Ruben's Album Drops Today!


Warndalyn

Warndalyn

Postmaster General!!!
I stole this from mofos.com...read on.

American Idol

Every morning while having breakfast at my desk, I go online to read the Daily News. Today, I see another article about that freakin' Clay Aiken (who came in second place in this year's American Idol competition) and how his album, which debuted this week, is number one on the Billboard charts.

Don't get me wrong, Clay has a nice voice. But Clay DID NOT WIN the competition. Ruben Studdard did.

Several things amaze me about this situation:

1. From what I can gather, both Ruben and Clay are signed with RCA records. Last year, only the first place winner (don't care to remember her name) was signed to a label and marketed. Next, RCA will have them touring together;

2. Clay is being promoted as the next Boy Wonder, the best thing next to sliced white bread. Truth is, he came in second. Not first place, but second;

3. The chick that won last year is still being promoted by her record label, as evidenced by the fact that her debut CD is still on the Billboard charts;

4. Don't think America was (or ever will be) ready for an African American winner on American Idol, no matter how talented, cute and cuddly he is (sorry, I have this thing for king-size men). If this wasn't the case, then Ruben would be on a whirlwind tour of the planet promoting his upcoming album;

5. In regards to the record label, they are seriously pushing the heck out of Clay and probably expect Ruben's album to sell by word of mouth. And reviews of Clay's album were not flattering in the least bit.

Which is why I propose this. Surely no one I know bought Clay's album. We did not help to put him "on the map". But we can do it for Ruben, who by far has the better voice. Aiken's "Measure of a Man" sold 612,859 copies in its first week, giving him the third-highest debut of the year, (50 Cent's "Get Rich or Die Trying" is number one for this year).

On Tuesday, December 9, Ruben Studdard's CD "Soulful" hits stores nationwide. Go out and buy one or two copies and make sure your friends buy a copy also. With our dollars, we can surpass Clay's first week's numbers and remind RCA who they should have been promoting all along. And also remind America who won their competition.

Put December 9th on your calendar. If you can, send this email to people you know. Get the word out.
 
Im going to BestBuy and getting 2 copies.

One for me and one for my Mama.

Gotta support AAMU.
 



Dang!!!

Since you put it like that, I'll go buy a copy when I go to pick up Musiq's new CD.
I do like Rueben's voice.
 
Originally posted by Suge
Dayum shame people even want to make an album release into a racial issue......:(
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Is your Baby's Mama Kimberly gonna drop anything, or is she gonna ride Ruben's and Clay's coattails for another year?
 
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I'll leave that one for those that feel him. Dude don't really get my respect because he really didn't pay any real dues in the music biz to me.
 
Originally posted by evilken21
I'll leave that one for those that feel him. Dude don't really get my respect because he really didn't pay any real dues in the music biz to me.
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that was the dumbest thing I have read on this post...
 
Originally posted by evilken21
I'll leave that one for those that feel him. Dude don't really get my respect because he really didn't pay any real dues in the music biz to me.
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And that's reason enough to not support him? C'mon now!

I support him just for the simple facts that he can actually sing and he's from a SWAC school (and Phi Mu Alpha)! That's enough right there to give him my money!
 
Originally posted by CriTAUcal
And that's reason enough to not support him? C'mon now!

I support him just for the simple facts that he can actually sing and he's from a SWAC school (and Phi Mu Alpha)! That's enough right there to give him my money!
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Him being from the same conference which I was getting my education in is no reason for me to like him. His getting from point A to point B was viewed in a hamster cage if you will. I like an artist to come from outta nowhere than to be observed on TV for a season......but that's just me.
 
Originally posted by evilken21
Him being from the same conference which I was getting my education in is no reason for me to like him. His getting from point A to point B was viewed in a hamster cage if you will. I like an artist to come from outta nowhere than to be observed on TV for a season......but that's just me.
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So you think he was just OBSERVED ON TV?????? He has been in the music industry a LONG time.. so who are you to say he hasnt payed any dues????? Hell he QUIT football at AAMU because it was making him miss choir practices.... That isnt paying dues???? You dont know anything about him to say he hasnt payed his dues... He fortunately got a break.... Every artist gets a break somewhere, lucky for him his was on national television.
 
Originally posted by DAHILL
So you think he was just OBSERVED ON TV?????? He has been in the music industry a LONG time.. so who are you to say he hasnt payed any dues????? Hell he QUIT football at AAMU because it was making him miss choir practices.... That isnt paying dues???? You dont know anything about him to say he hasnt payed his dues... He fortunately got a break.... Every artist gets a break somewhere, lucky for him his was on national television.
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You're from the same state he is. Went to the same school as he did. I didn't know all of that because I'm an outsider. Like I said, that's my view on the ordeal, and his LP is one I wouldn't go and purchase.
 



Originally posted by evilken21
Him being from the same conference which I was getting my education in is no reason for me to like him. His getting from point A to point B was viewed in a hamster cage if you will. I like an artist to come from outta nowhere than to be observed on TV for a season......but that's just me.
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I never said you had to like him, I said support a brother! Man, it's Christmas! You can buy the CD and give it as a gift! Just an idea....
But those were my reasons for supporting Rueben (being from a SWAC and actually knowing how to sing). You don't have to agree with my reasons.


But you're right... "to each his own..."
 
More Footage!!!

UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED BY MUSIC: Ruben and Clay bring out the true colors of Americans.
by Angela Spann / [email protected]


(Dec. 9, 2003) When did music become so political? Back in the day when things were cool, if someone liked a song, they called their local radio station and requested it. If they really loved it, they bought the album and stood in line for hours for tickets and really didn't care who else showed up at the concert. The more, the merrier, they thought to themselves. Music used to unite people.

