Musiq Soulchild has had a successful career thus far. Many believe it’s his willingness to sing outside of the box, deliver both upbeat and slow tempo jams and make good quality music all can enjoy.
The Recorder recently spoke with Musiq and discovered when it comes to the deep thinking soul singer there’s more than meets the eye.
Your music has so much substance and depth. Are you proud of how you stand out and the direction of R&B music?
Musiq Soulchild: I’m proud of how I’ve been represented thus far, however I think there is way more to me that people haven’t been introduced to.
The R&B music industry could use an upgrade. It doesn’t serve the purpose of progression to keep repeating the same things over and over. People can take a fresher approach to things. I go out and buy people’s albums, and it’s not to negatively critique them, but I don’t hear anything that gets me excited. Anybody can be different, but it’s a matter of taking things to another level. I don’t imply I have all the answers, but I’m willing to look for them.
I challenge artists, writers, producers, executives and even the fans; I challenge them to push music to another level so that we as people are entertained a little more.
How do you feel about being categorized as Neo-Soul?
I’m apprehensive about using the term Neo-Soul. It implies being retro and I’m not attempting to be retro. I use what’s been done as a point of reference, not just to reenact it. Not everybody has the capacity or vision to take what’s been done and go further.
If I had to categorize what I do it would be soul music. It’s me expressing my soul through music. Through the years, that label ‘soul music’ has been coined as a handle for a specific genre. I’m sure people use it with the best of intentions, it’s just that through the years, so many parameters have been created behind the idea of soul music. Mostly from the legacy from R&B music that was heavily influenced by the Motown sound, the sounds of Philadelphia. It’s the whole look; everybody dressed up, singing about love and relationships. All of that is cool and was raised on that music. It encompasses most of my history with music, however I know there’s so much more out there. It gets a little stale. I’m the type of person that’s interested in all of it. I want to be a part of all of it and I want to contribute to the culture and legacy of all of it, meaning what’s outside of what people classify Rhythm and Blues music.
When you are creating a song, when do you know the track is complete and it has your stamp of approval on it?
It’s never complete and I’m always finding things about it that can be better. Even know, the best song to date, to me, is “So Beautiful.” I still hear things I could have done to it, or that could’ve been added, changed or rearranged. Said differently, done differently. That’s just the artist in me. It has done what I’d like for it to do and that’s reach and register to people in the way that only music can. I also think I can do a better job, however there are so many people who come to me and tell me how great I’ve done on that song and even on the album.
It’s not to say that I don’t’ give it my stamp of approval, I think that’s implied, it’s just that I think I can always make it better. I just recycle that into the next project.
Unlike many artists, you don’t have a thousand albums – you don’t make music for the sake of churning out hits. Are your albums slow, purposeful and very planned out?
I’m also working with the music industry’s timetable. Personally, I’d put out an album every quarter. That’s how many songs I can generate in a small amount of time. There’s a thing as a roster and calendar the labels like to keep up with as far as marketing and budgeting and things like that.
However, in the near future, I’m in the process of putting together my own label. Maybe that’ll give me more leverage to put out more music. I’ll probably have to present it in a different way. There’s too much music to put out, there’s way too much music that I come up with that I’d like to release to people.
Tell me about the thought process behind your recent album, “On My Radio?”
It was to let people know there’s more to me than just love songs and ballads. I love music and I want to make music. Whatever type of music it is, I want to contribute to it because I know there’s an audience out there who will appreciate it.
You’ve been doing music for a while now. What lessons have you learned or are still learning?
The biggest lesson is humility. Humility is key because the lack of humility will cause you to be your own obstacle for a lot of reasons. Education is another thing. Not just fundamental education, but basic common sense. Social, economical, emotional, knowing how to communicate and articulate your feelings specifically when it comes to getting things done whether it’s in your personal circle or professional circle.
Part of doing the work is being patient. You can see it so clear and you want it so bad, you go gung-ho but sometimes it pays to be patient and be strategic with the moves so that you can make sure the foundation is set strong enough so you can have something to build upon. That’s why I don’t complain when people say ‘you’ve been around a long time and my name isn’t that big.’ I’m not concerned with that. I’m concerned with being taken care of and people being affected by what I do in a positive way. I may not have the fame, but I have the effect.
Who’d you like to work with in the future?
There are a lot of people. Pretty much anybody I can reach. Everybody from Stevie Wonder, George Clinton and Chaka Kahn down to Ryan Leslie and Jasmine Sullivan. Jay-Z, Kanye West and Lil Wayne to Soulja Boy and Bow Wow even.
People say ‘you like Soulja Boy?’ I support them in being successful. You may not agree with their subject content, but somebody out there feels the same way. They’re entertaining people who think and feel like them. Everybody has to start somewhere; not everybody can be deep or supremely business savvy or mature. There are many levels of humanity out there and there should be different levels of entertainment that compliment those levels. They say art imitates life. It’s all good to me as long as it makes people happy.
Was there anything you wanted to add or anything you want our readers to know?
I just want people to know I’m grateful for their support and the love that’s been shown to me through the years. I’m grateful I still have an audience and am credible enough to people that they want to still invest in me. As long as people want to invest in Musiq Soulchild, Musiq Soulchild will invest in people.
