Neo soul

Last updated

Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) [1] is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contemporary R&B. Heavily based in soul music, neo soul is distinguished by a less conventional sound than its contemporary R&B counterpart, with incorporated elements ranging from funk, jazz fusion, and hip hop, and to pop, rock, and electronic music. It has been noted by music writers for its traditional R&B influences, conscious-driven lyrics, and strong female presence.

Contents

Neo soul developed during the 1980s and early 1990s, by Black-Americans in the United States, as a soul revival movement. It earned mainstream success during the 1990s, with the commercial and critical breakthroughs of several artists, including D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, and Lauryn Hill. Their music was marketed as an alternative to the producer-driven, digitally approached R&B of the time, although many of them were ambivalent about the term.

Since its initial mainstream popularity and impact on the sound of contemporary R&B, neo soul has been expanded and diversified musically through the works of both American and international artists. Its mainstream presence declined during the 2000s, although newer artists emerged through more independent means of marketing their music. In his book The Essential Neo Soul (2010), music journalist and culture critic Chris Campbell writes that, while the genre has been "woefully misunderstood and its artists mis-marketed", there is "a historical and social relevance that validates its designation as the current face of alternative progressive soul music (in both underground and overground circles), complete with a distinct origin and developmental evolution". [2] According to Mark Anthony Neal, "neo-soul and its various incarnations has helped to redefine the boundaries and contours of black pop." [3]

Etymology

By definition, neo-soul is a paradox. Neo means new. Soul is timeless. All the neo-soul artists, in various ways, perform balancing acts, exploring classic soul idioms while injecting a living, breathing presence into time-tested formulas. They humanize R&B, which has often been reduced to a factory-perfected product. Like sushi, neo-soul is fresh enough to be served raw.

—Dimitri Ehrlich ( Vibe , 2002) [4]

As a term, neo soul was coined by Kedar Massenburg of Motown Records in the late 1990s as a marketing category following the commercial breakthroughs of artists such as D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell. [5] The success of D'Angelo's 1995 debut album Brown Sugar has been regarded by several writers and music critics as inspiration behind the term's origin. [5] [6] [7] While some artists have ignored the label, others have received the designation with controversy because it may seem contrived to music audiences and imply that soul music had ended at some point in time. [7] In a 2002 interview for Billboard , Massenburg said that genre classifications are often unpopular because they may be suggestive of a short-lived trend. However, although he said neo soul is still essentially soul music, Massenburg felt there was a need to market artists of the genre for listeners to have an understanding of what they were buying. [7]

In a 2010 article for PopMatters, music writer Tyler Lewis said that neo soul has been received with much controversy: "Given the way black music has been named by (usually) outsiders ever since the blues, the reaction to the name by artists who ostensibly fit into the 'neo-soul' category represents a wonderful example of black self-determination in an industry that is still defiantly wedded to narrow definitions and images of black folks." [8] Jason Anderson of CBC News compares the etymology of neo soul to that of "new wave" and comments: "As imperfect as the term may be, neo-soul is still an effective tag to describe the mix of chic modernity and time-honoured tradition that distinguished the genre's best examples. Neo-soul artists tried to look both backward and forward, acting in the belief that a continuum might exist." [9]

Characteristics

Despite some ambivalence from artists, the term received widespread use by music critics and writers who wrote about artists and albums associated with the musical style. [7] [1] African American studies professor Mark Anthony Neal has described neo soul as "everything from avant-garde R&B to organic soul ... a product of trying to develop something outside of the norm in R&B". [10] According to music writers, the genre's works are mostly album-oriented and distinguished by its musicianship and production, incorporating "organic" elements of classic soul music with the use of live instrumentation, in contrast to the more single-oriented, hip hop-based, and producer-driven sampling approach of contemporary R&B. [7] [11] [12] Neo soul also incorporates elements of electronic music, [13] jazz fusion, funk, rap, gospel, rock, reggae, and African music. [14] In her book Musical Rhythm in the Age of Digital Reproduction, music author Anne Danielsen wrote that neo soul toward the end of the 1990s exhibited a musical development that was part of "a remarkable increase in musicians' experimentation with and manipulation of grooves at the microrhythmic level – that is, the level in played music that is usually understood in terms of phrasing and timing." [15]

Common (shown in 2003) wore knit caps fashioned in the style of Marvin Gaye. Common-02-mika.jpg
Common (shown in 2003) wore knit caps fashioned in the style of Marvin Gaye.

