Matchup 12 Winner: Aaliyah, Classic Vibe: India Arie "Video" (2001)

Even though she has been gone for nearly 10 years now, Aaliyah still managed to pull out the victory. "Video" is the most successful to date by neo-soul singer India Arie. When it comes to a singer like Arie, however, you can basically throw Billboard Charts out the window because they don't do justice to her talents.

Lost Soul: The Isley Brothers "Secret Lover" featuring Avant

The Isley Brothers "Secret Lover" featuring Avant

Although this was released as a single, the song didn't generate much buzz when it came out. I'm not sure why however, as I really like this song and still do to this day. This released back in 2001 around the time when Avant was first coming out. His vocals on the chorus provide a very nice contrast to that of Ronald Isley and I think that's a reason I really like this song. What do you think?

Lost Soul: John Legend "Please Baby Don't" featuring Sergio Mendes

John Legend "Please Baby Don't" featuring Sergio Mendes

This gem from John Legend was tucked away nicely on Brazilian Jazz and Funk musician Sergio Mendes' 2006 album "Timeless." The album features an impressive lineup of guests throughout including Jill Scott, India Arie, Q-Tip & Stevie Wonder. I'm still not sure how I even stumbled upon the album to find this song, but I'm glad I did because it has become a favorite of mine from Legend. I will say though, "Please Baby Don't" sounds like a song that would have fit in very nicely on Legend's "Once Again" album that he released around this same time. Have you heard this song before? And what do you think of it?

VOTE: Artist Faceoff Matchup 12: Aaliyah vs. India Arie

PLEASE VOTE IN THE POLL ON THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER.

Click Here for complete tournament information

(4)Aaliyah

Vs.

(13)India Arie

Which is the MORE TALENTED R&B Singer?

Click below for artist summaries.


Aaliyah

Albums:
* Age Ain't Nothing But a Number (1994)
* One in a Million (1996)
* Aaliyah (2001)

India Arie

Albums:
# 2001: Acoustic Soul
# 2002: Voyage to India
# 2006: Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship
# 2009: Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics

Matchup 11 Winner: Lauryn Hill, Classic Vibe: Toni Braxton "You're Makin Me High" (1996)

Ok, so now we officially have our first major upset! Despite only having one official solo album (ok, so it did sell diamond and win a bunch of grammy's!) Lauryn Hill still managed to beat out Toni Braxton. For today's classic vibe from the loser of the matchup, "You're Makin Me High" was a number one single by Toni and was the result of the collaboration between Babyface (who can be heard on background vocals) and Bryce Wilson (formerly or Groove Theory). This was the first single from her "Secrets" album which would sell over 8 million copies in the US and nearly 20 million records worldwide! Toni's last release was in 2005 with "Libra," and we are still awaiting the release of her "Pulse" album which should drop sometime later this year.

Lost Soul: Timbaland & Magoo "Joy" featuring Ginuwine & Playa

Timbaland & Magoo "Joy" featuring Ginuwine & Playa

On most of Timbaland's albums, it seems that most of the best tracks don't even feature him primarily on the song. "Joy" is a personal favorite of mine from the 1997 album "Welcome to Our World" and features both Ginuwine and Playa on the track with a rap by Static Major. I was actually always a big fan of Timbaland's albums, after all, he's probably the best producer there is when it comes to hip hop & rnb. However, after he decided not to work in hip hop anymore, I pretty much considered him irrelevant.

VOTE: Artist Faceoff Matchup 11: Toni Braxton vs. Lauryn Hill

PLEASE VOTE IN THE POLL ON THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER.

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(5)Toni Braxton

Vs.

(12)Lauryn Hill

Which is the MORE TALENTED R&B Singer?

Click below for artist summaries.


Toni Braxton

Albums:
# Toni Braxton (1993)
# Secrets (1996)
# The Heat (2000)
# More Than a Woman (2002)
# Libra (2005)

Lauryn Hill

Albums:
* The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)
* MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 (2002)

Matchup 10 Winner: Brandy, Classic Vibe: Monica "The Boy Is Mine" featuring Brandy (1998)

Sorry Monica, the boy is Brandy's!

New Joint: Jaheim "Till it Happens To You" & "Finding My Way Back"

Jaheim "Till it Happens To You"

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Jaheim "Finding My Way Back"

I'm officially excited about Jaheim's upcoming "Another Round" album!! Both of these two new songs are definitely solid; he uses his powerful voice while showcasing his tender side. In fact, both of these songs showed up on the tracklisting that has been out so they are confirmed to appear on "Another Round." I definitely think songs like these are a good contrast to uptempo "Ain't Leavin Without You" and "Another Round." The new album will be in stores February 9th. Are you excited as me about this new album?

Upcoming Album: Tracklisting for Erykah Badu's "New Amerykah Part Two (Return of Ankh)"

Erykah Badu is preparing the follow up to her 2008 album New Amerykah Part One and it will be in stores March 20. Check out the tracklisting by clicking read more. Are you excited for this album?



