Though his career has seen a steady decline in fans and album sales due to his lackluster and vulgar recordings recently, Chicago crooner R. Kelly can lay claim as the “King of R&B” with the number of soulful hits and platinum-plus selling albums he has amassed since his 1992 debut. No other male singer, aside the late icons Michael Jackson and Luther Vandross, can claim two decades of chart domination in R&B music since the 1980′. Thus, the magic of Kelly’s music has influenced a number of this generation’s male R&B crooners, and public opinion has voiced those sentiments loudly as of recently. Those influenced artists have been labeled as imitators who should pay homage to the King who has paved the way for them.
Consequently, World Wide Waddie lists “The 5 Biggest R. Kelly Imitating Singers” who must pay him homage.
5. Joe
Though they were labelmates on Jive Records for 13 years, Joe did have his own sound in the early part of his career. While Kelly’s music was oversexed with over-the-top dramatic videos to match, Joe took the smooth, romantic route as one of the most chivalrous R&B crooners of the 90′s. By 2003, Joe’s music significantly morphed in a harder-edge, gangsta-like soulful song with songs of sex and ghetto love…just like Kelly. Coincidentally, Kelly wrote and produced “More & More” and “Make You Baby” for his 2003 And Then… album, which happened to be leftover tracks that were scrapped from his classic Chocolate Factory album that arrived in stores earlier that year. Tired of the internal competition with Kelly, Joe left Jive Records for Kedar/Universal Records in 2008. Still, his music sounds a lot like Kelly’s, but that old smooth sound he once perfected still shines in new material.
4. Tyrese
The guy who gained popularity in the 1990s as the handsome chocolate young man with golden vocal pipes who sang the Coca-Cola jingles on BET became a bigger star once his eponymous debut album became a hit in 1999. His debut album turned him into a celebrated romantic balladeer with a sex appeal to match. Since, his albums and singles have lost the appeal of hit-making status as the songwriting became unattractively simple and ghetto and sounding too similar to R. Kelly’s current work. Ironically, Kelly has written and produced songs on Tyrese’s Alter Ego and I Wanna Go There albums, including the single “Pick Up The Phone” featuring rap superstar Ludacris.
3. Usher
I already here the mumbling disagreements over this one, but follow me. Usher is one of those singers who I feel does not have his own voice in his material. His music sounds like the voice the writer or collaborator with the exception of the tunes penned by Jermaine Dupri and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. For example, “Trading Places” and “Moving Mountains” from his 2008 Here I Stand album sound so much like the songs’ writer The-Dream, who happens to be huge R. Kelly imitator. Nonetheless, Usher’s music has become freakier like Kelly’s 12 Play album but corny, see “Lil’ Freak” “Love In This Club” and “Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home).”
2. The-Dream
In my opinion, The-Dream is the luckiest songwriter/producer/artist in the current music scene. In his four years in the urban music spotlight, he lyrics and delivery sound exactly like R. Kelly’s work and his production are recycled beats from Prince’s 1984 R&B/pop classic “When Doves Cry.” The most incredibly, astonishing fact about Dream’s career is that critics sing the highest praises over his work. They are in love with his silly, ghetto songwriting skills and nasal delivery while mimicking the great R. Kelly. At least, he has dedicated “Kelly’s 12 Play” to the muse of his entire discography back in 2009.
1. Trey Songz
Trey owes his entire career to R. Kelly, even his non hit-making years. Every single that Trey Songz has released since “I Gotta Make It” in 2005 possesses the same swagger Robert has maintained since 1992. However, Songz’ music sounds relevant and more ear-pleasing compared to what Kelly has done in the same time period. Unfortunately for Trey, hit radio cannot translate into platinum album sales like Kelly. Then again, the reason why Trey is the current R&B chart king is because Usher lost his magic, Kelly’s music has become degrading, and Chris Brown has yet to be redeemed from his violent act in 2009. Once those guys get their spark back, Trey will become a thing of the past…again.
What do you think of this list? Was there a copy-cat that has been left out?
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