Thursday, November 4, 2010

The The Jermaine Durpi Curse(An Bey Party Member's Olive Branch to Janet Stans)

Hello. Today, I make yet another entry. I was *this close* to doing addressing the Britney vs Beyoncé debate/discussion. Then I thought, "Nah. I will save that for another time and entry." So I thought of this topic to blog on. Yes, it is a weird title thread especially since this is a Beyoncé blog and JD has nothing to do her music, performing and is not connected to her in any way.


When you see the content of my entry, it will become crystal clear why I titled this as I did. One of the things that is my passion is history and especially the history of music and entertainment. Especially mainstream entertainment. For as long as the industry has been in existed, there has always been the dynamic of the older established veteran artist/entertainer being pitted against the younger one. For example, the media back in the day tried to pit Lena Horne vs. Dorothy Dandridge against each other as if both of them couldn't be stars at the same time. This is done to black female stars all the time. So with that in mind, let me set the stage for the beginning of the Janet/Beyoncé stan wars.

Beyoncé was coming off the DIL and Destiny's Fulfilled Era, and was about to release the album that I consider the standard of "Hip Pop Soul"(B'day). Meanwhile, Janet was coming off the backlash of what happened at the Super Bowl Halftime performance in ironically, Bey's Hometown, Houston. We all know what happened. It's a date that will live in infamy. But Janet had not released any music from that time until 20 Y.O.

They were both going to be released around the same time, and a certain man, a record label executive who was the boyfriend of Janet said things that would set the tone for that whole era in a bad way: "Only Janet records sound like her. I always look and think where is Beyoncé going to be in 20 years? It's hard for me to visualize. I don't put them on the same plane. "

Now to be fair, he went in on Britney and Christina too. But what was the point of mentioning all three of them especially Beyoncé? Think about this for a minute, Bey had already proven her potential for longevity with the fact that she had already been in the industry for a decade going back to 1997 with Destiny's Child. But let's take it even further, this girl has been performing(like Janet) since she was 7. She was on Star Search at 12 and Monica said so eloquently in detail of her relationship with Bey, already had a recording deal with Darryl Simmons and Electra Records before DC's deal with Sony/Columbia records.

Bey was no overnight success, this was a girl who worked and worked to get where she was at the point of the B'day era. And JD knew ALL of this. Which is why what he said was so baffling. It made him seem pressed and desparate. And what it did create an unnecessary stan war that has been going on to this day and set the tone for how he would ruin everything that Janet built up that point. And I will get into how pretty much destroyed her but the thing that makes me love Bey so much was her classy responses in the aftermath of Jermaine's tomfoolery.

We all know how when Angie Martinez in an audio interview with her asked her about JD's comments how she said that famous comment in the speaking voice that all Bey Party members love to hear: God bless you, Jermaine. How can't you not love her? *Chuckles* Anyway, after all of this, she said that Janet was not her peer, that Janet was above her and spoke on her were her peers. Then, she did subsequent Ring The Alarm performances with Rhythm Nation Nods in the performance. Not to mention, she also has Frank Gatson as her choreographer who all Jackson stans know was a choregrapher for Janet and her big bro[I don't need to speak his name, you know who I am talking about].

So if there is anyone who understands and respects the Jackson legacy, it's Beyoncé Gisselle Knowles-Carter. That's why her comments about Joe Jackson in distinguishing the differences between her dad and Joe shouldn't have been taken offense by Janet stans especially in light of the relationship between him and the Jackson children which is on record. Even Sandra Rose who has built her blogging career off of hating Bey even acknowledge what Bey's intent was: (http://www.sandrarose.com/2008/12/in-defense-of-beyonce/) So if there is any artist who should been given the benefit of the doubt by the JanHova Stan base, it should be Beyoncé.

Of course, the stan war got too deep then...with some Bey Party Members who are going to defend Bey when someone "comes for her wig" retaliating and then Jan stans doing the them. But the thing I need to tell Janet stans everywhere is that this dynamic is part of the legacy that Jermaine created. It's a legacy that Janet have finally gotten rid of(Praise the Lord!!!!). So with that in mind, why not push that aside that nasty part of it too? I am willing to extend a olive branch to all of the Janet stan base knowing that not all who don't like Bey are going to take it, but at the least give some who don't something to ponder.

As I said, I am going to get into the Jermaine Dupri Curse and how it affected Janet to the point where she is now. I just mention the foolish comments he made about Bey in an effort to create a war for the sole purpose of promotion. Then he tried to completely urbanize her. What?!!!! Yes, Janet is a legend especially when it comes to Urban Pop. She has classic in that genre that has and will forever stand the test of time. In fact, and this is coming a Bey stan who love this album, but I view RN1812 being better than B'day and as you can see in an earlier paragraph, I proclaimed B'day as the standard for "Hip Pop Soul". So that right there should tell of what I think of Janet's brilliance over the years. In fact, I find it a crime that Janet was not on the VH1 100 Greatest Artists list. Just criminal. She's one of the greatest video artists of all time and her sound is even a nice little template for Bey and DC to build off because she was the standard for Urban Pop. To have Madonna on the list and not her counterpart, Janet was indeed should be a misdemeanor at the least.

