Best R&B Performances on Teen Summit
Teen Summit was a talk show that aired on BET from 1989 to 2002. The show was intended for teens and was a great opportunity to provide real talk with young people. The show tackled serious issues from drug use to the media's responsibilities in managing the message they present to the youth. It was heavy stuff and a great place that treated kids like real people.
But of course, if that was all the show was, it wouldn't be something we'd bring up here. In addition to tackling real issues, the show featured a number of musical guests, with lots of great up and coming R&B artists getting some of their earliest performances and national visibility in front of the Teen Summit audience. Even cooler, R&B singer Mya served as a reporter on the show, covering the beat on the street and getting kids opinions on the issues being tackled.
Overall, it was a great show that would be well-served to come back during these turbulent times. Here we take a look at some of the memorable R&B performances that were featured on Teen Summit and BET.
Zhane showcase the cool style of Teen Summit performances. The duo look like they're just standing amid a circle of people on the street as they perform their classic Hey Mr Dj. The vocals sound great, the crowd is immersed in the performance. This is what R&B performances should look like.
Monica showcased how big her early releases were with this performance featuring several of her hits. The First Night and Angel of Mine were performed here on the classic Teen Summit neighborhood stage. Monica sounds great singing The First Night here. If I saw this as a kid, I would have been an instant fan.
Usher was on Teen Summit and it's hard to buy that he's really singing here but dang does he move. Usher was definitely a dancer and it's great watching him move around the stage here. He brought the full package with his entertainment.
Unfortunately the audio is a bit muted on this recording of Jagged Edge's performance. They sound good, but maybe I'm biased because this is one of my favorite Jagged Edge songs. It's great watching the teens there get into the performance, and you can see some of them definitely swooning over the guys.
This isn't a performance, but it's super adorable. Watching Mya hit the streets as a reporter, it's wild seeing her there. She looked so young there, crazy to think where her career took her from there.
Unfortunately, not everyone had great ways to record videos in the 90s. This recording is extra ghetto, but maybe it helps mask that Mya's vocals weren't exactly blowing away in the performance. Still, she's got the moves and the presence, even if the recording is very DIY here.
This performance had me excited for a number of reasons. I love 7 Mile, who were signed to Mariah Carey's label. However, there are so few live performances of the group available, so this is pretty much the only one we have to enjoy. These guys sounded great, it's a shame they couldn't get the promotion and marketing to blow up around the world.
702's performance on Teen Summit featured a hype man which isn't seen in many of these. It feels more like a full fledged concert performance as the girls performed their hit Steelo and Get It Together. Unfortunately, when I hear Steelo though, I just hear the theme song for Cousin Skeeter.
This might be my favorite performance on Teen Summit. Shanice is a ball of energy and this performance is just pure fun. She has a permanent smile on her face. When it comes to the best R&B at Teen Summit, it's hard to compete with this.
Jason Weaver brings Mista Raja up on stage with him and does some solid interaction with the crowd. He looks like he's really enjoying himself and while this track is heavier on the rap side than I typically enjoy, it's fun watching Jason Weaver play as the hype man during his own performance.
This performance has me trippin. Total is great, and I love the track, but dang. These women look good, but maybe they look too good for a teen television show. Still, it was a great performance that is very in your face in its presentation.
Kandi Burruss pulled this video from her vault of old performances and it shows some of the greatness of Teen Summit. This performance was from when Xscape was a quintet, and before they even were signed to a label. This performance wasn't just great R&B music, but it was the group's pathway to stardom.
Unfortunately, we don't have video of Jon B performing on Teen Summit. However, we have him showcasing the other aspect of the show as he participates in a discussion on the media's role in influencing our youth. Heavy stuff for a guy who probably had just thought he was there to perform.
