Originally published in 2003 on NE20.com (inactive)
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore–
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over–
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
“Dream Deferred” by Langston Hughes
Much has been made over the past few years of Whitney Houston’s bold statement that her husband, New Edition founding member and solo star Bobby Brown, is “the king of R&B”.
As of 1993, Bobby Brown has only released four CDs of original material. His star fell quickly after his second solo album Don’t Be Cruel made him a household name at age 19. Whitney Houston’s assertion is incorrect, but she hints at something I believe to be true: Bobby Brown could have become the king of R&B.
Bobby Brown is one of the last great singers in the soul tradition of Wilson Pickett and James Brown. There is a raw passion to his voice that is enduring to his fans. He sounds like a person who is in touch with his passion and his pain. He is a young man who has been through it and survived. And despite his longstanding interest in hip-hop, he continues to sing.
Bobby Brown had the one thing that his cohorts in New Edition lacked: star power. He proclaimed himself to be the King of Stage and took pride in his (sometimes controversial) concert performances. He had courage. He had a distinct identity. His decision to leave New Edition was bold. Who could have predicted the voice behind the chorus in “Mr. Telephone Man” would become a superstar? Wasn’t it lead singer Ralph Tresvant who was primed to follow in the footsteps of Michael Jackson? In terms of CD sales, Ralph has had the least successful solo career of any group member, while Bobby, the first (and most recent) member to leave the group, stole the show.
In some ways, Don’t Be Cruel is a producer’s record, but Bobby’s energy and joy are infectious. “My Prerogative” is his signature song, an expression of a young man’s desire to be. And “Every Little Step” is pop perfection.
His follow-up CD, Bobby, was ambitious but unfocused. Artistically, it doesn’t compare to Bruce Springsteen’s Tunnel of Love, but, like The Boss’s record, we heard the voice of a man struggling with his marriage. At age 23, Bobby decided to marry one of the most successful female performers ever. A closer listen to Bobby escaped the general public as Brown and Houston became tabloid staples.
Forever, released in 1997, has its moments (especially the title track) but there is nothing on the CD that could have restored Bobby to his throne as “King of New Jack Swing” (a title also given to producer Teddy Riley). Legal troubles, health problems and changing public tastes have taken their toll on this once-promising career. However, after over twenty years in entertainment, Bobby Brown is still a young man. He’s got the voice, and, as his recent duet with Ja Rule reveals, he still has passion. But does he still have the ability to make an honest claim to the title “King of R&B”?
Will Leon 