1. The history of R&B

2. The term Rhythm and Blues, R&B, was first used by Billboard magazine in the late1940′s. R&B
was an African-American urban sound that evolved from blues and jazz. In the late 1940′s
R&B was described as rocking and jazz based with a heavy and insistent beat. R&B was
becoming popular because of it dance ability. By 1949 the term had replaced Billboard’s
category Harlem Hit Parade.
The lyrics of R&B were about everyday life. The songs were about work, sex, and drinking.
Paul Williams and His Hucklebuckers recorded “The Huckle-Buck that became a R&B hit. The
song was called dirty boogie and was considered raunchy and risque for its time. Their
concerts were hot and wild, sometimes shut down.
By the 1950′s R&B was starting to define the sound of Rock n Roll. In the early fifties Little
Richard started recording for RCA Records and by the mid fifties had hits with “Tutti Frutti”
and “Long Tall Sally.” Fats Domino had a hit with “Ain’t That a Shame.” Bo Diddly and Chuck
Berry would influence and create beats that became mainstays in Rock n Roll.
By the 1960′s rhythm and blues would include soul music. In the seventies disco was added to
the R&B category as was funk. By the 1980′s R&B was defining music that included soul, funk,
rock n roll and pop music.
By the 90′s artists like Levert, Keith Sweat, Jodeci, and BellBivDeVoe were taking love songs in
the R&B genre to another level. Classic-Soul and vocal harmonies were being popularized by
Mariah Carey, TLC, R. Kelly, and Boyz II Men. Going into the 21st century R&B would include
New Jack Swing, Hip-hop, and Neo-Soul.

3. R&B audiences are usually teenagers and young adults between the ages of 13 to
25 and are mostly females. This could be due to the explicit lyrics, artists, music and
how the music videos are shot and what they contain within them. Females are
usually targeted by R&B artists because they stereo typically write songs about love,
being in love and heartbreak these type of songs will appeal to teenage girls and
young adults as it usually relates to them. Fast R&B songs usually will attract to
women as they involve fashion and synergy within the narrative or theme.
Male R&B artists usually target a female audience because the male artists are
portrayed as sexy or in a sexual way through their lyrics and nudity. The female
audience will find this attractive and appealing because they will be
physically attracted to the artist. However the male audience will be attracted to
the jewelery worn, cars, cash/wealth, fashion and women in minimal clothing.
R&B fans are usually from a African American black background due to R&B
being rhythm, blues and soul which comes from African America in the 1950's. This
type of music would be something their parents and grandparents would have
listened to interesting their children in the same type of music.