Tyrese asking Mainstream Radio ‘Where is the Love?’

Tyrese recently debuted his sixth and final album, Black Rose. He sold over 80,000 albums during the first week of sales debuting on the billboard charts as number 1 yet there is something amiss in all of this success. Mainstream radio is not playing his hit #1 song, Shame.  And chances are they won’t be playing much of his other songs either.  The album is amazing, after listening to it a few times, I agree that this is the kind of album you hit play and let it run through.  No skipping, not a few songs to love, ALL of the songs are dope.  His hard work and marketing stints, have proven to be successful.  Being on an independent label, Voltron Records with a staff of 7 people, he’s done much of the marketing himself.

With over 34 million fans combined on all his social medial accounts he has a listening audience and he’s not shy about expressing himself.  This week I was part of a group conference interview with the megastar and was blown away by his humbleness.  In the phone interview Tyrese said of his success, “I feel like my heart and my soul are floating above in the clouds up there, with the care bears, around the energy that’s happening with the Black Rose album.”  He’s emotional and thankful of the way his Black Rose album has been received.  We, the fans, have spoken.  R&B music lives, true fans are here and we’re representing.

However, Tyrese is asking and has us all now wondering the same, why isn’t Mainstream Radio playing his #1 song, Shame?  Urban stations are showing him the love, but he’s called out Ryan Seacrest and Elvis Duran and is yet to hear a response from them.  Why are they staying quiet on this? Makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Why do they repeat the same songs over and over and won’t give an album that is #1, any airplay? We know that the music industry is a business and there are things behind the scenes we may not know the ins and outs about, but fans want answers as well.  Tyrese is asking the “white” radio stations to play his song.  Do not for one minute mistake this for begging.  The actor/singer extraoidinare explained, “I’ve learned that Pride and EGO is the #1 career and relationship killer…to so many asking for support comes off as thirsty or begging but I know I need your support, I’m not gonna be  successful if the fans don’t show up and make a statement.”

If you check out Tyrese’s Facebook or instagram pages you will see his very open and honest posts about his feelings.  He’s said that white artists singing R&B are given airplay across all radio stations, urban, pop and mainstream, but what about a Black R&B singer like Tyrese?  Urban adult contemporary radio stations are the only type of stations showing him love.  Tyrese also shared, “The state of R&B is nearly extinct.  It’s no longer televised at the Grammys it’s in pre-telecast which feels like R&B doesn’t matter.”  This begs the question, why is it that a music genre so many love, has been pushed to the side?  While we support singers coming out with all kinds of new beats and types of music, different collaborations, etc., R&B is a deeply loved and revered music genre that many of us still support and love.  This lack of airplay on mainstream radio is an issue that all R&B singers face, not just Tyrese.  Not the R&B artists that are turning their songs into “house” music or collaborating with rappers as he points out many artists do for airplay.   Here in Florida for example, I don’t get to hear the type of music I did while living in the NY/NJ area and it makes me feel like i’m missing out. I have to tune into iHeart to listen to radio stations in urban areas to get my dose of the music I need and want to hear.

Tyrese continued on the interview:

“Music is Music, it has no limits, no boundaries, no sexual preferences, so I don’t create limits for myself and I don’t appreciate the limitations that mainstream radio seems to be putting on my music. You can’t tell me that having over 6 billion in the box office and the amount of fans I have, domestically and internationally that only Black music supports me because I’m Black, my music has no limits, no boundaries, period, end of story.  I’ve been on a mission… we’re #1 with a message, album being #1 on R&B charts is a message, Shame being #1 on billboard is sending a message, R&B fans are here, Urban AC radio I love you, you’re the reason we are able to live and survive and feed our kids and tour, but I’m a little frustrated with the boundaries that mainstream radio has created.  I don’t want mainstream radio  to play my song because I’m Black and sing R&B, I want you to play it because it’s a hit record”

So what are you waiting for Mainstream Radio? Tyrese just wants the opportunity to show his music and be promoted across the board like white artists are, but he’s not given that chance. Tyrese shared a tweet about a fan telling him to sit down.  Unbeknownst to that fan, Tyrese put HIM in his seat by explaining exactly how this shows the message he’s trying to get across.  People need to know his songs exist.

 

 

 

While Tyrese uses Sam Smith, Justin Timberlake and Robin Thick as examples of white guys singing soulful R&B being played across all kinds of Radio Stations, he makes sure to point out he has mad love for them all.  He said he recognizes the real talent these guys have and calls them geniuses.   He says this is not about competition.  They don’t deserve or get limitations as to where their music is played so why are there limits on Tyrese’s music? I hope that DJ’s across mainstream radio start showing Tyrese some love, like he said, not only because he’s out here making a statement, but because you can’t deny hit records.

 

A few more notes from the Tyrese interview, for those of us wondering, the rumors are true, we will be seeing Tyrese on the 2nd season of Empire.  And as for the reason why this is his last album, after fighting for custody for his daughter for a long time, he finally received joint legal 50% custody and he’s going to be there for his daughter sharing that pick ups and drop offs are real. In Tyrese’s own words, “This music is for everybody.”  I cosign that statement, loving the album and hope that we see some fair game on Radio soon, not just for Tyrese but for all of our adored R&B singers who are still in the game.