The R and the B

Long ago I (occasionally) listened to rap music. I wasn't a huge fan, and most I found to be intolerable, however I remember the rise of rappers like Grand Master Flash and Melle Mel who released White Lines (1983) when I was thirteen and my older brother was into it so I was exposed also - my tastes leaned in other areas of music mostly though.

I began to explore my musical tastes from a very young age, influenced by my parents, and discovered more and more music I liked better as I got older. I still listened to groups like NWA who produced such tracs as, Fuck the Police and A Hundred Miles and Runnin', however I drifted away from rap preferring R&B as a genre instead, along with the other musical preferences,

At the time a lot of R&B music had taken elements of rap and hip hop and combined them with other genres like blues and jazz and it delivered a fairly unique sound such as that found in the Blackstreet track below which, interestingly, features Dr Dre of NWA. It appealed to me, was smooth, and as I was growing up emotionally was more inline with who I was becoming but, even then, R&B only formed about twenty percent of what I listened to.

Below are three tracks I enjoyed when released.

I'll roll out NWA and a few other straight-up rap artists now and then but it's rare and never includes any of the newer stuff which I find to be heinous, along with most R&B as well. I listen to so many different types of music and tracks it would discombobulate anyone taking a peek into my Spotify playlists and I dig it, life is too short not to push boundaries and colour between the lines right?

How has your musical likes and dislikes changed? Have you drifted away from or towards different music as your life has unfolded? Have you rediscovered something you loved years ago? Do you ever look back and think, I can't believe I liked that? What about R&B...some people totally hate it, how about you? If you have comments or thoughts leave them below, I always reply.