1. "20 Feet Tall" (Produced by Erykah Badu and 9th Wonder)
2. "Window Seat" (Produced by Erykah Badu and James Poyser)
3. "Agitation" (Produced by Erykah Badu and Shafiq Husayn of SA-RA Creative Partners)
4. "Get Money" (Produced by Erykah Badu and Karieem Riggins (drums), Stephen "Thundercat" Bruner (bass), James Poyser (keys), Tommy Trajlio (guitar), Mike "Chav" Chavarria (mooger fooger) (Contains an interpolation of "Can't Turn Me Away," by Sylvia Striplin)
5. "Don't Be Long" (Produced by Erykah Badu and Taarak)
6. "Love" (Produced by Erykah Badu and J Dilla)
7. "Umm Hmm" (Produced by Erykah Badu and Madlib)
8. "Fall in Love" (Produced by Erykah Badu and Karieem Riggins) (Contains a sample of "Intimate Friends" by Eddie Kendricks.)
9. "Incense" (Instrumental) (Produced by Erykah Badu and Madlib featuring Kirsten Agnesta (harp))
10. "Out My Mind Just in Time (Part 1) (Undercover Over-Lover)" (Produced by Erykah Badu featuring James Poyser (keys))
11. "Out My Mind Just in Time (Part 2)" (Produced by Erykah Badu and Georgia Anne Muldrow)
12. "Out My Mind Just in Time (Part 3)"
13. "Jump Up In The Air (Stay There)" (Produced by Erykah Badu, RC Williams and Jahborn) (Contains an interpolation of "Hydraulic Pump" by Parliament Funkadelic.)

VOTE: Artist Faceoff Matchup 10: Brandy vs. Monica

PLEASE VOTE IN THE POLL ON THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER.

Click Here for complete tournament information

(8)Brandy

Vs.

(9)Monica

Which is the MORE TALENTED R&B Singer?

Click below for artist summaries.


Brandy

Albums:
* 1994: Brandy
* 1998: Never Say Never
* 2002: Full Moon
* 2004: Afrodisiac
* 2008: Human

Monica

Albums:
* 1995: Miss Thang
* 1998: The Boy Is Mine
* 2002: All Eyez on Me
* 2003: After the Storm
* 2006: The Makings of Me
* 2010: Still Standing

Matchup 9 Winner: Mariah Carey, Classic Vibe: Deborah Cox "Things Just Aint the Same" (1998)

I'm proud of Deborah Cox for getting those two votes, but in the end it was Mariah Carey who dominated as expected. Although she is widely considered an r&b singer, Deborah Cox has managed to score her biggest hits over the years with dance remixes to some of her hits; "Things Just Aint the Same" is a perfect example. The song peaked at number 56 on the Billboard Charts, but the dance remix reached number 1 on the Billboard Dance Charts. Currently, she is working with Tamia and Kelly Price on "The Queen Project" and I'm really anxious to see what comes out of that.

Lost Soul: Alicia Keys "Rearview Mirror"

Alicia Keys "Rearview Mirror"

"Rearview Mirror" was Alicia Keys' contribution to the Dr. Doolittle 2 soundtrack from 2001. If you haven't heard of this song, it's probably because it was released before Alicia would jump on the scene with her hit debut album. She actually appeared on four different soundtracks before her debut album including "Dah Dee Dah (Sexy Thing)" from the Men in Black Soundtrack in 1997. I always felt "Rearview Mirror" was a very nice song from Alicia and also carries a very good message. It's also one of the first times we got to hear her performing her trademark piano. What do you think, have you heard this one before?

Rare Gem: Marques Houston "Strip Club" & Tank "Strip Club" (Marques Houston Demo)

Marques Houston "Strip Club"

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Tank "Strip Club" (Marques Houston Demo)

From what I know about this song, Tank wrote it and originally intended it to be on his "Sex, Love, & Pain" album, but later on ended up selling it to Marques Houston for use on his own album. In fact, if you listen closely to the Marques Houston version of the song, you can hear Tank even singing backup. In the end, this song never made either artists album, as Marques Houston decided for whatever reason not to include this on his 2007 album "Veteran." However, on Tank's "Sex, Love & Pain" album, he has a version of this song called "I Love Them Girls" (Timbaland Remix) which is more uptempo and we can assume he included it as an alternative to this version. Both artists did a nice job with this, I can't really decide which I like better. Which do you prefer?

Rare Gem: Musiq Soulchild "Medio Loco" (Half Crazy Remix)

Musiq Soulchild "Medio Loco" (Half Crazy Remix)

Very rarely do you hear a remix to a song that is so different that you can barely recognize what is a remix to. The original of "Half Crazy" was a mid tempo jam with a subdued tone to it, while the remix could almost be mistaken for a party jam. I'm a fan though, I definitely appreciate the contract and prefer this type of remix to that where somebody will just use the exact some song and add a rapper to it. It takes a lot of creativity to turn a hit record into a new song that also stands out; another reason why I respect the talents of Musiq Soulchild. This version of the song was only available on the cd single to "Half Crazy" or the "Juslisen" album Special Edition.