"Word to the Badd" ruined Jermaine's career, didn't it?

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The album flopped after the song leaked and that was the last you heard from poor ol' Jermaine.

LA Reid speculated that MJ had something to do with the song getting pulled from air. Did Jermaine ever regret it?
 
I think saying Jermaine had a center in and of itself is a huge stretch. He only had one Top 10 album and two Top 10 singles, one of which came out while he was still in the J5. I don’t think “Word to the Badd” did any damage because there wasn’t anything to damage.
 
Seven top 40 hits and five Gold albums isn't too bad. He wasn't a big star, but he clearly had a following, which is why he could release albums for so long.

He was certainly bigger than LaToya lol
 
I think saying Jermaine had a center in and of itself is a huge stretch. He only had one Top 10 album and two Top 10 singles, one of which came out while he was still in the J5. I don’t think “Word to the Badd” did any damage because there wasn’t anything to damage.
Jermaine was more successful on R&B radio. Most R&B artists didn't get crossover airplay on Top 40. On the album just before the one with Word To The Badd on it, Jermaine's single Don't Take It Personal went #1 on the R&B chart. Also, around the same time Nothin' & 2300 Jackson Street by The Jacksons made the Top 10 on the R&B chart too. Jermaine & Randy are the leads on Nothin'.

Going by the pop charts, then Willie Nelson, B.B. King, Shirley Caesar, & Miles Davis were unsuccessful. But their careers lasted a lot longer than a lot of acts with pop hits or any kind of chart hits. Chart hits or radio airplay is not necessarily an indicator of anything.
 
I always get confused about which version of the song came first (Album has the MJ version as the original) but I think the song was originally written with the female antagonist...

If Jermaine had just left it at the ex lover version, he could have enjoyed a relatively successful release. Instead, he decided to try and put the biggest star in the world on blast. He made his own bed.
 
I always get confused about which version of the song came first (Album has the MJ version as the original) but I think the song was originally written with the female antagonist...

The original version is the one dissing MJ. The song was rewritten to be about a woman only for the US album release; elsewhere, the original version was kept.
 
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'Word To The Badd!!' did not ruin Jermaine Jackson's career.

As a matter of fact, Jermaine Jackson became more famous because of this particular song.
 
'Word To The Badd!!' did not ruin Jermaine Jackson's career.

He didn't release another album after the one it was on flopped, so I'm pretty sure it did in fact ruin his career lol

As a matter of fact, Jermaine Jackson became more famous because of this particular song.

He was already famous as a member as the Jackson 5/Jacksons and he had a somewhat successful solo career. The 15 seconds of spotlight he got from the song didn't help him at all in the long run.
 
He didn't release another album after the one it was on flopped, so I'm pretty sure it did in fact ruin his career lol

He was already famous as a member as the Jackson 5/Jacksons and he had a somewhat successful solo career. The 15 seconds of spotlight he got from the song didn't help him at all in the long run.
It had nothing to do with this song.

After 1991, Jermaine Jackson decided to focus more on other things, such as on TV appearances.

Also, from the early '90s onwards, new musical genres (alternative rock, grunge, etc) started to achieve big success at the expense of RnB traditional artists (like, Jermaine Jackson).
 
Also, from the early '90s onwards, new musical genres (alternative rock, grunge, etc) started to achieve big success at the expense of RnB traditional artists (like, Jermaine Jackson).
Alternative rock didn't have anything to do with R&B popularity. It was the post Bobby Brown & Al B. Sure! style New Jack Swing acts who made the older Temptations & Freddie Jackson suit & tie R&B artists out of style. They also started the end of the R&B band in popular R&B, other than a few of exceptions (Tony! Toni! Toné!, Brand New Heavies, Mint Condition). The newer artists generally had a more hardcore street look and/or image like Jodeci & Mary J. Blige, which appealed more to the younger audience. Some of the veteran acts put out New Jack records or did collabs with rappers. David Bowie did a song with Al B. Sure! & The Dramatics sang the hook on a Snoop Dogg track. Earth, Wind & Fire did songs with MC Hammer & The Boys. The Temptations did the same with Gerardo (mainly known for the song Rico Suave). Even the teen groups had a street image (Another Bad Creation, Kris Kross, Da Youngsta's). Clean cut Debbie Gibson tried to change her image in the early 1990s, to a more Janet Jackson sexy style. Prince hired a rapper (Tony M) to be in his band New Power Generation & produced an album on another one (Carmen Electra, who later became more known as an actress).
 
After 1991, Jermaine Jackson decided to focus more on other things, such as on TV appearances.

He got dropped from LaFace after the album flopped.

TV appearances? All he did was pop up every now and then to defend MJ. Pretty sure he filed for bankruptcy, too.
 