Many would disagree with me, but I don't feel the Super Bowl incident would have affected her as affected her as much. Janet even in her military suit wearing days all straddle the line with her sexuality. My fave songs from her are songs where she's taking it there. I have a confession to make: Hearing Janet Jackson speak in French with her soft, girlish voice is very erotic, I have to admit. It's one of the reasons why Funny How Time Flies is my fave Janet song of all time. So sexuality and Janet is nothing new. She was straddling further and further by the time of the Super Bowl incident but a lot of music/entertainment fans was heated when Janet got all that bad publicity and Justin got nothing as if he wasn't there.

So in 2006, this is two--in fact--almost 3 years later. Even if Janet wasn't going to move the number of units that she did with Control and RN1812(no one is doing that these days even back in 2006), she could still establish herself as a force for Urban Pop with her strong fan base. Then Call on Me was released as the first single. Bad move. The worst. Because even though Janet had an Urban Influence in her sound[her bro is MJ, so that's understandable] but she is pop. Janet does not have the timbre/voice to do what Bey has been doing with her sound her whole career. Bey's sound is Aretha Franklin-esqe rhythmic vocal stylings bringing the funk with an interpretative flair, that's not Janet's style. With that in mind, Bey can bring more urban/ hip hop swag and make it more believable than Janet ever could. And yes, I do know about the song she did with Q-Tip but that's a song that is still different than what Bey does with her sound. Janet could never do B'day. Never!!!!

That's the truth, Janhova stans and this is not me saying as a Bey Party Member saying this. Look at this blog comment: There is a world of difference between a good soul singer, and a good funk singer. Mariah Carey, for example, is a good sweet sould singer, but if she were to start grunting into the mic and demanding snare kicks from the drummer, her people would rush the stage within seconds to take her off to the mad house. Presumed breakdown. She hasn't got the Funk. Sadly, neither of today's fine young singers, with the possible exceptions of Mary J., Beth Ditto and Beyonce, and that's about it. Even the greatest soul singer of them all, Aretha Franklin, don't quite have the funk chops to be a bold soul sister.


So you see, that's not the Janet sound even though she is one of the rhythmic dance artists of all time. To completely Urbanize Janet was the most foolish thing that JD ever did with her. It turned off many Janet stans who loved her from the time she was singing Control at 17, it made her seem as if she was trying to compete with the very ones that Jermaine attacked in order to build Janet as the Icon and legend that we already knew she was. He didn't have to say or do anything. If anything, he turned the Janet buying public off with what he did.

Then by the time Janet put out Discipline(not a bad album at all), she was already in a funk(no pun intended) that the point that she has not quite recover from. But the thing is, even with that, her legacy speaks for itself. One thing about the Bey Party, we respect the legends. We don't come at their wig. Why is that? Because we respect what they meant to music and entertainment. We don't attack them to build Bey up. We don't have to. We understand her place in the industry and the lane in which she has made for herself. So why, would we come at Janet, who most of us would consider a legend and icon?

It all goes back to 2006 and the JD comments. It gave some who probably wanted a reason to go at Jan's wig, especially with both artists releasing at the same time, that green-light to do so and then instead of both stan bases basking in the fruit of both of their legacies, we go at each other's throats. It's ridiculous. They aren't of the same generation or peer group. Janet was entertaining before Bey was born. As a stan, I know this and respect it. So I would never call Janet names like Trannet or anything of that nature.

I respect the Jackson legacy with true reverence. I know not everyone does, but I do. And with that respect and understanding, I have to state this as honest as I can: Bey will take the Jackson legacy further than Janet could ever do it. It is what it is. And it's not about sales, or even popularity but the impact that an artist has on their craft for years to come. To make this point clear, Bey's DVD is produced, directed and edited by her. She has the kind of control of her career that MJ would want every artist to have. Not to mention, Bey has youth on her side; the talent; and more importantly, the history of knowing the past so that she can shape its future.

And if you're an honest Janet stan, you're ok with this. Who else could do this, if Janet couldn't do it. Bey is a daughter of the legacy that the Jackson set forth. Her sound is the 2000s, she's to that decade what the Beatles and Motown(a legacy that helped to shape the Jacksons) to the 60s. If you're not convinced, look at my entry on Beyonce and Electro Pop and you see what I am talking about. I can say these things confidently. They are both legends even if they aren't of the same generation. So let's bury the hatchet and make a truce. I hope that Janhova stans will accept this entry in the spirit given.

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