Ronnie "B" Burnett
BySonji

Ronnie B and the Story of His Music

Ronnie “Ronnie B” Burnett started steppin’ Chicago style in 1976.  He now lives in Atlanta but moved from Chicago in 2003. Ronnie B started his poetry and early compositions to teach his children. He taught them about the streets without actually letting them know he was teaching them something. “I used to write poetry and I wanted to make my kids aware of what was happening in the streets and I would actually write raps for them when they were smaller and perform them at family functions. As they got older I started writing more for myself and took a different course,” says Ronnie B. At first, he dabbled in poetry because of his English Literature teacher but not for composing music. The first time Ronnie B heard his music played on the radio or in club was around 1999-2000.

Ronnie B’s Music in the Steppin’ Community

If you have listened to Ronnie B’s music you realize there are some songs to step to, but he doesn’t always write his songs for steppers. He says his music depends on how he feels. As an unsigned artist, he has free will and can just write about what he thinks about. “I write positive stuff. If you listen to my music you realize a lot of it is about love,” Ronnie B said. ” I try to keep it positive and since I stepped and I like to step, a lot of the music has a stepping vibe to it but there are some slower songs and other songs you just can’t step to period.”

Ronnie B describes his style of music as R&B with a jazzy flavor. He taught himself to play some keyboard and built a studio in his home and learned to do most of the things for his compositions himself. His first song was “Taste This” released in Chicago around 1998 and it was birthed from an interesting inspiration.  “I used to go to this club called “The Taste” in Chicago and I knew this song was going to be my introduction to the music world. I knew a lot of DJ’s in Chicago so I figured if the song was called “Taste This” then it would be a taste of what was to come.”

Influences for Ronnie B’s Music

I was not too surprised to know that Ronnie B comes from a musical family. His oldest brother and sisters had a band but he was too small to be a part of it. His oldest brother played drums. Next to him, his other brother played lead guitar and his sister sang. His father was a DJ and his mother also sang. Ronnie B credits older artists like Stevie Wonder for teaching him about music through their songs and he enjoys Stevie’s jazz greats. He also mentioned George Benson and Michael Jackson. Ronnie B said something very peculiar.  He said “I like artists that can really turn a phrase and be positive at the same time.”

When I asked him to explain what “turn a phrase” means he said simply “Saying the most that would make you think by saying very little. For example, in one of my songs I said I used to think nothing was better but girl you make water wetter.” He mentioned other new artists like Brian McKnight. He says that he likes some of the things that younger artists are doing that are positive but that is a whole different genre. “I don’t like the music I want to do this to you, out there. I want to keep it nice and classy.”

Ronnie B’s Music and His Dance

Photo Credit: Ronnie Burnett Facebook Page

So some of us know the name Ronnie B because of his dance, some for his music, others for both, so does the music influence his dance or does his dance influence his music? “It is hard to say my music influences my dance or that my dance influences my music. They kind of have a symbiotic relationship. I like to write music people enjoy and since I am a stepper the music I like vibes with the steppers even though I do some other things.  

I like to do music that is close to the heartbeat – not too fast and not too slow. As a people watcher. I like to sit and talk to people. A lot of ideas I get from talking to people about the things they go through, relationships and things like that. That way I can write and be true and have something in my music people relate to.” I noted that Rhonda is in a lot of the music videos I have seen and yes Ronnie B admits “Quite often Rhonda is my muse.”

The Story Behind A Song

A special song to Ronnie from his music that resonates with him is “You Can’t Hide.” It is about leaving a prior relationship and really not looking for someone else because of being fed up with the whole relationship thing.  The idea of being a player fits an ideal outlook but then someone new comes along and the whole love thing pops up again. That is what the song is about – you can’t hide from love. The song “I Like You” is another popular song that he loves and a lot of people see that on video. “This song is about Rhonda and it is one of my favorites.”

YouTube Channel: Ronnie Burnett

Ronnie B says we really make it hard to come up with something new, but we have been enjoying his music all along. “People have been most generous in their praise about liking what I do. I really don’t know what I have in store but I am really trying to top the last thing that I did and not let anybody down. To top the last thing I did would be a win. I wish that it is received as well.” We look forward to your new music.

Where can you hear Ronnie B’s Music?

You can hear his music on streaming stations and it is readily available in many places.  He doesn’t perform in public and says “Believe it or not I am a shy person.” To download tracks and listen to snippets of different songs you can visit:

Ronnie’s Words of Advice For A New Artist

Stay true to your music. Since the age of the internet and music sharing, it is hard to make a living doing music as a beginning artist. A lot of your music is being downloaded and you are not getting paid for it. You just have to stick to it. I think the time is coming when streaming is going to be the new normal. People will start to get paid – probably not as much as the old days. But, if you really love your music and are doing it for the love of the music just keep doing it. Don’t give up because you are not making millions and millions of dollars. Just stay true to yourself.