two categories in which Janet has already once ruled -- queen of the pop charts and the world's greatest music sex symbol.

Let's not get it twisted. This is a competition. SOHH, let's kick off our official Janet vs. Beyonce: Showdown!

Say what you will about her mediocre vocal performances or her high school talent show-type dance performances or her sideburns -- many of today's newcomers can learn a lot from Ashanti.

While you were congratulating India.Arie for hitting the No. 1 position on Billboard with her latest cd Testimony Vol. 1, Life & Relationships, we've been sitting here pondering whether Johnta Austin can pen hit songs for himself and compiling our SOHH Soulful Top 5 Songs of the Moment!

What do you say to a woman who has multi-million dollar cosmetic contracts, parades around the stage in short skirts, gives lap dances on major music award shows, invented a word -- "bootylicious," that focuses attention on her plumb backside yet insists she wants to be recognized for her talent and not her looks?

I say, "Beyonce (DING!) sit the fuck down and stop being a walking contradiction... with your fine ass!"

If you are looking for new music to put on blast at tomorrow's Fourth of July celebrations here are a few new joints to consider...