Noting that most of the genre's artists are singer-songwriters, writers have viewed their lyrical content as more "conscious-driven" and having a broader range than most other R&B artists. [4] [7] [12] AllMusic calls it "roughly analogous to contemporary R&B." [17] Dimitri Ehrlich of Vibe said that they "emphasize a mix of elegant, jazz-tinged R&B and subdued hip hop, with a highly idiosyncratic, deeply personal approach to love and politics". [4] Music writers have noted that neo soul artists are predominantly female, which contrasts the marginalized presence of women in mainstream hip hop and R&B. [18] Jason Anderson of CBC News called neo soul a "sinuous, sly yet unabashedly earnest" alternative and "kind of haven for listeners turned off by the hedonism of mainstream hip-hop and club jams." [9] Neo soul artists are often associated with alternative lifestyles and fashions, including organic food, incense, and knit caps. [19]

According to music writer Peter Shapiro, the term itself refers to a musical style that obtains its influence from older R&B styles, and bohemian musicians seeking a soul revival, while setting themselves apart from the more contemporary sounds of their mainstream R&B counterparts. [5] In a 1998 article on neo soul, Time journalist Christopher John Farley wrote that singers such as Hill, D'Angelo, and Maxwell "share a willingness to challenge musical orthodoxy". [12] Miles Marshall Lewis commented that 1990s neo soul "owed its raison d'être to '70s soul superstars like Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder", adding that "in concert, Erykah Badu and D'Angelo regularly covered Chaka Khan, the Ohio Players, and Al Green, to make the lineage crystal clear." [20] In citing Tony! Toni! Toné! as progenitors of the genre, Tony Green of Vibe viewed that the group pioneered the "digital-analog hybrid sound" of neo soul and "dramatically refreshed the digitalized wasteland that was R&B in the late '80s". [21] Neo soul artists during the 1990s were heavily inspired by the eclectic sound and mellow instrumentation of Gil Scott-Heron's and Brian Jackson's collaborative work in the 1970s. [22] All About Jazz cited Jackson as "one of the early architects" of the sound and his early work with Scott-Heron as "an inspirational and musical Rosetta stone for the neo-soul movement". [23]

History

1980s–early 1990s: Stylistic origins

Prince Brussels 1986.jpg
Sade Chile 2011 (cropped).png
Prince (left, in 1986) and Sade (2011)

Neo soul originated in the 1980s and early 1990s, with the work of musical acts such as Prince, Tony! Toni! Toné!, Terence Trent D'Arby, Joi, [24] and Mint Condition, whose music deviated from the conventions of most contemporary R&B at the time. [4] [7] [12] [21] Tony! Toni! Toné!-member Raphael Saadiq later embarked on a solo career and produced various works of other neo soul artists. [25] Influential to neo soul, UK act Sade achieved success in the 1980s with music that featured a smooth jazzy style of pop rock called sophisti-pop. [26] [27] The band was part of a new wave of British R&B-oriented artists during the late-1980s and early 1990s that also included Soul II Soul, Caron Wheeler, The Brand New Heavies, Jamiroquai, and Lisa Stansfield. [28] AllMusic's Alex Henderson writes that, "Many of the British artists who emerged during that period had a neo-soul outlook and were able to blend influences from different eras". [28] Other British progenitors of the neo soul movement at the time included Young Disciples and Omar Lye-Fook, [29] the latter of whom has been cited as "the father of British neo-soul" and an influence on many future artists. [30]

According to Christopher John Farley, Prince had been "carrying a torch for neo soul for decades, refusing to make R&B that played by the rules or fit into comfortable formats. In the mid-'90s, he was suddenly joined by a host of other soul artists who also wanted to break boundaries". [31] American artists that further popularized this sound during the early 1990s included Zhané, Groove Theory, Joi, Tony Rich, and Me'Shell NdegéOcello. [1] [32] [33] [34]

