R&B is finally regaining its presence in the mainstream. With rising acts like Kehlani and Leon Thomas and established artists like Chris Brown, it has quietly become a part of pop culture as it did in decades past. It’s no longer just a launching pad for artists to go pop or an extra skill for rappers like Drake to wield. Hopefully, in time, we’ll go back to having the energy Jodeci and Usher once brought to the table.
But in the background, artists in the underground kept R&B alive and fresh for die-hard fans of the genre. Moreover, some of them have been holding down the fort for years while pop culture lagged behind. So, we’ve spotlighted three underground R&B singers who have been integral to the genre’s spirit for years and still thrive today.
Three Underground R&B Singers That Have Quietly Made Great Careers for Themselves
Liv.e
The neo-soul label tends to get tossed around a ton very loosely. Frankly, anyone even vaguely earthy and not mainstream contemporary might get the claim. But not many of them capture the true essence of artists like Erykah Badu or D’Angelo. Typically, they’re derivative copies that don’t bring anything fresh to R&B.
That’s what makes Liv.e’s music especially potent. The Dallas born crooner takes the funk and grooviness and applies it to the modern world. She’ll take the universal aspects of love and relationships and juxtapose it with social quirks and problems of today. For instance, her album with Karriem Riggins as GENA saw her go from lovesick to needing an emergency therapy session due to her anger. There’s a nuttiness to her songwriting that differentiates her from anyone working in R&B today.
Phonte
You could easily argue Phonte is just as good of a singer as he is a rapper, if not better. Naturally, underground hip-hop fans adore his work with Big Pooh as Little Brother, rapping on classic 9th Wonder beats. But it’s his work with Nicolay as Foreign Exchange that has made for some of my favorite R&B songs of the 2000s and 2010s.
Additionally, Phonte doesn’t let the traditions of R&B forsake the mature songwriting and sense of humor that make him such a distinct artist. Records like Leave It All Behind shows Phonte singing about the trials and tribulations of long-term, committed relationships. Sometimes, those moments will lead him to having to sleep on the couch or having to quell anxieties amidst the mundanities of a healthy love life.
Other times, you’ll get songs like “Beverly Hills” where Phonte croons about a sweet West Hollywood romance while Devin Morrison prods at the annoying artificiality of LA socialites and how that manifests in some truly horrid dates. You’re unlikely to get any R&B artist provide such a fresh perspective in R&B as a whole, let alone the underground. The fact he’s been able to do it for decades is a testament to the good will and discography he’s built.
JMSN
Save for some viral moments on X with his music video for “Soft Spot“, JMSN has been operating in R&B’s underground for decades now. When he wasn’t producing for rappers like Kendrick Lamar, he wielded a wild falsetto and fused rock and funk with a gorgeous old soul.
Take “Talk is Cheap”, an old-fashioned sex jam that would’ve thrived in the 70s performing in smoky bars. In a sense, you could say he was born in the wrong generation. But I’d argue he’s simply suggesting we go back to a time when R&B was loved and adored and expand on its roots.
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