Know When To Hold ‘Em, Know When To Fold ‘Em
I’m not one for discouraging a person to let go of their dream. To do so would be cruel and believe it or not, I do have a heart not covered in ash and hate. Yet, when it comes to certain people who fail miserably each and every time they try to dance, “sing,” or politic their way to success I wonder why no one has pulled them to the side to say, “This ain’t it, pimpin’.”
Like Omarion, for example. Bless his heart. He seems like a very nice guy and when he says he can dance better than Chris Brown he does so with such conviction you can’t help but hope the boy gets his dance-off.
Unfortunately, homie can’t sing. At all. I used to think there was a glimmer of hope in his vocal ability but alas, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Dude has such a nasally tone to him. It’s always tricky with people like that. They need someone to craft “hot fire” to distract you from the obvious. Songs like “Touch” and much of the 21 album were a step in a good direction, though no one seemed to buy them.
And that ya’ll is the problem – he doesn’t sell. Even when he makes a decent album (21) you all still won’t buy it. Oh and me, because I didn’t buy it either. Sorry, he dropped that disc before Amazon made mp3 albums for 3.99 the first week of release.
So he’s not making the label any money based off of units moved so what gives? Maybe he has a 360 deal or something where the label recoups money from him pop locking for the Dutch. Otherwise I don’t see how he keeps getting record deals.
OK, so there’s that, but is butt enough to keep you around these days?
Especially when you’re performing like this?! If you’re going to lip sync at least try to pretend you’re singing along. It’s why Britney Spears is Britney Spears.
Omarion, good luck with your new album, but it’s a problem when your mama is the star of your performance.
To his credit, though, he has a much better shot at scoring an ounce of a hit (half is pushing it) than other people out there.
Particularly other people he’s worked with. When I saw the headline, “Raz-B Signs with Tila Tequila Records” I thought the jokes write themselves.
Part of the “press release:”
“I am very picky with who I sign because once I sign you, I will spend all of the money in the world to promote the hell out of you so that means you better know how to work it!!! Once a friend of mine referred me to check out RAZ B, I was astonished!!!! Not only is he super sexy, he can dance his ass off, sing is ass off, and can write music that blew just blew my mind!! Before signing anyone I ask myself ‘If I heard this song I the radio, would I like it?’”
If this isn’t a cry for help, I don’t know what is.
I’m still not even sure why Tila Tequila matters. What on Earth would give her reason to think she’s the Clive Davis remix?
There are plenty of other singers in the same predicament: Amerie, Teairra Mari, Christina Milian, etc.
Lord knows Beyonce taking a brief vacation won’t make that great a difference.
To be fair, most of these folks have enjoyed previous successes so it’s not completely right to write them off. It took Trey Songz a few albums before he really got on people’s radar. Labels don’t seem to have that sort of patience anymore.
Which means after so many failed singles, albums, and label drops at one point do you say, “You know, I don’t like chitlins, but it wouldn’t hurt to do a chitlin-circuit play?” You know just in case.
This isn’t limited to just entertainers either.
I’ve been following Harold Ford Jr.’s sudden interest in running for NY senate and I’m baffled.
This guy is stuck in a DLC-centered time warp that makes him think it’s still 1996 and triangulation – complete with Republican impersonations – is the key to prominence in national politics.
He talked all that pro-gun, pro-God, anti-homo, anti-choice rhetoric when he ran for senate in Tennessee and was taken out by one miscegenation-themed ad.
He then ventured into political commentary on MSNBC where he got on my damn nerves instructing Barack Obama to take the same advice that sank Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
Now all of a sudden after three years of staying in New York he suddenly wants to follow Hillary’s plan to win a Senate seat from a state you barely know about.
At least Omarion knew to work with Gucci Mane to get a smidgen of radio airplay. Thus far all Ford’s done is try to ice skate around his record on abortion and gay marriage.
