When Whitney Houston lovingly boasted that Bobby Brown was the “King of R&B,” many scoffed at the notion as others deemed it a drug induced outburst. While the merits of Houston’s claims will be debated for centuries ( legal smack downs and erratic behavior have grabbed more headlines than his music in recent years) there was a time when Bobby Brown made grown women loose their damn minds as the fresh prince of R&B.

With the “round the way” sensitivity of lead singer Ralph Treasvant driving the New Edition machine in the 80′s, many saw Bobby Brown’s ouster from the group as career suicide.  But in reality, the exodus gave him the freedom pass to blaze the musical trails of New Jack Swing– with it’s groovy architect Teddy Riley–and hip hop soul years in advance of Mary J Blige’s classic stamp on the genre.

Mega hits  like “Don’t Be Cruel,” “My Prerogative,” and “Roni” aside,  Brown’s most slept on classic was a simple yet tender love song entitled “Girlfriend” from his woefully forgotten solo debut King Of Stage (circa 86). Pairing a modern doo-wop aesthetic with school boy charm, the high school crush themed video and song helped land Brown a #1 hit on the Billboard R&B Charts.

It’s sometimes hard to give credit when it’s past due.   I could easily use every ounce of my two degrees to prove Brown is far more R&B legend and less Eddie Kane Jr. has been, but the sweet nostalgia of the video below, which will have you hittin’ up Keisha from 9^th grade on facebook, speaks for itself.

Award winning writer, educator, counselor, and activist Edward M. Garnes, Jr. is the founder of From Afros to Shelltoes Art, Action, and Conversation, a nationally acclaimed series of cultural productions confronting the social divide between elders and hip hop heads. The 2009 Atlanta Tribune Men Of Distinction holds a B.A. in English Writing from DePauw University and a M.A. in Counseling from Michigan State University . His seminal essay, ” Sweet Tea Ethics: Black Luv, Healthcare, and Cultural Mistrust,” currently appears in Not In My Family: AIDS in the African American Community, a 2007 NAACP Image Award nominated collection edited by Gil Robertson. (www.afrostoshelltoes.com).

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