NdegéOcello's 1993 debut album Plantation Lullabies was later credited as the beginning of neo soul; [35] according to Renee Graham of The Boston Globe , it was "arguably the first shot in the so-called 'neo-soul' movement". [36] The success of Tony! Toni! Toné!'s 1993 album Sons of Soul was also viewed as a precursor to the soul music revival in the mid-1990s. [37] [38] Cheo Hodari Coker said in 1997 that the album "largely sparked the soul music revival that has opened the door for a new generation of singers who build on the tradition of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder". [37] Allmusic editor Leo Stanley wrote that by the release of Tony! Toni! Toné!'s follow-up album House of Music in 1996, "their influence was beginning to be apparent, as younger soul singer-songwriters like Tony Rich and Maxwell began reaching the R&B charts. Like Tony! Toni! Toné!, Rich and Maxwell relied on traditional soul and R&B values of songwriting and live performances, discarding the synth-heavy productions of the late '80s and early '90s". [38]

A few hip hop groups are cited as well. Malcolm Venable of Vibe highlights the early work of hip hop band The Roots, who used live instrumentation, as a precursor to neo soul's commercial breakthrough in the mid-1990s. [39] Kierna Mayo, former editor-in-chief of Ebony , said that alternative hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest's early 1990s albums The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders "gave birth to neo-everything  ... That entire class of D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Maxwell, and Lauryn Hill". [40]

Mid–late 1990s: Mainstream breakthrough

Maxwell, one of neo soul's original successes, in 1998 Maxwell (musician).jpg
Maxwell, one of neo soul's original successes, in 1998

In 1995, former corporate marketer turned artist manager Kedar Massenburg established the record label Kedar Entertainment Inc., through which he released the breakthrough neo soul recordings of artists such as Badu, D'Angelo, and Chico DeBarge. [41] Music journalists have specifically credited the successes of D'Angelo's Brown Sugar (1995), Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (1996), Badu's Baduizm (1997), and Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) with shaping and raising the neo soul movement to commercial visibility into the late 1990s. [5] [1] [17] [42] [43] [44] According to Farley, D'Angelo's album "gives a nod to the past, ... mints his own sound, with golden humming keyboards and sensual vocals and unhurried melodies ... His songs were polished without being slick and smart without being pretentious", while Badu "brought an iconoclastic spirit to soul music, with her towering Afrocentric headwraps, incense candles, and quirky lyrics". [31] Baduizm sold nearly three million copies and won Badu two Grammy Awards. [45] Hill's Miseducation album featured her singing and rapping, with deeply personal lyrics, [31] and was one of neo soul's primary successes, [1] achieving massive sales, critical acclaim, and five Grammy Awards. [46] The 1997 film Love Jones capitalized on neo soul's success at the time with its soundtrack album, which impacted the Billboard charts and featured artists such as Hill, Maxwell, The Brand New Heavies, Me'Shell NdegéOcello, Groove Theory, and Dionne Farris. [47] [48]

After a brief marketing downturn, neo soul gained more mainstream popularity in 1999 with commercial successes by Hill, Maxwell, Eric Benét, Saadiq, and Les Nubians. [1] It impacted mainstream radio while influencing contemporary R&B acts, such as R. Kelly and Aaliyah, [31] to incorporate some of its textural and lyrical elements. [1] In Kelly's song "When a Woman's Fed Up" (1998), the singer incorporated a more soul-based sound and referenced Badu's 1997 song "Tyrone" in the lyrics. [1] Other female artists broke through with their debut albums, including Macy Gray, Angie Stone, and Jill Scott. [17] [25] Although Scott's album Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 would not see release until 2000, she co-wrote and sang on "You Got Me" (the 1999 hit single by hip hop band The Roots) and received further exposure as a supporting performer on the band's tour that year. "Thanks to her stint on 'You Got Me' and subsequent live shows", Joel McIver wrote, "Scott can be credited as the first female artist to emerge in Erykah Badu's wake who could seriously claim to have challenged her superiority at the top of the neo-soul tree". [49]

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the musical collective Soulquarians—consisting of such artists as D'Angelo, The Roots, Erykah Badu, Bilal, Mos Def, Common, James Poyser, J Dilla and Q-Tip—contributed significantly to the neo soul movement with what Greg Kot described as its members' "organic soul, natural R&B, boho-rap". [50] The collective developed through the production work of The Roots' drummer and producer Questlove. [39]

Early 2000s: Height of hype

Although she rejects the term, Erykah Badu has been called "the first lady of neo soul" and "the queen of neo-soul". Erykah badu-02-mika.jpg
Although she rejects the term, Erykah Badu has been called "the first lady of neo soul" and "the queen of neo-soul".

