Is There An R&B Big 3? Let’s Talk About It
Discussion of Hip-Hop’s current “Big 3” has been inescapable ever since Kung Fu Kenny distinguished himself as the leader of the pack on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That.” With Drake and J. Cole catching smoke from the west coast gunner, the latter hit back with “7-Minute Drill” only to apologize days later, to the chagrin of Hip-Hop heads bemoaning the violation of waving the white flag while in (lyrical) combat. Drizzy has yet to respond beyond a few show rants and cryptic Instagram captions, but rumor has it The Boy is gearing up to drop a bomb that will solidify his position in the top spot.
Whichever order you personally rank the triad, it’s widely accepted within the culture that these three are, indeed, the “Big 3,” who’ve best combined lyrical prowess and commercial success.
This got us to thinking, is there a “Big 3” within R&B? And how would that even be determined?
Well, just like the MCs, technical skill would be taken into consideration, as in, can this person actually sing? Have they mastered their tone? Know how to convey emotion through vocal choices? Have amazing breath control? Can they harmonize with others fairly easily? Is that falsetto really falsetto-ing?
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – APRIL 06: SZA performs during the 2024 Dreamville Music Festival at Dorothea Dix Park on April 06, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Astrida Valigorsky/WireImage)
That said, singers often slide off that scale of vocal perfection when giving particularly passionate performances. When you’re singing from the soul, it isn’t necessarily about pristine runs or sticking to the arrangement. There is magic in “imperfect” moments, and being able to find those moments is a skill within itself.
Commercial success would also carry over into R&B for this assessment, as numbers and exposure are legitimate measures of impact and influence, whether one wants to admit that or not.
The problem comes with the stellar applicant pool. Quite frankly, there are far more elite vocalists that elite MCs, so narrowing it down to three in any given era is a much greater task.
Still, that’s exactly what we did. Check out VIBE’s proposals for possible “Big 3s” within today’s R&B scene.
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Beyoncé, Usher, Mary J. Blige
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood, Kayla Oaddams/Getty Images, Ser Baffo/Getty Images for BET. We’ll keep this short and simple: These three are the GOATED Big 3 of modern R&B. All three made their debuts in the 1990s, and continue to sell out massive shows, body Super Bowl performances, debut at the top of the charts, set fashion and music trends, and wow audiences with live performances, domestically and across the pond. I mean, we’re dealing with stars who’ve been deemed the “Queens” and “King” of the genre, monikers they’ve earned with talent and consistency. Reign on Big 3, reign on.
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Summer Walker, Chris Brown, SZA
Image Credit: Astrida Valigorsky/WireImage While Bey, Ursher, and MJB’s names still ring bells, today’s hottest R&B superstars have established a class of their own, with Chris Brown, Summer Walker, and SZA widely considered to be the leaders of this new-ish school.
If we’re keeping it a buck, Breezy has been GOATED for a while, giving fans stellar performances and consistently dropping bangers throughout his 19-year career, with no signs of slowing down. His last body of work, November 2023 drop 11:11, became Brown’s 12th consecutive top 10 album upon its release, proving he’s still got the moves, vocal prowess, and undeniable “cool” factor that will keep him at the top of his game for as long as he chooses.
Summer Walker is an undeniable talent that has managed to place much of her pain and real-life heartbreak into a relatable and authentic package, even if the package isn’t for everyone. Yes, she’s received a lot of faux hate from trolls online for various reasons, but the music has never been in question. With a knack for sensual lyrics that hit hard while being sung in a sweetly controlled contralto, Walker knows how to seduce the masses when putting pen to paper, as shown in the amount of fanfare received during every drop.
SZA’s been that bish for a minute, but she was turned all the way up with the release of her 2022 sophomore album, SOS. The inescapable body of work went on to break records held by Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, and more, spending seven consecutive weeks at No. 1 and producing hits like “Kill Bill” and Spotify’s No. 1 song of the streaming era, “Snooze.” Over a year after it’s release and SZA continues to have us in a chokehold thanks to features like on Drake’s “Rich Baby Daddy” and Flo Milli’s “Never Lose Me (Remix).”
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Honorable Mentions: H.E.R., The Weeknd, Jazmine Sullivan
Image Credit: Leon Bennett/Getty Images for The Recording Academy) For the record, these “honorable mentions” could EASILY make someone’s Big 3, with no complaints from us, as the talent and success is undeniable between them. H.E.R. is already on her way to EGOT status as The Weeknd continues to sell out massive stadiums. Jazmine impresses with a voice so skillful, many on this very list wouldn’t want to see her, note-for-note, run-for-run.
Names like Kehlani, Teyana Taylor, Ari Lennox, and even relative new comers like Coco Jones and Victoria Monét could easily slide in and out of the Top 3 spots depending on the week, or even the day. There’s also a strong argument to assess indie artists, alt-R&B stars, and other R&B sub-genres by their own “Big 3” metrics to see who’s really on top, and we can see how that’d drastically change the conversation.
While it can be fiercely competitive, R&B is no where near as obsessed with hierarchy as Hip-Hop, so take this list with a grain of salt and know that your own personal “Big 3” is just as legit if their music speaks to you in a way your 4-10 picks simply can’t.
