Why aren’t Kelis, Deborah Cox, and Fefe Dobson more popular is racism and sexism to blame ?

I watched Entertainment Tonight Canada a few weeks ago, and saw Fefe Dobson on the show. I am so excited! Fefe  is recording a new album!  I sure hope Fefe is getting a new record deal even if its just for the Canadian market? Anyone paying attention, to Rihanna’s new “rocker” girl look will notice she looks very similar to Canadian rock goddess Fefe Dobson. Just remember Fefe and Rihanna are both on the Island/Def Jam label in the United States.

Dobson released her first album a few years back reaching platinum in Canada selling over 100,000 copies and over 300,000 copies in the USA. Dobson’s USA label Ded Jam dropped her because they didn’t know how to “market” Fefe. Fefe Dobson is not “R&B”, she’s a rock/pop singer. Unfortunately, in the USA the record business in America is so racially stratified. In the USA, if you’re black, you have to be hip/hop or R&B and that’s it.

American TV, radio, music magazines, music video channels all segregate black entertainers into the hip hop/R&B category. The only black entertainers that have managed to have mainstream success, are seasoned veteran artists Ben Harper, Lenny Kravitz, and Tracy Chapman.

In the 1980s and 1990s black entertainers that had a signature R&B sound were able to crossover to mainstream radio and television formats. However, its still a very small select group of black singers that have managed to obtain “commercial” mainstream appeal yet also maintain the black audience. Prince, Michael and Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Beyonce, Usher, were able to appeal beyond an R&B sound but most black singers these days haven’t been granted that opportunity.

If you are paying attention,  a new wave of white singers such as Justin Timberlake, Robin Thicke, Nelly Furtado, Fergie, Gwen Stefani can crossover the hip hop, R&B, and pop formats. The advantage for the current white “hip hop” singers is their music is reaching a larger audience both black and white. Black radio will play Justin Timberlake but not Meshell N’Degeocello. BET will play a Nelly Furtado video but not Tracy Chapman.

The white hip hop singers suddenly have both street cred and market appeal. For some reason black audiences think it is “cool” when a white singer sings R&B when really it comes down to just marketing. A record company will tell Nelly Furtado to sing “R&B” because her last album “Folklore” was a flop. Furtado’s last studio album was a more pop/folk record and the sales were lower than the record company expected. Suddenly, Furtado returns with the hit album “Loose”.

Perhaps Furtado likes “R&B” music, but music fans shouldn’t be so ignorant to not realize it also was a marketing strategy. Yet for the opposite reason black music lovers don’t embrace black singers that break the stereotypical R&B sound such as Kelis, or Fefe Dobson.

White North American radio isn’t playing Deborah Cox, Kelis, or Dobson on pop radio even though their music has elements of pop. For black artists that go against the conventional thinking they are often left out of gaining radio airtime in the black and white media.

White hip hop singers such as Robin Thicke, Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, Fergie, and Gwen Stefani have all changed their sound to a more “black” sound and they are reaping the awards. All the current white R&B singers record sales have sky rocketed and they also have “industry cred” suddenly.

Why is that? I think its a mixture of marketing that these white singers suddenly have an R&B sound its just business. The music industry have praised these white entertainers for “taking risks” yet not black singers.

Where are Meshell N’Degeocello’s Grammy awards and platinum record sales? N’Degeocello she is the first artist to start the whole neo soul movement in the early 1990s. Meshell moved on to funk, pop, rock, and even some soul. However, Meshell has been ignored by the black and white media.

There is news that Madonna once again is trying to incorporate a more “hip hop/R&B” sound. Does anyone remember Madonna’s 1994 album “Bedtime Stories”? Over a decade ago Madonna’s career was going downhill she called up Babyface and Dallas Austin these two black producers saved Madonna’s career.

“Take A Bow” is still Madonna’s biggest hit ever and “Secret” was also a hit. Madonna was shrewd enough to bite off the whole hip hop R&B sound and she was rewarded with huge record sales. Now since Madonna’s last album did not sell well in the USA she’s once again going to go “urban” in hopes of selling tons of records.

I am not suggesting that white entertainers don’t have a right to work with the producers they want to because they do. The music industry is a business and the job of the singer is to sell records. However, why are white entertainers allowed to have more leverage and cross musical genres? Why are white singers “celebrated” when they cross genres yet black entertainers are not only scorned?

There is a new black singer Rissi Palmer she has a hit song called “Country Girl” and she’s trying to crossover into the country music scene. The problem for Palmer is she is alone very few blacks have had success in country music. Charlie Pride and Ray Charles are the only blacks to have had major success in that genre.

Country music is a very conservative, white, Christian, homophobic, genre of music. I sure hope Rissi Palmer doesn’t end up as just a “novelty” act. I have listened to Palmer’s song “Country Girl” and I am impressed she definitely has the talent to do well the question is will the public embrace her? I like it when I see black entertainers that attempt to break the “chains” of what society thinks black music is. Black music isn’t just being a soul singer or a rapper. A black singer should be allowed to sing any genre he or she wants to sing. If you pay attention to country music it has elements of blues, and soul in it. “Country Music” definitely originated from black culture.

Why is Justin Timberlake considered pop when he sounds just like Usher? What is the real difference between Justin and Usher other than race? What is the difference between Beyonce and Nelly Furtado? So why are Usher and Beyonce classified as “R&B” and Timberlake and Furtado are classified as “pop music”? I don’t get it?

