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2009 R&B Preview

Plenty of albums that were pushed back in 2008 are now scheduled to drop in '09, including the latest from R. Kelly, Erykah Badu, Pretty Ricky and Ciara. Also among those set to release new music is Prince, who has three projects in the works.

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New in 2009

Mark's R & B Blog

Best Social & Political R&B Songs

Friday January 16, 2009

Fight the Power!This coming Monday in the United States (Jan. 19, 2009) is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a national holiday celebrating the life of one of the greatest civil rights leaders in history. And although few people make the connection today, MLK had a strong influence on the course of R&B history. Civil rights protests and rallies staged by Dr. King and other African-American leaders during the 1960s had a very strong influence on many R&B and Soul artists of that era. And many of those artists made songs in the 1960s and '70s commenting on various social and political issues of the day. So in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., your Guide to R&B presents his list of the Best Social & Political Songs by R&B and Soul artists, featuring John Legend, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye and others.

R&B Artists to Perform at Obama's Neighborhood Inaugural Ball

Thursday January 15, 2009
Barack ObamaThe stars came out big-time to support Barack Obama in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, and they're doing the same for his inaguration. Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys and Stevie Wonder are among the R&B artists who'll perform at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball, which will air on ABC Tues., Jan. 20. Additional performers are expected to be announced as they're confirmed. Among the other, non-R&B artists set to perform are Jay-Z, Shakira and Faith Hill. The show's scheduled to air from 8 pm to 10 pm ET/PT on Inaguration Day, but if you plan to watch it you might want to check your local listings to make sure.

Free Download: Alice Russell's "Got the Hunger?"

Wednesday January 14, 2009
Alice Russell - Pot of GoldI haven't mentioned her much on this site, but Alice Russell is one of the members of a newer wave of British Soul/R&B artists who grew up listening to - and were very influenced by - '60s and '70s Motown artists, as well as R&B divas like Chaka Khan. Alice's latest album, Pot of Gold, dropped in the U.S. back in December '08, but hardly got any notice here, which in my humble opinion is a shame, since she's got virtually the same amount of talent as similar, but more successful British female soul singers like Adele and Duffy. Her label, Six Degrees Records, is offering a song from the album, "Got the Hunger?," as a free promotional download, so if you like vintage-sounding soul, you can grab the song or stream it by clicking the link below.

Image © Six Degrees Records.

Album Review: Syleena Johnson - Chapter 4: Labor Pains

Tuesday January 13, 2009
Syleena Johnson - Chapter 4 Labor PainsThere's plenty of strong, soulful female vocalists in the contemporary music world who never get the full acclaim and accolades due them, and Chicago native Syleena Johnson is definitely one of them. Throughout her career she's flirted with mainstream success, but to date, her biggest claim to fame is singing the hook on Kanye West's hit "All Fall Down" in 2004. But despite not being a household name globally, Syleena hasn't given up; in fact, it's quite the opposite. She keeps on doing her thing on her own terms, as evidenced by her latest album, Chapter 4: Labor Pains, released in the U.S. stores on Jan. 13, 2009.

Image © Aneelys Entertainment.

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