R.I.P: New Jack Swing's Hip Hop/R&B Hybrid

FUSE TV - R.I.P: New Jack Swing's Hip Hop/R&B Hybrid

The big genres—rock, hip hop, dance—aren't going anywhere, but smaller, more niche genres come and go, defining a particular place and time before becoming a musical footnote. In our new feature Obituary for a Genre, we eulogize and resurrect these forgotten musical moments. In this edition: New Jack Swing.

In a December 1990 Baltimore Sun article previewing hip-hop/R&B group Bell Biv Devoe’s upcoming New Year’s Eve gig, member Ricky Bell described his group’s music as “mentally hip-hop, smoothed out on the R&B tip, with a pop feel appeal to it. We want to be the first to express this kind of music.”

They were a few years too late on the whole “first to express” thing, but Bell’s definition encapsulates the preeminent urban genre of the late-1980s and early-1990s: New Jack Swing. Started in earnest with Janet Jackson’s 1986 behemoth third album Control, the genre fused the hard-hitting rhythms and raps of hip hop with smooth R&B and radio-friendly pop and would eventually dominate mainstream music.

Before New Jack Swing, hip hop and R&B agreed to disagreed. Hip hop barely existed on R&B radio and the only R&B tracks you’d hear on hip hop albums was the occasional Side B ballad (Exhibit A: LL Cool J’s 1987 track “I Need Love” from Bad).

More than anyone, former Guy member and uber–producer Teddy Riley destroyed that. A producer since his teens, by the time he was 21, he had, as writer Michaelangelo Matos put it, “long since altered the entire nature of R&B. He did it by refusing to act as if it had been different than that of hip-hop.”

Hip-Hop Houdini

Hip-Hop Houdini

Hip Hop Houdini - Trailer

1m

Hip Hop Houdini - Trailer

Jesse Serves Up Serious R&B Vibes with "Never Know"

3m

Jesse Serves Up Serious R&B Vibes with "Never Know"

Hip-Hop Stars & NBA Legends Signature Sneakers

6m

Hip-Hop Stars & NBA Legends Signature Sneakers

Cardboard Box Trick With Fat Joe: Hip-Hop Houdini Extra

3m

Cardboard Box Trick With Fat Joe: Hip-Hop Houdini Extra

Young R.E.A.D Feat.Young M.A

20m

Young R.E.A.D Feat.Young M.A

T-Pain, Phora, Jack & Jack

26m

T-Pain, Phora, Jack & Jack

Comin Out Swinging

20m

Comin Out Swinging

Rhett & Link, Tyler Posey, CNCO, Jack & Jack

21m

Rhett & Link, Tyler Posey, CNCO, Jack & Jack

B.o.B

20m

B.o.B

B+

2m

B+

B Plus

10m

B Plus

Xristina Tries To Romance A Ghost At A Haunted B&B

2m

Xristina Tries To Romance A Ghost At A Haunted B&B

In Your B.A.S.E.

22m

In Your B.A.S.E.

New York, New York

21m

New York, New York

The Luxurious NYC Housing Authority AirBnB

5m

The Luxurious NYC Housing Authority AirBnB

Will.I.Am: The Way I Am

3603s

Will.I.Am: The Way I Am

If I Should Die Before I Wake

57m

If I Should Die Before I Wake

New Blood

45m

New Blood

New Beginnings

20m

New Beginnings

New Generation

56s

New Generation

B Plus Praises Jazz and Afrofuturism Pioneer Sun Ra

2m

B Plus Praises Jazz and Afrofuturism Pioneer Sun Ra

Ian Calls Music Video Editing Process "A B-tch"

1m

Ian Calls Music Video Editing Process "A B-tch"

J.I.D

20m

J.I.D

A New High

1h 39m

A New High

New Cage King

44m

New Cage King

What Do I Do

41m

What Do I Do

I Need A Plane

21m

I Need A Plane

I Rank Velvet #1

21m

I Rank Velvet #1

Rock the Bells

21m

Rock the Bells

New Boss of Bounce

21m

New Boss of Bounce

A New High - Trailer

2m

A New High - Trailer

New Girl In Town

22m

New Girl In Town

I Can Smell That Smell

46m

I Can Smell That Smell

I Played One on TV

46m

I Played One on TV

Whitney Houston: As I Am

53m

Whitney Houston: As I Am

Man, I’m Getting Married

23m

Man, I’m Getting Married

I Took The Wrong Pill

21m

I Took The Wrong Pill

Ian Performs Sexy Slow Jam "Every Living Little Thing"