In 2000, D'Angelo released his second album Voodoo , serving as a further alternative to the mainstream of late 1990s R&B and hip hop, as neo soul reached its apex in the new decade. [54] A production of the Soulquarians, [50] it was an exemplary creative milestone of neo soul. [9] [55] Ben Ratliff of The New York Times called the album "the succes d'estime that proves the force of this new music: it is a largely unslick, stubbornly idiosyncratic and genuinely great album that has already produced two hit singles". [11] The year also saw Badu's second album Mama's Gun , by which time the singer had been dubbed by writers as "the queen of neo-soul", [45] although she said of the honorific title, "I hated that because what if I don't do that anymore? What if I change? Then that puts me in a penitentiary." [45] Scott's first album Who Is Jill Scott? sold millions worldwide and proved one of the genre's significant releases. [56]

Jill scott-06-mika.jpg
India.Arie 2.jpg
Jill Scott (top) and India.Arie (bottom), two of the top-selling neo soul singers of the early 2000s

Other successful performers marketed as neo soul at this time included Bilal, Musiq Soulchild, India.Arie, and Alicia Keys, who broke through to broader popularity with her debut album Songs in A Minor (2001). [4] [17] [57] According to AllMusic biographer Andy Kellman, although Bilal may have been the "one R&B artist for whom the neo-soul categorization seemed limiting", his 2001 debut album 1st Born Second was an "exemplary" release for the genre and a top-10 R&B chart success. [58] Hip hop acts such as The Roots and Common, also associated with the Soulquarians, [50] released albums that incorporated neo soul: Phrenology (2002) and Electric Circus (2003). [25] Commenting on neo soul's hype, Daphne Brooks wrote in 2004, "The increasing attention paid to heavily hyped 'neo-soul' artists such as Jill Scott and Indie.arie ... suggest[s] that cultural memory is now recognized as a marketable aesthetic strategy of expression in contemporary pop." [59]

Mid–late 2000s: Mainstream decline

The 2000s later featured a decline in output by neo soul artists, [8] [60] with many of them failing to make a commercial impact after previous successes or not releasing a follow-up album. [47] Badu's commercial viability decreased as each of her releases following her debut Baduizm departed further from that album's music. [9] Hill followed-up her 1998 debut—considered the best-selling neo soul album—with a combative, confessional live album (2002's MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 ) in which she expresses her misgivings about fame, and her recording career diminished soon after. [9] Melena Ryzik of The New York Times wrote in a retrospective piece on that "era of left-of-center black singer-songwriters", stating "many of them struggled to keep their creative momentum, conflicted about their early mainstream success." [45] Producer and Soulquarians member Questlove elaborated on the artists' regression from the mainstream, saying "I think most of us went through our psychosomatic, quasi-self-saboteur stage. Once we got that first taste of success, I think just the pressure of reacting got to all of us. Some of us released some of the craziest records of our career." [45] Other artists such as D'Angelo and Hill went on indefinite hiatus from the music scene. [9] [45] Tyler Lewis from PopMatters attributed the decline to "the downside of [the] rejection of the term ['neo soul']", going on to say:

The industry, which already has a hard time with unapologetic and complicated black artists, had no idea what to do with all these enormously talented individuals who rejected entire marketing campaigns designed to 'break' them to the record-buying public. As such, albums were shelved or delayed or retooled and artists were dropped from major labels and forced to go it alone, making the first decade of the 21st century the least 'soulful'—however you define it—decade for the industry itself in ... well, decades. [8]

The Boston Globe 's Renée Graham wrote of the artists' ambivalence towards the term in a 2003 article on neo soul's standing, "Despite its critical success, if neo-soul had an initial failing, it was the media-created label itself – a term that the artists, whom it was meant to represent, generally rejected". [47] In a 2003 interview, music publicist John Constanza said that "The neo-soul movement is still there, but it's been underground, and it's trying to get the attention of the mainstream again". [47] Mark Edward Nero of About.com stated, "In general, neo-soul has remained almost exclusive to R&B outlets such as urban radio and Black Entertainment Television ... the majority of neo-soul artists have yet to crossover to mainstream American music listeners, partially because the music's sound generally focuses on artist expression, rather than popular appeal". [61]

Graffiti mural of Badu in London Sutton graffiti.jpg
Graffiti mural of Badu in London

