GRAMMY WATCH - R&B Music Categories - Picks & Predictions

Grammy loves a comeback... No... Better yet, Grammy LOVES a comeback, and that sentiment may show more here in the R&B music field more so than anywhere else on the Grammy ballot this year. Soul/R&B music surely has gotten younger these past years. We can surely see that there is a whole new crop of neo-soul veterans here. The genre has totally opened itself up to new, yet very familiar faces. I think some of these categories are the hardest to call and, if I were a betting man, I would think a lot of these races are really too close to call. A lot will depend if the Grammy voters are going for sentiment vs. talent, vice versa - or a little of both. I am hoping for the latter of the three scenarios.

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance

What can I say? With Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys and Jill Scott out of the running this category should be quite interesting to see who comes up the eventual winner.

My Pick: EVERYTHING TO ME - Monica (track from "Still Standing") [J Records]

My Prediction: BITTERSWEET - Fantasia (Track from "Back to Me") [J Records/19 Recordings LLC/ S Records)

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance

I really want El DeBarge to win this for some reason. He went through hell and back in his personal life and has taken his comeback, criticisms and applause all in stride - and, you know what, this latest album is his best work, in my opinion. When I spoke of comebacks, this is the type of story I was talking about. Not the pseudo-type of comeback from say....mmmm, the likes of Fantasia - you know, song-stressed diva takes a bottle of pills crying suicide and is wheeled out on cue some two weeks later on every talk show imaginable - and all within the month before her album's release. mmmm-Yeah, right - okay. Whatever. Hope, for her sake, that was all just a string of coincidences. Either way, I have a feeling she will get the Grammy in the previous mentioned category. Not saying she is a shoo-in, but she had the story this year out of those five nominees, even if it was only a story for five minutes. Here, in the male category, either man would be getting his due. It is quite competitive. I think Usher has the momentum, but I sure wouldn't mind being wrong - THIS time.

My Pick: SECOND CHANCE - El DeBarge [Geffen]

My Prediction: THERE GOES MY BABY - Usher (Track from: Raymond V Raymond) [Jive/ LaFace]

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

Ugh... Why, oh why do I get the feeling Aretha Franklin will win another undeserved Grammy Award? Okay, yell... scream - beat me up, but you know what I am saying. We all love Aretha, but dayum... I can count at least a few of her Grammy wins from the past that were questionable. She IS the Queen of Soul, so she IS unbeatable a lot of the times. I am just saying, this one she can sit out - health problems this past year, Lord knows, I said some prayers for ol' girl, but her duet with Ronald Isley is certainly not the best in this category. Not this time around. This category used to be so competitive too. Back when the likes of The Temptations, Gladys Knight and the Pips, The Four Tops and the like were around. What has happened to the GOOD R&B groups? Lately this category has been laced with artists featuring artists and duets and vice versas...who can keep up? And then there is Sade, who really is more of a solo artist seemingly being nice to her back up band. That is cute and I think she should win in any category, but she has cost herself more Grammy wins spreading the wealth for sure. I am sure she could care less, as that is the type of artist she appears to be - all for the art foregoing accolades; if accolades come, so be it - she seems very 'comme ce, comme ca' about it all. And the jury is out on whether Soldier of Love should even be in this category. It feels more pop, than r&b to me, which is THE ONLY reason I actually didn't select Sade as my pick for this category.

So, don't get it twisted. This is in no way an attack on our beloved Aretha. The whole category is jacked anymore. May the best (well, er....) one win.

My Pick: SHINE - John Legend & The Roots (Track from: Wake Up!) [G.O.O.D. Music/Columbia Records/Home School Records]

My Prediction: YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND - Ronald Isley & Aretha Franklin [Island/Def Jam Recordings]

Gee, I hope I am wrong.

Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance

Great to see Betty Wright getting a mention in this category and I wouldn't mind seeing John Legend and The Roots pulling an upset here, but there is that but... That being said...

My Pick & Prediction: WHEN A WOMAN LOVES - R. Kelly [Jive Records]

STRONGEST R&B joint I have heard in years, I think R will be hard to beat here.

Best Urban/Alternative Performance

While I love Janelle Monae, Cee Lo Green pretty much has this one in the bag. His song is not only nominated in the top two categories on the ballot (Record & Song of the Year), it resonates with just about anyone who has been jaded. Finally, someone put these words to a catchy tune - not to mention what it says about freedom of speech and for censorship. Bravo, Mr. Green!

My Pick & Prediction: F*** YOU - Cee Lo Green [Elektra]

Best R&B Song

My Pick & Prediction: SECOND CHANCE - El Debarge & Mischke, songwriters (El DeBarge)

[Geffen; Publishers: myElmusic, mischemusic/Universal Music]

Best R&B Album

My Pick & Prediction: WAKE UP! - John Legend & The Roots [G.O.O.D. Music/Columbia Records/Home School Records]

I wouldn't mind Jaheim sneakin' in here as well. I just think John Legend's work with The Roots is inspiring on many different levels - and I think Grammy will feel the same way too.

Best Contemporary R&B Album

My Pick: THE ARCHANDROID - Janelle Monáe [Bad Boy/Wondaland/Atlantic]

I know she doesn't have a snow cone's chance in Phoenix of winning, but dang what an upset it would be!

My Prediction: RAYMOND V RAYMOND - Usher [Jive]

Don't count R Kelly out here either. Usher's album had more hits though and he resonates with more of the general voting body, in my opinion.

The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards will be telecast live on Sunday, February 13, 2011 on CBS at 8pm, EST. For complete coverage and full list of nominees, please visit the Grammy website.

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