Posted at 11:30h
in
Features
It could be said that the 1990s was the last golden age of modern R&B music. In fact, it is an idea that is often repeated throughout cyberspace as some lament the parlous state of the present scene. Nevertheless it is not just empty nostalgia that has earned that particular decade a place in the heart of soul lovers. This was a special time in urban music; the decade when Teddy Riley’s New Jack Swing took the airwaves by storm and launched a thousand careers. There was much in the way of variety - not just in front of the mic but also amongst those twiddling the knobs.
The 1990s saw the rise of the super-producer. Stateside you had such luminaries as Riley, R.Kelly, Dallas Austin, Babyface, Keith Sweat, Devante Swing, Timbaland, Jay Dilla, Puff Daddy (as he was then known), Trackmasters, Jermaine Dupris, Wyclef Jean and Swizz Beats making their name. Some international production stars emerged from the UK and Europe as well; Soulshock and Karlin, Linslee, Stargate and the Ignorants to name a few.
Perhaps the toast of 1990s R&B was the healthy proliferation of trios, quartets and quintets bringing back the tight Doo-Wop harmony sounds of 1940s and '50s America. The fellows were represented by the likes of the mighty
Boyz II Men, Intro, Shai, Blackstreet, Dru Hill, Hi-5 and
Soul for Real. As far as the ladies were concerned we can look back on such titans of talent as
En Vogue, Brownstone, Kut Klose, Jade, Xscape, the original line-up of
Destiny’s Child and the UK’s
Eternal.
Nevertheless no assessment of 1990s urban music would be complete without mentioning Tamara ‘Taj’ Johnson, Leanne ‘Lelee’ Lyons and Cheryl ‘Coko’ Gamble,
the 'original TLC’ or, as they are better known,
SWV (Sisters With Voices).
Before there was Hype Williams, Little X and Benny Boom, there was Lionel C. Martin.
From 1987 to present, Martin’s videography reads like a scroll of all of the great talents of the past 25 years in urban and popular music. Martin is responsible for giving urban music videos life and authenticity at a time where Hip Hop and R&B desperately needed a pioneer to deliver a quality product for the world to see. Martin has produced videos for TLC, Stevie Wonder, R. Kelly, Public Enemy, Bell Biv Devoe, Big Daddy Kane, Jay-Z, Keith Sweat, Toni Braxton, Boyz II Men, SWV, En Vogue, MC Shan, Jodeci, Mariah Carey, Jill Scott, Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, Notorious B.I.G., Father MC, Hi-Five, Tupac, N’Sync, Backstreet Boys and many more.
Martin, a native of Queens, NY, was a trailblazing force in the 1980s when he helped launch the Video Music Box channel with his childhood friend, Ralph McDaniels in 1984. The Video Music Box channel was only seen in the Tri-State area at the time. The Tri-State area consists of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Martin was one of the first hosts on the show and his moniker was (The VidKid). The channel would play every Hip Hop video from the popular artists of the time period.
After its inaugural year, Martin devised an idea to expand the channel’s brand and this move helped to make the channel achieve legendary status. Martin alongside McDaniels made the decision to travel extensively through the emerging hip-hop scene to cover parties and shows to illustrate the influence that Hip Hop culture was having on New York City and the surrounding areas. It would prove to be pivotal in shaping the career path of Martin.
During this time, the Video Music Box channel was the only Hip Hop program in syndication on public television in the United States. It gave a voice and face to a culture that would begin to dominate the mainstream in the forthcoming years. Whilst working on the Video Music Box channel, Martin would see the types of videos that would come in from the artists and thought that the Hip Hop culture needed to have better representation for the art form. This is where his voyage of directing music videos begins.
Recently, SoulCulture sat down to talk with Martin about his contributions to urban music videos, behind the scene stories and the importance of maintaining pride in urban culture.