I know in his heart of hearts Harold wants to be the big time national player in politics he was destined to be. Obviously, he’s not going to be the first black president as Slick Willie Clinton predicted. But he can still be a big name, right?
Maybe, but I don’t see it for him in New York much like I don’t see it for half these singers who soon be engaging in knife fights to sit next to Lil’ Mama at the judges table. He’s already got a long list of folks saying, “You and that part of yours need to sit down.”
Much like the aforementioned flops, when the people scream at you (repeatedly), when do you need to heed this blog entry’s title?
Alright now you’ve heard my say so now I’d like to hear from you.
Am I just being an old grouch and I need to keep hope alive (shout out to Jesse) or am I on to something about some people needing to take the hint and hatch up a new career plan or at least a better marketing one for the job they have?
I’m not a fan of Omarion. But I do like to think of him as the Freddie Jackson to Chris Brown’s Luther Vandross. Or the Stephanie Mills to Usher’s Patti LaBelle. Walk with me here.
Omarion actually doesn’t have a bad track record, and does have the makings of a solo star. He’s the most recognizable from a boy band that had mild success. Two #1 solo albums. A steady playlist of mild Billboard hits. And even though I’ll get thrown way under the bus for this one, making an album with Bow Wow geared to the 106 crowd was smart marketing (though, as sales showed, poorly executed).
I don’t think he’ll ever make it to the upper reaches of, say, Usher’s level. But he does fill a niche. Sometimes you never have to have a #1 or a top 10 to equal success. But let’s say you have a continuing string of middling hits in your genre, keep your songs in just enough rotation to get noticed, keep sales slow and steady, and one could see why an artist like Omarion has stayed in the game for this long. In this new era where gold is the new platinum, he’s still worth taking a risk on.
I hate to bring more names into the conversation. But on the more grown side of R&B, take a look at Maxwell’s numbers versus those of someone like…Jaheim. Both played to the same audience. But we know Maxwell is racking up the accolades and chart numbers. Chartwise, Jaheim typically stays in the middle/lower part of the top 40, but is still a mainstay regardless.
Honestly, i thought 21 sucked ass. I used to be a b2k stan….then i grew up. The fact is most of these negroes are marginally talented. You need some kind of gimmick when you’re not in the top spot. It wont be long before omari’s selling ass.
I agree with Maybe not.
Other examples are Common or Lupe Fiasco. They will never reach the levels of a Kanye West, but they have a niche audience that serves them well.
Also, Beyonce’s presence doesn’t stop any female r&b artist. Most of these girls like Amerie are not doing well because they’re careers are being grossly mismangaged. Beyonce is not that powerful lol, but she has a great team behind her that is able to have her dominate urban pop music. If Amerie’s business was inorder her album could have done much better. Then you have black artists who lack mainstream appeal, but can be stars in the urban market like Trey Songz, Jazmine Sullivan or Keri Hilson.
Debuting at #1 doesn’t really mean anything anymore. If you can’t sell a load of singles, move a decent amount of units, or fill up an arena (even small to mid) how exactly do you recoup any money for the label?
Jaheim was never a huge crossover artist, but if I’m not mistaken his first album went platinum and the follow-up with gold. He might not sell that much now, but he could probably still do some sort of small arena tour or do a chitlin circuit play.
Common can tour, Common has a fan base. Lupe Fiasco has a smidgen of hope.
Someone like Omarion doesn’t have any of that. Sickwithit is a good example of such. He’s been forgotten. I would say the same thing about Bow Wow. 106 & Park’s votes don’t mean anything, honestly. That show is profitable, but that has more to do with its budget than ratings. That’s exactly why that album didn’t sell anything.
Keri Hilson won’t be that much of a fixture in a few years. She fits in the Ashanti, Mya category.
Jazmine Sullivan might be OK, but she has a discernible talent. The people I’ve mentioned don’t.
And Beyonce doesn’t prevent other people from being successful, but there’s a reason why so many singers bust out in blond hair trying to sing and dance on stage all of a sudden. To suggest there wasn’t a noted change in many contemporary R&B singers after Beyonce’s success is disingenuous.
