Contemporary R&B

Contemporary R&B on vinyl: from new jack swing to today

In short: Contemporary R&B is modern R&B since the eighties: soul singing over beats from hip hop and electronic music. Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige and Babyface shaped the nineties, later came Beyoncé, Rihanna, The Weeknd and Blood Orange. The Vinyl Room currently has 186 records in this style.

What is contemporary R&B?

At the end of the eighties, new jack swing around producer Teddy Riley combined soul singing with hip hop beats – Bell Biv DeVoe’s “Poison” is a classic of the time. Producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis shaped Janet Jackson’s sound, and Mary J. Blige brought hip hop and soul together for good. Since the 2000s the style has ranged from Beyoncé and Rihanna to the dark, electronic records of The Weeknd.

What to look for

In the nineties the CD was the main format, and some albums came out on vinyl only in small runs. Individual original editions are therefore sought after – what matters is the edition and its condition. With newer albums, double LPs and coloured special editions are common.

From our stock

First pressings

Still sealed

New in

→ Funk & soul on vinyl · Hip hop on vinyl · How to spot a first pressing · Grading explained

FAQ

What is new jack swing? A style from the end of the eighties that combined soul singing with hip hop beats, shaped by producer Teddy Riley.

Are nineties R&B records sought after? Some original editions are, because certain albums came out on vinyl only in small runs at the time. What matters is the edition and its condition.

Is contemporary R&B the same as rhythm & blues? No. Rhythm & blues is the music of the forties and fifties, contemporary R&B the modern style since the eighties.