Ask any American to recall exactly what they were doing when they first heard "Here and Now" by Luther Vandross or Phil Collins' "In The Air Tonight" and they'll probably tell you that they were either at a wedding or sitting around discussing urban myths over drinks, respectfully.

Roll the musical clock back a few more years and you'd see that no other artist has done more to unite music fans than Michael Jackson. His record-breaking career stats were only second to the fact that "Thriller" and "Beat It" were being sung in every language imaginable.

Now, fast forward. Try requesting a song from your favorite radio station. If you're lucky enough to get through to a live person, what you'll find is that if the song is not on the station's playlist, you're fresh out of luck. Tune to any of the popular video or award shows, and coincidentally, you'll catch it in heavy rotation. You see, it's become less about the music and more about the business. Real big business, in fact, and the fans and their power dollars run the boardroom. They determine whom, what, and when and music executives and their advertisers are all too hip to this fact. Mainstream companies who made public statements that they didn't want rappers wearing their clothes are now breaking their necks to put them in their commercials. McDonald's once family-oriented commercials now look like hip-pop video knockoffs.

Do the fans run this mother? Heck yeah! So much so, that shows like 'American Idol' now seems to serve as the new business model for the music industry. These televised hit factories are serving up instant stars with a side of fame quicker than you can microwave popcorn. Even the hosts can parlay eight minutes of fame out of the gig.

Perhaps the over-abundance of it all has made some fans long for days past, literally. With this year's crowning of Ruben Studdard as the new American Idol, many celebrated, while others cried foul play at levels eerily resembling our last presidential election. Fans demanded a recount, or at least, some of them did. At first glance, one would think that with the two powerhouse singers battling neck to shoulder during the 'American Idol' finals, it was inevitable that the numbers would be close and the fans would take sides. Unfortunately, it's escalated to a whole new level. While the two crooners continue to publicly support each other as friends, some fans have virtually declared war. Civil war.

Studdard's highly anticipated debut CD, entitled "Soulful," releases today, but the talk of the town will not be whether or not he was able to live up to his title on disc. The anticipation is more about if he'll beat runner-up Clay Aiken's record sales. Studdard's diverse fan base showed their love for the "velvet teddy bear" with their votes, while Aiken's fans have put their money where their collective voice is. The result has been a media whitewash of Clay Aiken: His single, "This is the Night/Bridge over Troubled Water," was released almost simultaneously as Studdard's "Flying Without Wings/Superstar," and topped the charts in sales. He appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine before the Grammy nominated Idol winner and on just as many talk show couches. In support of their self-chosen "idol," Aiken's fans have reportedly purchased multiple copies in mass of anything Aiken. Clay's fans made sure that his debut album, which was released in October, became a best seller.

What's developed along with this overwhelming support, which any new artists would envy, is anything but best. What started as a Clay vs. Ruben rivalry quickly escalated to an anti-Ruben Internet virus and has now escalated into a campaign where some fan-atics are throwing race over talent into the ring.

Studdard's demeanor remains the same. "Everybody has their time in the spotlight, and it's Clay's time to shine right now," stated the 24-year-old to The Associated Press. "He has his album out that's selling tremendously well, and I'm proud of him. Of course, I would want to have the same success. Every artist wants to be a multi-platinum selling artist, so I'm looking forward to selling a lot of CDs as well, but I'm not going to hate on Clay just because he's doing his thing."

Aiken has consistently shared the same sentiment for his friend Studdard publicly. Some of their fans, however, are another matter altogether. Posts on several popular and homegrown websites reveal a more diabolical spirit. The majority of the messages are just plain mean, racially insensitive personal attacks. We won't give honor to any of them by printing them here, but we aren't the only ones who recognize that race is definitely an issue.

Clive Davis, J Records founder, where both artists are signed, executive produced "Soulful," and stated that it was important to stay true to Studdard's R&B roots. "I saw the pride in the black community, that this was the first 'American Idol' who was a black person, so therefore we wanted to honor and do right by Ruben," he said. He does, however, strongly feel that the album will have pop success, which is probably true, based upon today's musical climate. "Every so often, you do get an artist who is multi-format, and I think Ruben can be that kind of artist," Davis added.

Will race really play a part in the success of "Soulful" and the careers of Studdard and Aiken? Are fans really divided by race on this one or is it just a few making it unbearable for the whole? Underneath all of the hoopla, record sales, Internet posts, and award shows, there's a huge void where true artistry and musicianship once stood and people want it filled. They'll go anywhere and buy anything to obtain it. Real support of artists takes more than a simple phone call to a radio station. It's business, it's political, and it's expensive. The price, however, sometimes has absolutely nothing to do with the price of the CD and at the end of the day, it really just depends on how much you're willing to pay. There's 1.3 million pre-order copies of "Soulful." Are you buying?
 
Thank you SU's Finest.

Fugg that, Im going to buy 3 copies of Ruben's album.

YOu haters need to stop. Id rather you just buy Clay's album than hate on Ruben.
 
Some folks don't grasp the concept of supporting your own. I know the majority of people on this board don't support the music I like but its cool. I throw it out there, if it flies it does, if not oh well. But I am not going to be an outsider talking crazy about something I have no association with (thats ignorance at its finest).
 
Thats like me criticizing someone from New Orleans for buying Master P., Mystical, or D.J. Jimi. Thats a waste of time and energy.
 
Paying Dues!?!??!!??!

Ruben sang for 2 years with a group called "3 cool Kats" in B-ham. The man is still paying.
Stop the HATE!!!!!!
 
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