Soul Train Awards..........Let's Get Back To The Basics

Okay now I blogged Monday about the Soul Train documentary.  And to all of you who read it.  You see that I was touched deeply by the show.  Now let's get into the awards themselves.  Let me get the negative out of the way first so that I can write all the glowing lovely things that I want to share.

Taraji, baby girl!  DIGNITY always DIGNITY.  She looked very nice, however all the hollering and home girl pumping of her fist was juuuuuuuuust a little too much FOR ME.  Now any of you who actually know me may be saying.....(You have a lot of nerve....LOL) But I think that BET shows enough of us being "ignit" on a daily basis. We did not need need ANY of it at the Soul Train Awards..................Now with that being said ........let me go on to the good stuff!

Okay R. Kelly!  That is how an ICON opens the show.  I really appreciated you in the toned down appearance.  I liked that you kept it fun and classy!  I liked that you reminded us how great of a entertainer you are.  And I was happy with you R Kelly.  Keep it right there.

Erykah Badu.............I like you, and your performance was not bad.  It was very creative to be honest.  I just couldn't get into it for the artistry of it.  I wasn't immediately turned off from it because it looked ignit and sleazy.(Like I shut down on some other artists)   I was able to actually watch it with my eyes and my heart open.  Now it didn't move me.  But it was worth watching.

Ne-yo........not bad.........just still not a fan.

Jazmin Sullivan GREAT voice, but needs better producers for her vocal style.  She was good but she COULD be great in the right hands. Why did we need Dougie Fresh on the end?  Seemed a little out of place.

Bruno Mars!  Now that is what I am talking about. Beautiful pure vocals.  He sang from his heart and you could feel each and every note.  Then his musical artistry was pure and ON POINT.  I think that his was the BEST solo performance of the night.

Wolf Blitzer trying to do the Dougie was priceless!

The Legend Awards.....................can you say PROUD!  I was so so so so proud of how much class and honor was put into those performances.  I mean Mary J..........a REAL diva would have been there to honor Anita in person......( but that's just MY opinion)  But I am so happy that we dug into the huge, wide, deep, pool of talent that we have as African American vocal artists.  Laylah Hathaway was my favorite.  But it was SOOOOOOOOOO great that the show producers let each individual artist honor Anita in the way that the artist wanted to honor her.  Kem and Rachelle Ferrell..............PRICELESS!!!! Dionne Faris........gone girl!  Faith Evans not so much........( "No one in the world" is my favorite Anita song and she dogged it!) Goaple looked good and sounded good.  Crisette Michelle.......was aiight, and Tamia delivered a strong performance.  Anita was pleased and touched. And I appreciated her comment SOOOOOOOO much when she said that the way you honor a Legend is by having REAL singers and REAL musicians.  What have I been stomping up and down about?  MUSIC creates Legends!  BRAVO Soul Train Awards.

The Ron Isley segment...........Can you say BLOWN AWAY........now let me just go here.  You know you are a TRUE LEGEND...........when men who should be receiving their own legend awards come and honor you.  PEABO BRYSON who IS my favorite male vocalist of all time.  Jeffrey Osborne and Freddie Jackson ( I'm not even gone comment on Freddie Jackson looking like skeletal remains.......) Whew I was floored!  And I have to admit that seeing Tank and hearing Tank sing REAL music actually gave me a new respect for him.  Bilal.................We just gone continue to pray.  El Debarge looking and sounding good.  Keyshia,MY GIRL........looked beautiful and for the first time live sounded like she actually COULD SING!  And the only female to sing in that category.  Eric Benet.........priceless!  It was good to see Ron Isley STILL doing his thing during his segment and he & Cee-Lo Rocked the house......THAT is how you end an Awards show fit for Kings and Queens. 

It seems as though someone at Soul Train has made a conscious decision to bring back honor and dignity to African American Soul Music.  The men wore suits and shoes.  The women wore dresses that actually covered up behinds and breasts.  AND IT IS OKAY TO LOOK AND DRESS THAT WAY!  I feel that R&B is coming back and is about to take its place back at PROMINENCE.  Our music is a reflection of who we are.  And ALTHOUGH I LIKE HIP HOP and that IS a reflection of us too it is not the full reflection.  Hip Hop is a single parent without true R&B.  I believe together Hip Hop & R&B can parent a nation of healthy children.