When we think about R&B , we often think about more modern music. While R&B is an and ongoing genre that is still popular now, it dates as far back as the 1940s. Rhythm and Blues emerged from the World War II era in big cities like New York and Chicago. The music spoke of all the harsh issues that Black people faced during the early 1900s. Due to racial issues like segregation , blacks and whites were divided and so was the music.