3m

Ian Performs Sexy Slow Jam "Every Living Little Thing"

New York Skate Of Mind

22m

New York Skate Of Mind

The New York City Hustle

1m

The New York City Hustle

I've Got This Foot Thing

21m

I've Got This Foot Thing

I Don't Trust The Cloud

21m

I Don't Trust The Cloud

"I'm Not A Role Model"

23m

"I'm Not A Role Model"

J.I.D., Madame Gandhi, 24kGoldn

24m

J.I.D., Madame Gandhi, 24kGoldn

The Cadets and Their Spankin New Toys

43s

The Cadets and Their Spankin New Toys

LGBTQIA Community, What Is The New Norm?

6m

LGBTQIA Community, What Is The New Norm?

Statik Selektah

10m

Statik Selektah

The DCI Struggles of Starting A New Summer

46s

The DCI Struggles of Starting A New Summer

Out With The Old, In With The New

20m

Out With The Old, In With The New

Smoothini Schools Iggy Azalea In Magic

2m

Smoothini Schools Iggy Azalea In Magic

Big Trouble In Little Chinese Restaurant

9m

Big Trouble In Little Chinese Restaurant

Casey Brings Her Hosting Skills To iCandy Nightclub

1m

Casey Brings Her Hosting Skills To iCandy Nightclub

Sole Searching

Sole Searching

16 Bars

1h 32m

16 Bars

16 Bars - Trailer

1m

16 Bars - Trailer

Junction 48 - Trailer

1m

Junction 48 - Trailer

The Life and Death of Tupac Shakur

1h 2m

The Life and Death of Tupac Shakur

Fat Joe

20m

Fat Joe

Eminem: Count Me In

3657s

Eminem: Count Me In

Ice-T and Coco

22m

Ice-T and Coco

Attack Of The Tethered Strippers

8m

Attack Of The Tethered Strippers

Junction 48

1h 31m

Junction 48

Peter Rosenberg

10m

Peter Rosenberg

Snoop Dogg: Uncaged

41m

Snoop Dogg: Uncaged

DJ Khaled: Another Win

41m

DJ Khaled: Another Win

Sole Searching: Inside DXC Sneaker Con 2013

4m

Sole Searching: Inside DXC Sneaker Con 2013

Inside Reebok and Future's Fury Pop-Up Shop

5m

Inside Reebok and Future's Fury Pop-Up Shop

Jill Michelle Melean, Eric Schwartz

45m

Jill Michelle Melean, Eric Schwartz

Calmatic

20m

Calmatic

Reebok Classic Leather 30th Anniversary Party

1m

Reebok Classic Leather 30th Anniversary Party

Ace Hood

20m

Ace Hood

Jay-Z: Ultimate Hustle

42m

Jay-Z: Ultimate Hustle

G Fella Delivers More Grilling Tips and Talks New Music

4m

G Fella Delivers More Grilling Tips and Talks New Music

T-Pain's School Of Business

T-Pain's School Of Business

The Exclusive Premiere of Big Freedia's New Music Video, "BigFoot"

3m

The Exclusive Premiere of Big Freedia's New Music Video, "BigFoot"

Becky G Learns Magic

4m

Becky G Learns Magic

Lil Jon Learns A Magic Trick

5m

Lil Jon Learns A Magic Trick

Up NYC and Reebok Freebanz

11m

Up NYC and Reebok Freebanz

New York Rapper G Fella Pens Anthem for Playoff Knicks: G-Thing

1m

New York Rapper G Fella Pens Anthem for Playoff Knicks: G-Thing

Waka Flocka Flame Learns Magic

5m

Waka Flocka Flame Learns Magic

The Trap House Slide

10m

The Trap House Slide

J Dilla's Vinyl Collection

26m

J Dilla's Vinyl Collection

Fila Returns with 96s and Ninja Turtles

6m

Fila Returns with 96s and Ninja Turtles

A$AP Ferg Learns A Magic Trick

4m

A$AP Ferg Learns A Magic Trick

Concrete Jungle

46m

Concrete Jungle

Expectations vs Reality: California Livin'

2m

Expectations vs Reality: California Livin'

Classixx

9m

Classixx

Love Stakes

20m

Love Stakes

The Man Behind Day DJ

1m

The Man Behind Day DJ

King Britt

10m

King Britt

Have Beauty Standards Changed Over The Years?

8m

Have Beauty Standards Changed Over The Years?

Why This Show Exists?

8m

Why This Show Exists?