photo by steed media service

Dr. Syleecia Thompson almost needs a certified planner and a mathematician just to map out her daily work schedule. The vivacious and versatile businesswoman is a professor at Benedictine University, and a business manager for music artists, including her sister, Grammy-nominated Syleena Johnson. In April the two will launch Guesswhatmagazine.com. And if that’s not enough, Thompson has penned a provocative book, Rhythm Without Blues: the Dichotomy of a Music Genre, which takes a scathing look at the demise of R&B.

“It’s a genre that in today’s times, is broken apart. That’s why I say ‘Rhythm Without Blues.’ Blues is missing from R&B,” she says. “I do feel that R&B has been broken in two for several reasons; Internet downloading, bootlegging [and] hip-hop.” “The last piece is the dichotomy of a music genre ... R&B and hip-hop are competing for radio slots. So it’s really looking at the R&B artist.” explains Johnson.

“Back then it was called race music. But it has pioneered and spearheaded every form of music we have today. I’m on a [Billboard] panel called the State of the Union. They feel that it’s coming back, which is true because people are crossing over — Keyshia Cole, Alicia [Keys]. Why do we have to cross over, anyway? Why won’t 96 just play a Syleena Johnson record that’s not [an] in the mix album?

Rumor has it that Thompson recently paused to take a deep breath, but that had not been confirmed at press time . - terry shropshire

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