Mark's R & B Blog

The nominees for the eighth annual BET Awards were announced today (May 15) in New York and T-Pain, of all people, leads the field with five nominations. Yeah, T-Pain. The person with the least amount of talent has the most nominations. Wow. Anyway, the ceremonies will be televised live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles at 8 PM ET/PT on Tues., June 24, 2008. In addition to the regular awards, Al Green will receive BET's Lifetime Achievement Award and Quincy Jones is set to receive BET's Humanitarian Award. Also, there will be live performances by Usher, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Lil' Wayne and Nelly, among others. Check out the full list of nominees for more info.

Logo © Black Entertainment Television.

Your Guide to R&B gets a lot of unsolicited e-mails promoting rappers, so I was about trash the one I received from Atlantic Records about Young Steff based solely on the fact that Steff's got a hip-hop name. And what a stupid mistake that would've been. Because Steff's really is a singer; and not just a singer, he's a singer with a great, melodic voice that definitely deserves to be heard. Steff, who's real name is Stephen Goldsboro, is straight outta Vineland, New Jersey, near Philadelphia. His debut album isn't due out Sept. 16, 2008, but for now you can check out his dope first single, "Professional," by clicking on a link below.

Young Steff - "Professional" audio:

• Windows Media
• RealPlayer
• Buy/download song

Image © Atlantic Records.

Ladies, do you know a man who's rugged and rough around the edges, but has a soft, tender heart (besides me, I mean)? Well if not, here's an introduction to the music of KeAnthony Dillard (formerly known as Cruna, as in 'crooner'). The Nashville native has been through many ups and downs in life, everything from singing in his family's Gospel choir to spending time in prison after being snitched on turned in by his best friend. And now, KeAnthony's getting ready to share some of his experiences on his debut album, A Hustla'z Story, coming out on Warner Bros. Records later this year. The first single "I Ain't Tryna," is about man who's staying on the straight & narrow in order to keep a good woman. You can stream it by clicking on a link below.

KeAnthony - "I Ain't Tryna" audio:

• Windows Media
• RealPlayer
• Buy/download the song

Cover © Warner Bros. Music.

Ever since Aimee Duffy's debut single, "Mercy," was released in February 2008, there have been plenty of comparisons between her and fellow British Blue-Eyed Soul singers Amy Winehouse and Joss Stone. But in reality, the two vocalists Duffy should be compared to aren't Amy and Joss, they're '60s Soul singers Dusty Springfield and Lulu. And Duffy's debut album, Rockferry, which was released on March 3, 2008 in the U.K. and May 13, 2008 in the U.S., is as much a tribute to their vintage style of pop-soul as Winehouse's Back to Black was a tribute to girl groups like the Shirelles and Supremes. For the full analysis, check out the complete review of Duffy's Rockferry.

Album cover © Mercury Records.

Atlanta-based girl group Cherish first hit the big time in 2006 with "Do It To It," the irresistibly catchy first single from their debut album, Unappreciated. And on their second album, The Truth (released in the U.S. on May 13, 2008), the quartet try proving that they're no one-hit wonder. The Truth is packed with plenty of ear candy, tailor-made for young ladies in their teens and early 20s. The songs, much like those on Unappreciated, are sugary pop-R&B tunes that are heavy on style, light on substance. On their first album, the girls showed potential, but on their second, they settle for being average. For more, check out the full review of Cherish's The Truth.

Album cover © Capitol Records.

Atlanta-based girl group Cherish is dropping their second album, The Truth, on Tues., May 13. You should check back on that day for a review, but for now, here's the So So Def remix of the album's first single, "Killa." The original version of the song, which features Yung Joc, is alright, but yours truly is definitely feelin' this dance remix more. R&B/rap collaborations can be hit or miss, but this one works mainly because the two rappers featured on it, Jermaine Dupri and Kid Slim, keep the verses short and straight to the point, matching the song's upbeat, high energy pace. Plus, JD and Slim manage not to be too much of a distraction from the singing. To stream the audio, just click on a link below.

Cherish feat. Jermaine Dupri and Kid Slim - "Killa" remix:

• Windows Media
• RealPlayer

Cover © Capitol Records.

I might get some angry e-mails from devoted Craig David fans about this, but yours truly is not feelin' the latest song or video by the British R&B-pop singer. Among the song's problems is that it samples the 1983 David Bowie song "Let's Dance," even though it's been sampled too many times before, most notable in the P. Diddy song "Been Around the World." Another problem is the video looks like vintage 1990s, Soul II Soul/C+C Music Factory-type stuff. You halfway expect Freedom Williams and Snap to make cameos. Anyway, the song's on Craig's forthcoming album, Trust Me, which comes out in the U.S. on May 13, 2008. If you want to see the video for yourself, just click on a link below to stream it.

Craig David - "Hot Stuff (Let's Dance)" video:

• Windows Media
• RealPlayer
• Buy/download the song

Album cover © Sire Records/Warner Music.

Some of the more interesting news and rumors from the past week:

• Lyfe Jennings' new album, Lyfe Change, debuted at No. 4 on this week's Billboard albums chart, selling 80,000 copies.
• Later this month, Jennifer Hudson will release "Spotlight," the first single from her currently untitled debut album.
• Ne-Yo's third album, Year of the Gentleman, is being pushed back from June to (at least) August.
• Amy Winehouse was arrested in London last week on suspicion of drug possession.
• According to Oprah, Mariah Carey has "Mrs. Cannon" tattooed on her neck.
• Looks like the R. Kelly trial might finally be getting underway.

If you've read the About R&B review of Lyfe Jennings' third album, Lyfe Change, then you know that Lyfe has gone in a sort of new, sunnier (and more commercial) direction with his music. And if there's a song that best exemplifies Lyfe's new sound and outlook, its "Brand New," an upbeat, radio-friendly track about staying true and not letting success change who you are as a person. In my humble opinion, this is an okay song and might become a hit, but it's a little generic and cliche. To see if you agree of disagree, stream the song by clicking on a link below. And if you feel so inclined, you can have your say by clicking the Comments link below to post your opinion.

• Lyfe Jennings feat. T.I. - "Brand New" audio stream (Windows Media)
• Buy/download the song
• Lyfe Change album review
• Lyfe Jennings bio

Even though her father, the late, great Donny Hathaway, is a music legend and icon, his daughter Eulaulah, better known as Lalah Hathaway, hasn't quite reached the level of success and adulation of her father. That doesn't mean she's not a talented singer, though. In fact, Lalah's just dropped a sweet first single from her upcoming album Self Portrait. "Let Go," which she co-wrote with Rahsaan Patterson and co-produced with Rex Rideout, is about acknowledging and releasing whatever’s not working in order to move on. "I’ve had to let go of quite a few things, quite a few situations and a couple of mindsets," she said about the song's origins. "Every so often, I have to remind myself to just let some stuff go – from people and relationships to an old pair of jeans." To stream the song, click on a link below.

Lalah Hathaway - "Let Go" audio:

• Windows Media
• QuickTime
• Buy/download the song

Album cover © Stax Records/Concord Music.