Скачать или смотреть Donell Jones gives his verdict on what happened to mainstream R&B

For decades, the Billboard Hot 100 and Top 40 charts have been populated with rhythm and blues, an American musical genre first developed by Black artists in the mid-twentieth century

Smooth R&B: In recent decades, R&B music pushed away from guitars and toward a smooth sound geared toward dance clubs and urban radio. R&B vocalists like Toni Braxton, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Boyz II Men, TLC, Usher and Lauryn Hill racked up hits and Grammys by emphasizing melismatic, soulful singing and catchy melodies.

Beyoncé, Drake, and Mary J. Blige have pushed the rhythmic boundaries of R&B by collaborating with rappers and electronic producers.

Incorporation of hip hop: In recent years, the line between hip hop and R&B has blurred. Bryson Tiller's debut album Trapsoul and Drake's debut Thank Me Later feature equal parts singing and rapping. The trend dates back to the 1980s, when producers Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle introduced the "new jack swing" style of production.

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