|
|
Music Stars Big on Guest Cameos
submitted by: Ralph M.
source: Associated Press
Date: August 22, 2001
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP Music Writer
NEW YORK (AP) - Pairing different music stars for a hit song is a tradition: Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder, The Supremes and the Temptations, Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias.
But what used to be a special occasion has become an everyday occurrence. Now it's not uncommon to find four, five or even 10 guest artists on one album.
"When you listen to the radio, it seems like everyone is making what we call 'posse cuts,"' said Emil Wilbekin, editor-in-chief at Vibe magazine. "And on posse cuts, it's not just about one artist, it's about several artists."
In a competitive industry where even established artists have trouble keeping fans' attention, musical cameos have become almost expected as acts try to win new fans from each other and across genres.
"If you're doing an album and people think that Whitney's on the album, they are going to go get it because Whitney's on the album," said Wyclef Jean, whose last album, "The Ecleftic," had contributions from Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, Kenny Rogers and even professional wrestler The Rock.
But Jean, a member of the hip-hop group the Fugees and a producer and songwriter, said sales are not the major reason he taps star power for his records.
"The reason I do it is because all my CDs I try and make like mini-movies," he said. "I like to get a cast, so I try to look for a cast that would fit the topic."
The "casts" on some discs have more star power than a summer blockbuster. For instance, on Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott's new CD, she enlists the help of at least 11 other performers, from Eve to the ubiquitous Jay-Z.
Mariah Carey's upcoming disc "Glitter" features numerous guests - even her current hit, "Loverboy," a sample of an old Cameo tune, features Ludacris, Da Brat, Cameo's own Larry Blackmon and others.
"What people are finding is that you get more bang for your buck when you not only have one successful artist, but three successful artists working on one track," said Wilbekin.
The trend is especially popular in rap and R&B - so much so that the Grammy Awards recently added a category for it: best rap/sung collaboration, which will be handed out for the first time next year.
"I think collaborations are important because you get the two worlds to mix up - hip-hop and R&B, and R&B and rock 'n' roll," said Mary J. Blige. "Everybody gets a chance to see everybody's audience."
Two of this summer's most popular tunes featured collaborations between rappers and singers: the "Lady Marmalade" remake, with singers Christina Aguilera, Mya, Pink and rapper Lil' Kim; and "Let Me Blow Ya Mind," with rapper Eve and Gwen Stefani of No Doubt.
Rapper Ja Rule's last few hits have all been collaborations: "Put It On Me" featured rapper Vita and singer Lil' Mo; "I Cry" also featured Lil' Mo; and his remix of Jennifer Lopez's hit "I'm Real" is now the second-most popular song in the country.
Rapper Foxy Brown could be a candidate for the new Grammy category: among the collaborations on her latest disc, "Broken Silence," is a song with R&B veteran Ronald Isley of the Isley Brothers.
"It just brings a different aura to the music, because I'm hip-hop," said Brown. "He's a legend, and he's great, and it just brought a different feel to the hard-core hip-hop."
The Isley Brothers went the same route on their latest disc, "Eternal." Their first single, a collaboration with R. Kelly and Chante Moore, is a top-five hit on the R&B charts and has propelled their album to a No. 3 debut on next week's Billboard Hot 200 albums. Other guests on it include Grammy nominee Jill Scott.
Sometimes, guest collaborations are used to boost the profile of older artists among younger buyers. Carlos Santana's "Supernatural" album tapped hot younger acts such as Matchbox Twenty's Rob Thomas to appeal to a generation unaware of the baby-boomer guitarist. The album went on to sell millions of copies and win eight Grammys.
Yet collaborations don't always pay off. Run-DMC used everyone from Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst to Kid Rock on the comeback disc "Crown Royal," released earlier this year, but it flopped.
"There's only so many times you can go to that well," said Geoff Mayfield, director of charts at Billboard magazine. "Just because it worked for someone else doesn't mean that it will work (for you)."
Site design by: Dolphin Webpage Designs © 1996-2001