The Streets Are Alive



He just wants to sing: Musiq Soulchild

Philly tunes in to the sound of Musiq.

by Ainè Ardron-Doley

When you’re a newbie in the music biz, the comparisons flow fast and furious. It’s just the type of flow Musiq Soulchild, the young harmonizer who used to wreck shop every week at Wilheminas with his soulful freestyling, is used to. But the young crooner, who was signed to Def Soul within one week of meeting the folks at the label, is definitely taken aback by the kind words being heaped on his debut album Aijuswanaseing [read: I Just Want To Sing] released on Nov. 14.

Among the accolades was a comparison by Billboard dubbing the soul sensation’s work "reminiscent of a new millennium Stevie Wonder."

"Oh God. In one sentence, that’s the greatest compliment I could ever get," gushes Musiq, 23, taking time to talk at Friday’s on City Line Ave. "But on the other hand, I’m not trying to be Stevie Wonder. There could only be one Stevie."

While publications sometimes hyperbolize, creating shoes much too large for young musicians to fill, there’s reason to believe that this young Soulquarian is more than a product of hype — despite the heavenly scented candle shipped out to press with the album of super-soulful love songs.

"I got recognized through beat-boxing around South Street, 69th Street, The Gallery and CAPA [High School for the Creative and Performing Arts]. People started calling me the music boy," he explains of his start.

Born Taalib Johnson, Musiq honed his talent at Jill Scott’s Words & Sounds, Wilheminas and The Five Spot. "I really did a lot of my learning at Wilheminas — learning how to perfect my craft, the freestyling. I kind of miss doing that," waxes a nostalgic Musiq. His days of hustling the soul and spoken word open mic circuit, for better or worse, appear to be over.

On Oct. 28 he was the opener for Power 99 FM’s Powerhouse to a sell-out First Union Center crowd. Newfound fame has its stunning points. "It’s crazy because I’m a fan. And now I’m a peer. For me to work with Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, Common, Mos Def or The Roots it’s like, ‘yo I only listen to your records every damn day.’ … All this stuff is real new. Taking this shit in is real crazy. You’re not used to this shit and now it’s all you know."

Aijuswanaseing — save for the presence of his Mama’s Boy crew of Ayana and Ayinke (of the D.C. soul duo Aaries) — is pure Musiq; the disc disses the current trend toward loading up with guest star power. It takes a bold record label and a courageous artist to go out on a limb like this in a time where albums, especially debut joints, are more like compilations.

"I love collaborating with people, but I want to make a name for myself. First time out you really need to establish yourself as an artist," emphasizes the confident young crooner. "A lot of artists nowadays don’t really milk their potentials. Relying on somebody else’s star power — that’s not cool. Doing it just because you know you’ll get props off having somebody dope on your shit. That’s wack."

On the topic of being pegged as the next voice in the controversial "neo-soul" category, Musiq lets loose like a cannon: "I’m not a fan of that title. How can you call it neo-soul? It’s a renaissance. It’s a following within tradition, a revolution and a movement that’s being cultivated. I give mad respect to D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill and Erykah. We’re a minority right now, but in a minute we’re about to take things over."

Musiq had lots of support in bringing his talents to record, utilizing some of Philly’s finest producers. Over half of the album is produced by the bomb squad at A Touch of Jazz. Working with songwriting partner Carvin Haggins, Musiq gets down on "Girl Next Door," a sugary melody about a tomboy all grown up; "Seventeen," a tale of forbidden young love and the remarkably Stevie-esque "143." Jazzy Jeff’s camp has a hot hand, having just laced Jill Scott’s album with strong sensual beats, but this time around, there’s a slight chill in the air.

Musiq actually shines brightest on songs produced by others. James Poyser delivers his faithfully funky organ on the album’s last track "You’re Alright." It immediately conjures up a D’Angelo vibe from Musiq’s vocal stylings to Poyser’s gospel tinged keys. Poyser also coaxes a certain funkiness from the artist on the uptempo track "My Girl."

Human beat-box Scratch, emerging from the legendary Roots crew, tackled production on the album’s intro and the tenth track, "Speechless." Teamed with Roots pal Hub, Scratch melds his vocal scratching and percussion with Musiq’s smooth lyrics. With a definite hip-hop appeal, "Speechless" is one of the album’s only pure head-nodders.

The infectiously sweet "Just Friends (Sunny)" from The Nutty Professor II: The Klumps soundtrack, the song that launched Musiq into the spotlight, is also featured prominently on the disc. Now in heavy rotation on BET, The Box and MTV, the world outside of Philly is getting a taste of Musiq. The groove and video depict Musiq as the kid that can "just be that boy who goes to the library with you."

The song and video are the polar opposite of the young, gyrating, half-naked women that permeate the airwaves these days. But Musiq doesn’t want to be branded the good son forever. However, as far as the debut disc is concerned, Musiq and his camp kept things pretty clean. "I get the nice guy rap? I’m safe! I’m safe!" Heed the early warning though — he promises he can get freaky with the best of them. We’ll all just have to wait for the sophomore follow-up to experience it.