Keepin’ It Real?:

When TMZ caught up with soul singer, Angie Stone, she was asked about Bruno Mars and she wasted no time sharing her opinion of the situation. While she admitted she has love for Bruno, she believes the biggest issue is a matter of respect. “We love Bruno Mars. This is not about Bruno Mars for us,” Stone told the publication. “However, when it comes to the history of hip-hop and our contributions….pay. You can’t just take people stuff and walk with it.” She went on to discuss Mark Ronson’s hit single, “Uptown Funk,” which features Bruno Mars.

Check out Angie’s statement:

Of course, the “Wish I Didn’t Miss You” singer even pointed out the fiaso surrounding The Sequence, the soul trio she recorded “Funk You Up” with. She also reiterated how Bruno admitted he was inspired by The Sequence but since “Funk You Up” wasn’t exactly a sample, the group wasn’t compensated for Bruno’s “Uptown Funk.” Stone explained, “Bruno acknowledged The Sequence in a tweet very long ago saying ‘this was influenced by The Sequence.” She added, “Do your homework because you are a brilliant artist but you need to respect the game.”

Listen to The Sequence – “Funk You Up”:

Now, check out Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk”

Of course, Bruno’s style has garnered mixed opinions but most fans still insist they’ll keep bobbin’ to the beat.

Karaoke Or Nah?:

Angie Stone’s statement follows Meshell Ndegeocello’s statements about Bruno’s new hit single “Finesse.” The track may not be funk-inspired, but Ndegeocello argues that the “Finesse” sound comes from somewhere. She insists Bruno only duplicated Bel Biv DeVoe’s New Jack Swing sound so the track isn’t exactly “original.” She said, “What he’s doing is karaoke, basically. With “Finesse,” in particular, I think he was simply copying Bell Biv DeVoe. I think he was copying Babyface. And definitely, there were some elements of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis back when they worked with Human League. I feel like there’s just all these threads running through there but not in a genuine way.”

She went on to explain the thin line between original musicianship and karaoke. “It’s really a matter of musicality and being able to manipulate the tropes in a way that makes it feel personal. It can’t just be a pastiche, where you’re copying or mimicking an old sound or just doing karaoke. There has to be a form of sincerity.”

Those comments sparked all kinds of debates online. While many die-hard fans have defended Bruno, there are others who admitted they actually agree with the likes of Meshell Ndegeochello and Angie Stone. “Bruno’s music sounds scientifically manufactured to get hits and be played on the radio – without soul. He does it very well but it leaves me flat,” one person wrote. Another person also offered a different perspective of Ndegeochello’s statements which suggests her words were a lot like Angie Stone’s. “She isn’t a hater. Just speaking her mind on the state of music. She never said he wasn’t talented. Just not innovating the music he is inspired by. I love Bruno and I can agree with this assessment of his work. Its art and art is meant to be critiqued.”

Should Bruno be more creative or should people just let the man live? Share your thoughts.

The post Angie Stone Slams Bruno Mars, Claims He Needs To Pay Homage To Those Who ‘Inspired Funk’ appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Meshell Ndegeocello usually stays under the radar, but today, she’s a trending topic. Why? Because she opened a big can of worms with her recent interview. As expected, the hella talented 90s musician/singer discussed her career and the moves she’s making these days: new music, great covers, and other opportunities are on the horizon. But the part of her interview that really turned heads, centers around her brutally honest opinion of one of todays biggest pop artists in the game- Bruno Mars. Apparently, Ndegeocello ain’t moved one bit by Bruno, no matter how many records he sells, or how many awards he wins. Her words were loud and clear. In a nutshell, You Made A Fool Of Me” singer doesn’t see the “24K Magic” singer as an example of originality. She broke it all down during her recent interview with Billboard.

All Karaoke, Nothin’ Real:

During the interview, Ndegeocello was asked about Bruno Mars. For those who don’t know, Bruno racked up at the 2018 Grammy’s, taking home six awards for many of the major categories, including Best R&B Performance, Best R&B Album, Best R&B Song and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. In fact, his 24K Magic album even won “Album of the Year.” With more than two million records sold, Bruno Mars’ third album has been certified double platinum. We all know with the digital world we live in, it’s hard for a talented artist to get a certified gold album. So, it would seem like Bruno is an exception to the rule, right? Apparently, not to Meshell Ndegeocello. She made it clear she isn’t too impressed with the Bruno’s modern-day version of ‘New Jack Swing’ and other 80s and 90s elements. In a nutshell, she sees it as “karaoke.”

Meshell Ndegeocello: “What he’s doing is karaoke, basically. With ‘Finesse,’ in particular, I think he was simply copying Bell Biv DeVoe. I think he was copying Babyface. And definitely there were some elements of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis back when they worked with Human League. I feel like there’s just all these threads running through there but not in a genuine way.”

When asked about the thin line between karaoke and artistic freedom, she admitted there’s a way to manipulate elements of the past and make it your own but you have to find that balance:

“It’s really a matter of musicality and being able to manipulate the tropes in a way that makes it feel personal. It can’t just be a pastiche, where you’re copying or mimicking an old sound or just doing karaoke. There has to be a form of sincerity.”

