This document discusses the origins and evolution of the R&B music genre. It originated in the late 1950s from genres like jazz, rock, and blues. Over time, R&B incorporated elements from other genres like funk, soul, and gospel. Today, R&B music often portrays themes of wealth, struggle and success, sexuality, and substance use. Popular R&B artists are frequently presented as sex symbols and role models who sing about their emotions and experiences. Music videos in the genre commonly feature lavish displays of money, possessions, and women dressed in a sexually explicit manner.

1. Genre
By Krishma Shari

2. Where did R&B Originate?
- R&B is an abbreviation for ‘rhythm and blues’
- This was usually used by record labels whilst marketing music or for
promotion methods
- Usually used for urban Americans for jazz, rock, heavy based music

3. How has the genre evolved over
time?
- R&B in the late 50’s developed to be ‘rock & roll’ which was from the
‘electric blue’ which is music consisting a collaboration of guitars, bass
guitars, drums and the harmonica.
- In the 70’s R&B then developed into funk, soul and gospel music.
- R&B has now come a long way in modern society and has hugely changed
- As society has been very material based and we live in a materialistic
society, music is not always about the music itself – it is about the image
of music from the audience and how the media is represented.

4. How are the artists in this genre represented? Are they sex
symbols? Are they talented musicians? Are they role models?
As an example of a typical R&B singer – Rihanna – she comes under many categories fitting the
stereotypical portrayal of the R&B genre.
- Rihanna is represented in a ‘rude girl’ ‘attitude’ way which she portrays to her audience
- She gives a message to girls that she does not get easily heartbroken and she has attitude
towards anyone who attempts to emotionally break her – this is usually aimed at young
teenage girls
- As an R&B artist, they always have their own image for the audience – for example, Beyoncé
is very feminist and her main image show to her audience is that women should always stand
up for what they believe in, and this is always represented conventionally in her music videos
(e.g. always having women background dancers in her videos.)
- Most R&B singers are always represented in a sexual explicit way, portrayed by their music,
lyrics and appearance. For example, their tight clothing show of their bodies for attraction
and to be seen as sex symbols. Also the language used in the videos are sexually explicit. (e.g.
trey songz – neighbours know my name)
- Due to R&B music being very slow beat songs, the singers usually have to have a good voice
as it is the main aspect of the music. Looking at Rihanna as an artist, her voice is her main
talent which is her main aspect of marketing, and her appearance and other factors make it
better for record labels and for the artists herself to gain fans. R&B artist all have to have
some sort of talent
- They are role models targeted at different audiences relating to their talent and music. For
example, Beyoncé would be aimed at single women to stand up and be independent in a
feminism view.

5. What are the main ideologies represented in
current music videos of this genre?
- In the R&B videos there is always a show of wealth, portrayed with money,
clothes, jewellery, expensive possessions e.g. expensive cars, big houses,
etc.
- Artists are always shown as very successful in their videos, and usually sing
about how they struggled in life to get to their current position, through
illegitimate methods such as drug dealing, or through hard work and
dedication
- Drugs and alcoholic beverages are always portrayed as acceptable and
normality in society and artists always seem to represent this in their
music
- Women are usually seen as sexual items in videos and usually dressed very
sexually explicit which is also deliberately used for marketing and
attraction
- The artist usually talks about their emotions and how they feel towards a
certain person, or people in general

6. Example of R&B Video
The music video example I have chosen which is very convention and
represents the genre well is ‘Rack City – Tyga’. Tyga is an R&B rapper and uses
many R&B genre conventions within his music videos.
Video YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVebDObDID0
Conventions used in this particular video:
- Show of wealth – big city, money thrown around as an unimportant item
- Women sexually explicit – Bodies shown to audience, attractive figures,
women as a sex item for men
- Smoking marijuana and drinking alcoholic beverages – seen as an
acceptable thing in society
- Language – talk about sex, money, drugs, wealthy expensive belongings
and possessions such as expensive cars and houses.

7. Ideas for my music video
I need to consider the conventions I should add into my music video to fit the
genre and show a clear indication of what genre my music video is. The main
things I could add into my R&B music video:
- Expensive possessions
- Good looking artist and actors
- Attitude performance reflecting the original artist like Rihanna
- Big houses shown within my video
- Show of money as an unimportant item
- Language used – such as sex, drugs, money
- Performance of artist – attitude shown and sarcastic body language