Pino Is Taking R&B Back To What It Was

R&B today, in the mainstream sense – is a far cry from what it used to be. In the late 90s and early to mid 2000s, it had pop culture in a chokehold. Usher, Destiny’s Child, Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown, Aaliyah and so many others dominated the charts. Hip Hop artists were jumping at the chance to collaborate them because they knew more often than not, it would result in a hit.

But since then, the genre has fallen off. R&B, people will tell you ‘isn’t what it used to be.’ But are you looking hard enough? Sure, it doesn’t have the stronghold on pop and music culture that it used to have and yes, most of the musical superstars out there today don’t usually operate in r&b fields. But don’t think for one second that means that there isn’t talent out there. You just need to know where to look.

The Canadian music scene has bloomed some of the world’s greatest musical icons such as Drake and the Weekend. Both these artists stemmed from strong r&b roots which has long been associated with dark, atmospheric and melancholic songs which changed global pop.

Now the Canadian r&b underground has a different sound filled with emotional vulnerability and a rhythmic cadence to it that plays on the early 2000s sounds. The flagbearers for this new movement, creating some of the most catchy and soul-fulfilling music out there today, go by the stage names of Pino, Avenoir and Maz B.

Pino (Angelo Oducado), in particular, has been killing it for the best part of 12 months. With his debut album ‘02’ being one of the best R&B projects to come out in for the past few years. Not every song sounds the same but they all flow seamlessly into each other. There’s catchy songs you can two-step to in a club, darker and more emotional ballads and a plethora of tunes you can just chill to. The album, made even better by its deluxe version – is a breath of fresh air and a reminder that R&B can still play with the big dogs of the music world.

The music is good because you can tell it’s not manufactured. It’s homely and from the heart. It’s three young Canadian men trying to express themselves and be vulnerable. The track ‘Can’t Leave Alone’ which all three of them feature on, just reeks of chemistry and connection.

What’s even more impressive is that the creative process of making a song all starts and ends with them. They write their own lyrics and each are key contributors in the production process, often curating their own beats themselves - something which is becoming more rare in the music world.

At a time where music is becoming more manufactured and more boring at the mainstream level, there exists a myriad of talented underground musicians making better music than what you’re hearing on the charts.

These are just three that have been highlighted today.