You Said from 1991 was a great album, it's a shame he didn't continue after that. He was on the right track musically.
Perhaps he should have gone more in the direction of rock music.
 
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Alternative rock didn't have anything to do with R&B popularity. It was the post Bobby Brown & Al B. Sure! style New Jack Swing acts who made the older Temptations & Freddie Jackson suit & tie R&B artists out of style. They also started the end of the R&B band in popular R&B, other than a few of exceptions (Tony! Toni! Toné!, Brand New Heavies, Mint Condition). The newer artists generally had a more hardcore street look and/or image like Jodeci & Mary J. Blige, which appealed more to the younger audience. Some of the veteran acts put out New Jack records or did collabs with rappers. David Bowie did a song with Al B. Sure! & The Dramatics sang the hook on a Snoop Dogg track. Earth, Wind & Fire did songs with MC Hammer & The Boys. The Temptations did the same with Gerardo (mainly known for the song Rico Suave). Even the teen groups had a street image (Another Bad Creation, Kris Kross, Da Youngsta's). Clean cut Debbie Gibson tried to change her image in the early 1990s, to a more Janet Jackson sexy style. Prince hired a rapper (Tony M) to be in his band New Power Generation & produced an album on another one (Carmen Electra, who later became more known as an actress).
It had to do also in the sense that traditional RnB (during that period) changed and started to become alternative RnB by incorporating hip-hop, soul, and even rock musical elements.

This, in turn, also started to affect traditional RnB's popularity considering that many listeners of traditional RnB did not like that change.
 
It had to do also in the sense that traditional RnB (during that period) changed and started to become alternative RnB by incorporating hip-hop, soul, and even rock musical elements.

This, in turn, also started to affect traditional RnB's popularity considering that many listeners of traditional RnB did not like that change.
What was called "alternative R&B" was never really that popular on the radio. Alternative R&B is like Will Smith's daughter Willow Smith's music, the female bassist Meshell Ndegeocello, the band Hiatus Kaiyote, or Beyonce's sister Solange. Maybe some of the "neo-soul" acts too like Erykah Badu. It was the hip hop based New Jack Swing that was popular with the younger audience at the time. There was the more 1970s sound that was called "acid jazz", but that too had hip hop elements in it. The traditional R&B acts were starting to age out of radio airplay anyhow. After 1987, Stevie Wonder has only released 3 albums, the last one in 2005. Although he has appeared on a lot of other acts songs and released a few individual songs himself online during this time.

Rock n roll was an offspring of R&B, blues, & gospel in the first place, sometimes with country mixed in (rockabilly). The term "rock and roll" was originally Black slang for sex, long before the music genre was called that.
 
What was called "alternative R&B" was never really that popular on the radio. Alternative R&B is like Will Smith's daughter Willow Smith's music, the female bassist Meshell Ndegeocello, the band Hiatus Kaiyote, or Beyonce's sister Solange. Maybe some of the "neo-soul" acts too like Erykah Badu.
Alternative R&B? Janet's "Velvet Rope", some of "janet.", I'd say Sade and Lauryn Hill too.
 
It's actually a very good song in terms of sound (without lyrics)
 
Alternative R&B? Janet's "Velvet Rope", some of "janet.", I'd say Sade and Lauryn Hill too.
Lauryn/Wyclef/Fugees are hip hop. They are rappers who also sing like Queen Latifah, Missy Elliott, & Nelly. Janet is R&B & dance music. Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis are not alternative anything. "Alternative" & "indie" are generally referring to artists or music that are less commercial. Sade is usually called either R&B, smooth jazz, sophisti-pop, or Quiet Storm.
 
The Weeknd started as alt R&B, which he still makes, although he mainly does synthpop now last I checked.
 
I think saying Jermaine had a center in and of itself is a huge stretch. He only had one Top 10 album and two Top 10 singles, one of which came out while he was still in the J5. I don’t think “Word to the Badd” did any damage because there wasn’t anything to damage.
Solo Jermaine Jackson was more successful than many other soloists of famous bands. For example, solo Barry Gibb never had singles or albums in the Top 10, or number 1 hits in the European and RnB charts, or Grammy nominations. But solo Jermaine had all of that.
 
He got dropped from LaFace after the album flopped.

TV appearances? All he did was pop up every now and then to defend MJ. Pretty sure he filed for bankruptcy, too.
In 90s Jermaine on TV produced Jacksons: American Dreamer mini series and Jacksons family TV concert 1994.
 
He didn't release another album after the one it was on flopped, so I'm pretty sure it did in fact ruin his career lol



He was already famous as a member as the Jackson 5/Jacksons and he had a somewhat successful solo career. The 15 seconds of spotlight he got from the song didn't help him at all in the long run.
In 2012 Jermaine released next studio jazz album I Wish You L.O.V.E.
 
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