What happened to slow jams?

So Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and it got me thinking, what the fuck happened to R&B music? Maybe I'm just not paying attention to newer releases, but compared to the R&B music of the past, modern R&B is hurting big time.

Don't believe me that the older stuff is better? Just check out the absolute fire that is our Downtempo Love Jams playlist. Here are five top tracks from the list to get you started. Happy Valentine's Day!

Willie Hutch - I Choose You (1973)

Guy - Let's Chill (1990)

Babyface - Whip Appeal (1989)

Bobby Brown - Roni (1988)

Surface - Happy (1986)

Visit the complete Metrowax Downtempo Love Jams playlist on youtube for more great slow jams!

Any opinions on why R&B has fallen off so hard? I have no idea, but I guess if there was a demand for it, they would still be making it, right? Maybe newer artists just can't hope to match these classic tracks, so they give up before they even start?

Joe Pesci has something to tell you!

A special request from Joe Pesci. Now go get your shinebox!

Rare Sticker: Air Pun

Here's an interesting sticker we found today. It features the late great Big Pun in an Air Jordan pose. It has been stuck to a Craig Mack record, but cool nonetheless.

What kind of rare stickers have you found?

Brazillian man wants ALL of the vinyl records.

Photo Credit Sebastián Liste/Noor, for The New York Times

I've seen plenty of collectors and hoarders and some have had a lot of vinyl. But nothing compared to this guy. He takes the cake for vinyl buying.

The Brazilian Bus Magnate Who’s Buying Up All the World’s Vinyl Records

Classic Joints: Huge record collection from NYC!

We actually got this a little over a month ago now. Straight dope from the home of hip hop - Brooklyn, NY. We have just started to scratch the surface but already we've unearthed some classic joints. A lot of this is classic hip hop from the 90's, but there's other stuff in here too. Should be fun to go through this! Keep an eye on our new listings to have a chance to acquire some of these.

No kidding. That's 8 copies of Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death.

To see more pictures from this collection, please check out The Big Dig Pt. 2 on cratedigging.co. All photos were taken by rchecka as the digging was done.

Record Store Day is good for everyone, right?

 

This interesting new essay from The Quietus highlights some potential issues with Record Store Day and does not hold back on their criticism. Currently, Record Store Day management will not allow hardworking internet vinyl retailers (like us) to buy their releases. But we've been doing just fine without them, thank you very much. Does anyone care about Record Store Day anymore?

Wu-Tang Clan Produces a One-Of-One Album

A must-read article from Forbes on a very relevant topic: The devaluation of music as an art form. Wu-Tang pioneer RZA is trying to stem this tide by releasing just one copy of the latest Wu-Tang album. Read the full article here.

Rare Photo: Sister Souljah & Ice Cube In The Studio

Back from a hiatus with a rare photo we found while going through a box of records recently. Even if you have every Ice Cube or Sister Souljah collectible in the known universe, you still don't have this.

I pulled this straight from the NOT FOR SALE stack, but if your offer is compelling, I will listen.

Vinyl Continues It's Amazing Resurgence; CD Sales Remain In Sharp Decline

Lions - This Generation 8x7" Box Set W/Download (2012)

This well-written article from Playboy underscores the resurgence of vinyl once again. It's clear as a bell now for anyone but the most casual music fans: CD's will die, and vinyl will live on. Vinyl sounds and looks better and has a much higher cool factor as well. Add in the free downloads now being included with most new vinyl purchases, and there's really no comparison between the two formats anymore. Look for vinyl to continue to pick up legions of new fans as they gradually discover it's positive qualities.

Huge Hip Hop Record Collection Bought!

New Record Collection: Fresh From the Dock!

We just scored a HUGE 25,000 record collection. It's mostly mint, it's mostly hip hop, and it's mostly good stuff. These records have plenty of stories to tell and we expect plenty of surprises as we dig through these in the coming weeks. For now, check out the Imgur post from my boy rchecka who breaks it down better than anyone.

The original owner of this one is DJ B-Mello, an A-List DJ from Seattle. He's one of the greatest mixtape DJ's ever and has been in the game for close to 20 years. To read more about DJ B-Mello, check out these links.

DJ B-Mello on Facebook 
DJ B-Mello on Twitter
DJ B-Mello Profile on Kube 93 Seatlle