I think the popularity of the current young white singers that have a more “urban” sound is due to what I call the “Elvis Presley syndrome” . White people want to see other white people that adopt a black sound.

Fefe Dobson was dropped from Island/Def Jam because they didn’t consider her music “commercial ” enough. Yet Nelly Furtado when she went to  a more “urban” sound she suddenly was selling millions of records. Where does this leave people like Fefe Dobson? Fefe doesn’t get on American pop radio because in the USA if you are black you’re not getting on mainstream pop radio unless you’re Whitney Houston or  Toni Braxton.

Deborah Cox was huge back in the late 1990s, she had a couple of hit albums and then in 2002 Clive Davis Cox dropped from Arista records. Deborah Cox is important because just like Fefe she’s a black Canadian singer that made it big in the USA. Yes its a big deal, for a Canadian black entertainer to make it in America.

Black Canadian entertainers have to get their record deals in the USA if they want to reach a larger audience they have no luck in Canada. Much Music is a white Canadian network that focuses on developing white Canadian talent and not black Canadian artists. Black American artists can sell in Canada because they are “American”.

There is a strong anti black sentiment in Canada against “black Canadians” and “black Canadian” entertainers are patronized, scorned, and discriminated against in a variety of ways. For instance, the  racist Juno Awards, Canada’s wannabe “Grammy” awards for many years, blocked out black entertainers and segregated in the R&B and Hip Hop category.

It was only until “black Canadian entertainers”, complained about the blatant racism of the Juno Awards, that things have changed ever so slowly. The Canadian music establishment is indeed a very myopic and a very racist business.

America is where the fame, glory, and money is. Cox had a hit album almost ten years ago called “One Wish” that sold millions copies she also had a hit song “‘Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here” and that also sold millions of copies as well.

In 2002, Cox returned to the spotlight with “The Morning After” Arista just didn’t promote Deborah right and she was dropped from the label. Deborah has done some theatre, gotten married, had some kids but she is returning to the spotlight.

In America, it’s the same thing, for Kelis she just doesn’t receive the respect she deserves. Kelis refuses to be categorized and pigeon-held by the racist American music industry. Unlike Cox and Dobson, Kelis she is American, and she has managed to remain in the spotlight for the past ten years.

However, Kelis doesn’t get the respect she deserves in the USA for being original. Rihanna has copied Kelis hairstyle, style of music, and clothes. Kelis and Fefe Dobson are the blueprints Def Jam copied their trademark signature sounds and music to make Rihanna successful.

Kelis isn’t trying to be the next Rihanna or Beyonce. Beyonce and Rihanna are  clearly copying Kelis. Kelis is an individual, and she has her own sound, personality and style. Kelis has also been successful. Kelis second album “Wanderland” wasn’t even released in the USA because her former American label “Virgin America ” didn’t think it would “sell” in America. Kelis asked to be dropped from “Virgin America” and “Wanderland” was released in Europe, Australia, and Asia only.

Kelis strongest fanbase isn’t even in America its in Europe. Kelis can tour in London or Dublin and sell out a concert in less then a few minutes that’s how popular she is overseas. However, in America Kelis hasn’t had the kind of success she has had in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Kelis is a huge star in Europe especially the UK. Kelis always charts in the UK.

Kelis recent album “Kelis Was Here” bombed in the USA. However, in the UK Kelis had a hit single “Lil Star” that soared to no.3 on the UK singles charts. In Ireland, “Lil Star” also reached no.2. In the USA, despite Kelis latest album not doing well she still had a hit single the amazing and feminist song “Bossy.” I just love that song! Although I must admit “Bossy” did become a hit in the USA according to the RIAA, Bossy went double platinum in America. Kelis is also wrote the song “Bossy”.

Even though, Kelis is married to Nas and is on the USA pop culture radar she’s still treated in America as too “different” or too “weird” and out there. I kind of wish black radio producers, black TV and media executives would understand they are also falling prey to this collective racist kind of thinking.

Why does a black singer have to be cateogorized in one genre? Kelis is special because she controls her own image she’s isn’t a puppet that just does what the record companies tell her what to do. In the USA Kelis is on her fourth American record label.

The USA music industry is not just sexist its racist as well. Kelis has always been her own person she was rocking the green, pink, orange hair and amazing outfits before other artists copied her. Remember Beyonce’s song “Ring The Alarm” I found that song to be a total rip off of Kelis “Caught Out There”. As Kelis says she was the “first girl to scream on the track” and Beyonce clearly copied Kelis with song “Ring The Alarm.” Kelis isn’t getting the credit for taking risks with her music and inferior less talented artists such as Beyonce Knowles get the glory and that’s just wrong.

Kelis mixes genres with her music. Why can’t a black artist use rock, pop, R&B in their music? It isn’t just the mainstream that’s the problem though its also the black media.

The black American media has a very myopic and at times racist outlook on “what” a modern black artist is supposed to sound like. White singers like Robin Thicke, Timberlake, Furtado, Fergie, the white girl from No Doubt they can get on black radio and even sometimes on BET because they crossover. Why are white singers “celebrated” when they embrace black music?

Yet when black singers attempt to use some rock, new wave, disco, trip hop like Fefe Dobson and Kelis the black singers are scorned? Kelis can’t get on some black radio stations or even mainstream radio because they consider her sound too “different”. In Europe its a totally different story. In the UK especially Kelis is actually a huge star in the UK this is where Kelis has had her biggest record sales that actually match and sometimes are even higher then some American artists.