- No definitive voice
- too much assembly line production.

While Anthony Hamilton is a great singer, he’s a soul singer for the most part.
There’s no Whitney, Anita Baker, Aaron Hal for the masses. Everyone is rehashing Thriller or biting D’angelo/ r Kelly to be creative.
Artist I’m checking for are
Alicia Keys
Keyshia Cole
Tank
Van Hunt
Rahsaan Patterson
Ledisi
Dwele

I’ll drop another reply in a sec maybe. Some of the names mentioned are “honorable mentions” @ best.

Neo soul been dead. The names who made it relevant fell off ages ago. D’Angelo, L Boogie, Erykah, etc.

Don’t forget about Eric Roberson, Robin Thicke..

Where is Jon B?!?

Those fuckers were soooo damn corny & over the top & embarrassing compared to what R&B was before them & STILL compared to what’s came after — right now.

I’d understand reminiscing about the “Neo Soul” period because that left us with some pure blooded classics (Miseducation & Voodoo), even though it got a lil extra boho at times, perhaps indulged themselves too much to keep the appeal going, & the name sucked… But altogether I’d say that looking back & fully re-appreciating the best of that period would do your musical tastes & babymaking skills some good.

& I also understand the “ironic throwback” appeal of jamming to some over-the-top groaning Keith Sweat & Jodeci sometimes. Blurting drunkenly to “Body rocking knocking the boots yeaaaahhhh!!”

but you definitely can’t SERIOUSLY really try to reminisce & miss the days of that over-the-top, over-sung, over-sexed greasy oiled up shirt off 90′s shit. — I’d easily say that era is unequivocaly the DIRGE & lowest point in the time-line of R&B.

and besides that, I mean, it’s basically still here if you want to listen to wack ass Tank or Tyrese/Omarion/Pretty Ricky/whatever the fuck if that’s what you wanna do…
Or Ursh/Beyonce and John Legend/Alicia Keys still provide if you want that soft Wooowoowoo foreplayish shit

but Meanwhile ANTHONY HAMILTON is probably the best voice & making the best “CLASSIC” type soul in years. Better than a great deal of 70′s classic shit. & Just barely still sliding under the radar is The Dap Kings re-birthing the whole Funk Soul tradition alongside Sharon Jones, and that UK crackhead Beehive wearing Winehouse girl, Quantic Soul Orchestra, Nicole Willis, & a gang of other artists really getting it popping under the radar that might blow up full blown in the next years…

& then there’s the whole Sa-Ra/J*Davey/PPP/Bilal/Polow/Ryan Leslie futuristic space soul sound being built…

MATTER OF FACT, TRUTH BE TOLD T-Pain & R.Kelly going back & forth one-upping eachother is probably the most exciting artistic competition I’ve seen in years. Though it’s half-joke & low brow — They’re still by far the only ones that’re visibly competing, inspiring eachother & having fun actually enjoying themselves making this music. Throw The-Dream in that ring and that’s the funniest most creative Triumvirate that we’ve seen in years. Lord knows it’s not high art & doesn’t try to fit the “classic” mold, but it’s still significant, the most exuberant exciting fresh music in the Mainstream

& pardon me but ‘Bed’ does fit the “Classic” mold. Babies will still be being made off that track for years to come… I Need a extended 12 minute version for that track.

long story short:
R&B is quite thoroughly kicking Rap’s ass at the moment, doggie. Nobody in rap is having fun except the little kids. The grownups are all uninspired & just tryngta keep the checks coming. Even with Kanye/OutKast being creative it’s still not like there’s a MOVEMENT worth joining or being excited about. Just kids with “regional scenes” that rapidly get over-exposed & boiled down to just dance moves, & a bunch of bitter grownups with complicated business ventures.