Fans’ Reaction:

Of course, Ndegeocello has opened the door for a huge debate. While many people have agreed with Bruno Mars’ ability to slip through the cracks because his music caters to urban culture, others actually defended him, arguing Ndegeocello is intimidated by the singer’s success. However, many social media users are on the fence about the issue, because they feel Bruno just played his cards right by catering to a specific group of listeners. So, it’s obvious there’s a little love/hate goin’ on where Bruno Mars is concerned.

One reader wrote:

“The petty part of me just can’t stand him. I also hate when people use the Puerto Rican defense when way more than half of Peurto Ricans identified themselves as White on the census. Bruno Mars is mediocre in every way, and his love of R&B and soul never seems organic. He, like many of the White artists who do the same thing, know they can become more successful doing that type of music because they aren’t Black. Anybody who is not Black who puts on a Black costume to appropriate the culture can be called out. The fact that Bruno even has an AOTY Grammy proves he’s not Black because some of the most revolutionary Black artists (Prince) of all time never won it. Also, ‘The Story of O.J.’ and ‘XXX’ alone are better than anything Bruno Mars has released in his whole career.”

In Bruno’s defense, another fan wrote:

“I find Meshell’s comments to be hella petty & jealous. Look: Bruno Mars has admitted to admiring and intentionally sounding like lots of artists that pre-date him. But as a true-blue-music addict, a fan of various genres and artists, as a 40-something with musical tastes that go back to the 50’s, I truly do not believe that Bruno is mimicking or doing karaoke-ish replications of anyone’s music. Part of the problem is that those of us on the other side of 35, 40, have a wider range of music in our memory banks than the under 30 set. Whereas everything Bruno does may sound new to them, from start to finish, we are reminded of similar artists & songs from the past. What’s wrong with that? It’s no different from wanting to be an actress because you like Angela Bassett or wanting to cook because you like Rachel Ray. Choosing the same career as an idol doesn’t mean that you’re trying to be them. Damn, let the man live!”

Do you think Bruno Mars (1) straight up jacked 80s/90s legends as Meshell Ndegeocello stated; (2)  just played his cards right, or (3) is he original? Talk to us ILOSM fam.’

The post Meshell Ndegeocello Sparks Racial Debate After Slamming The Hell Outta Bruno Mars, Fans React appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Little did those rap divas know back then, that 35 years later (in 2014) a new generation of artists- Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson- would release a mega, multi-platinum hit, titled “Uptown Funk,” and make millions from it. That’s far more than The Sequence ever made from their ’79 Sugar Hill Records hit. See where we’re going with this?

In the 2014 song that has helped further catapult Bruno and Ronson’s career into the next stratosphere, Bruno is heard repeatedly chanting the lyrics, “Uptown Funk you up, Uptown Funk you up, Uptown Funk you up, Uptown Funk you up,” among other “funk” references.

Now, a few years after the song’s release, Angie and her crew believe that Bruno and Mark need to pay up for using their song’s reference:

In court docs, obtained by TMZ, the group claims Mars’ hit has “significant and substantially similar compositional elements” of “Funk You Up.” […] The Sequence is asking for a jury trial and unspecified amount of money from Mars — and songwriter Ronson — who penned the track.

So far, Bruno Mars, nor Mark Ronson have commented publicly on this matter.

ILOSM family, do you think they owe The Sequence rap group money for their song?

The post Angie Stone & Her 1970’s Rap Group Members Suing Bruno Mars For Major $$$ appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

First The Gap Band Won

Y’all know the song, “Uptown Funk,” by Mark Ronson (producer) and singer, Bruno Mars, right? That joint still hits hard on radio TV, film, wherever. It released in 2014 and became one of the biggest hits  of that year, going 11 times platinum and getting streamed a few BILLION times online. Dayumn!

That following year, Billboard reported that publishing company,  Minder Music, filed a legal complaint on behalf of The gap Band, stating that “Uptown Funk” stole elements of their 1979 hit, “Oops Upside Your Head.” As a result, The Gap Band members were added as 5 additional writers to “Uptown Funk” and to this day they’re reportedly getting 17% of the earnings from that mega hit. And again I say…dayumn!

Why The New Zapp Band Song Lawsuit?

‘Dayumn’ is probably also what Lastrada Entertainment is saying about those earnings, because now they are looking to get paid from it. According to the lawsuit they’ve filed against Mark Ronson (but not Bruno Mars, because he was just featured on Ronson’s song), the other producers of the song, Apple Music, and Spotify, “Uptown Funk” jacked parts of Zapp Band’s “More Bounce To The Ounce,” for 48 seconds of the song:

Via LiveForLiveMusic– The lawsuit has been filed by Lastrada Entertainment, a licensing company and owner of the rights to Zapp’s music. In the lawsuit against Ronson and company, Lastrada Entertainment alleges that Mark Ronson’s megahit sounds eerily similar to Zapp’s 1980 hit “More Bounce To The Ounce,” specifically calling out the first 48 seconds of “Uptown Funk” for plagiarism. […] One thing that’s for sure is that this lawsuit is sure to be costly for both parties, with such suits frequently costing into the millions and spanning years and multiple appeals.

Do They Sound Similar?

Check out the songs below and let us know if you think “Uptown Funk” sounds like Zapp Band’s “More Bounce To The Ounce”…
Zapp Band “More Bounce To The Ounce”

Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars “Uptown Funk”

The post After Gap Band Won, Zapp Band Now Suing For Big $ Over Bruno Mars/Ronson Hit appeared first on I Love Old School Music.