Just to reiterate, if you don’t really have that great a talent or some sort of gimmick chances are you’re not selling and you probably never will. I’m curious to see how long labels keep spending money on people who have routinely proven that they can’t grab audiences’ attention.
Getting on the B2K boys eh?
Honestly, I think what people (entertainers and the audience that does or doesn’t listen to them) don’t realize is that everyone cannot be #1. Every one can be a star, but all stars can’t be numero uno. With every generation I believe there comes that one or maybe two stars that are just have that “it” factor and has the complete package (at this time it’s definitely Queen Bee), and there are other singers and stars that are meant to have lesser success, but it’s still success by all means. They have a niche that serves the purpose for their fans and that’s that.
Beyonce is my favorite female singer (regardless of how ridiculous, outrageous and possibly out of pocket she may appear to be on stage), but with the hits and the promotion she made it to be one of the biggest and most recognizable entertainers at this time. Sammie is my favorite male singer, but there’s no way in hell that he’ll ever be on say Usher’s level (hell probably not even Omarion’s level), but that’s part of the niche. There’s a fanbase he has and with the right promotion and hits, he will have his success, not necessarily the same as Usher’s or even King of the Iron Fist’s level.
Agree wholeheartedly that Omarion needs to hang it up. I could deal with his limited vocal abilities if he bothered to put together listenable music, “Touch” and “Icebox” being great examples. But this rap-talk nonsense is unlistenable and unintelligible. And he’s clearly feeling himself way too much, cause he thinks he’s killing it onstage. The matrix is old and so are his “You Got Served” style dance-oriented performances. Give me something new.
Beyonce’s template has been copied because it’s been successful. Much like she has copied the templates of Janet, Tina and Brandy in her own career. Much like Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Omarion are students of the school of Usher. How Usher was a student of Michael and Bobby. That’s just simple marketing. If it works for him/her than it’ll work for me too.
But gimmicks, talent and looks don’t make no stars. You need the team and the bucks to push that product. What’s a gimmick without a legit marketing strategy and a team strong enough to carry it out. Look at the current careers of Melanie Fiona and Rihanna. One has amazing talent, gorgeous looks, dynamic stage presence and great music. The other has questionable talent and a strong team and big bucks backing her. Which one is the bigger success?
I know Keri won’t have a long career lol. As you said, she fits the Ashanti, Mya, Ciara mold of the black pop chick. Next year there will be another girl who will see marginal success and have a 2-3 year run. I doubt Trey Songz will be here 2 years from now, he’s barely here now. He seems to have a base, but with no hits under his belt he really has no presence. HIs career seems to be more of him being the only option, than him actually being liked, but that’s another topic lol
My main thing is I don’t think Omarion should give up. I don’t think anyone ever should. Shit, imagine if Jay Z had given up. Dude was 30 before he ever saw success. The industry is fickel. You can go from selling 5 million one year to flopping the next. Go from selling out MSG to barely selling out 5k venues. My bigger problem with Omarion is his lack of direction musically and professionally. WTF is he doing? He needs new management and new label and new producers. But should he give up? no. Not if his heart is in it.
All one has to do is look at Omarion’s Snug Belted Trench, and his Shag Ducktail to understand why he has no success.
Poor decision making skills.
I can honestly say that Ive enjoyed a great deal of Omarions song when in comparison to his peer Chris Brown.
“Touch” & “Icebox”-are just Good songs.
His issue is that after he aborted them B2K stand-ins-he also needed to cut off Chris Pokes.
Can’t he see what his “great manegarial direction” has landed Marcus Houston?
Im not one to think that EVERYONE is meant to be a superstar. I just don’t think that Omarion has realized this.
Great post, especially with respect to Harold Ford. I am voting for Gillibrand. I am not buying or illegally downloading anything that says “Omarion” on it. The end.