After D'Angelo and Hill's withdrawal from the mainstream, Bilal appeared to be another artist from "the soul music vanguard" of the late 1990s and early 2000s to succumb to professional setbacks and fade from the public view, after his heavily bootlegged album Love for Sale was shelved in 2006, although it developed an underground following in subsequent years. [62] Smash Gordon, of the Fabric club's blog, later called the leak "one of the biggest mysteries in neo-soul history". [63]

In the latter part of the decade, emerging artists such as Heather Headley, Anthony David, J Davey, Eric Roberson, and Ledisi signed to independent soul labels and received exposure through independent retailers, neo soul-oriented web sites, college and public radio stations, city club venues, cable networks such as Music Choice and BET J, and publishing deals as writers and producers for major label-recording artists. [64] Erykah Badu and Maxwell returned from their respective hiatuses and released well-received albums, her New Amerykah albums and his 2009 album BLACKsummers'night , and they subsequently toured together. [9] [65] [66] VH1 Soul's series Soulstage, which began in 2007, showcased new music by artists such as Badu, Jill Scott, India.Arie, Q-Tip, and Saadiq. [67] [68]

2010s–present: Late period

Raheem DeVaughn performs socially conscious and love-themed songs, and has been compared to Donny Hathaway and Marvin Gaye. Raheem DeVaughn (2010).JPG
Raheem DeVaughn performs socially conscious and love-themed songs, and has been compared to Donny Hathaway and Marvin Gaye.

Since its original popularity, neo soul has been expanded and diversified musically through the works of both American and international artists. [11] The more popular neo soul artists of the 2010s included Scott, Maxwell, John Legend, Anthony Hamilton, Amy Winehouse, Chrisette Michele, Leela James, and Raheem DeVaughn. [25] [61] DeVaughn has described himself as an "R&B Hippy Neo-Soul Rock Star", viewing it as a reference to his eclectic musical style. [69] In its 2010 issue on critical moments in popular music, Spin cited D'Angelo's Voodoo and its success as a turning point for neo soul: "D'Angelo's pastiche of funk, carnal ache, and high-minded, Afrocentric rhetoric stands as neo-soul's crowning achievement. So unsurpassable that it'd be eight years before we'd hear from Erykah Badu and Maxwell again, while Hill and D'Angelo remain missing. But Alicia Keys, John Legend, and Cee-Lo picked up D's mantle and ran with it". [60] Evan Rytlewski of The A.V. Club discerns "a line of revelatory, late-period neo-soul albums" with the releases of Maxwell's BLACKsummers'night (2009), Badu's New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) (2010), Bilal's Airtight's Revenge (2010), and Frank Ocean's Channel Orange (2012). [71] In the 2010s and 2020s, other neo soul acts included Fitz and the Tantrums, [72] Mayer Hawthorne, [73] Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, [74] Sol Chyld and Amos Lee. [75]

In August 2019, Okayplayer journalist Keith Nelson Jr. published a piece highlighting 11 recording artists who are "on the precipice of pushing neo-soul forward" into its third decade of existence: Steve Lacy ("cut from the abstract neo-soul cloth of Frank Ocean where you’re just as likely to have a jam session as you are to hear philosophical quips"), Mahalia ("singer-songwriter, with honeyed vocals … songs of love and anguish typically exist in narratives, similar to Jill Scott, who paved her path"), Adrian Daniel ("experimentation and vulnerability that is reminiscent of fellow Brooklynite Maxwell"), VanJess ("sister duo float between the soulful chemistry of Floetry and the unapologetically assertive of City Girls … artful sexual empowerment"), Donovan ("avant-garde singer and instrumentalist … bedroom intimate vocals and [emotive] production"), Ari Lennox ("can make Tinder plights sound rich with soul … akin to Erykah Badu"), Marco McKinnis ("Anthony Hamilton meets D'Angelo … hazy ambient sounds"), Baby Rose ("exquisitely guttural voice makes [love] palpable"), Kyle Dion ("a register so high it sounded like tearful begging"), Lucky Daye ("his love odes are imbued with a Raphael Saadiq-esque adventurousness"), and Iman Omari ("a faint Bilal tinge … music that leans heavy on a jazz/hip-hop"). [76]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D'Angelo</span> American singer

Michael Eugene Archer, better known by his stage name D'Angelo, is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He first garnered attention after co-producing the single "U Will Know" for R&B supergroup Black Men United. His debut studio album, Brown Sugar (1995), was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and received widespread acclaim from music critics, who have credited the album for ushering in the neo soul movement. His third single, "Lady", reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erykah Badu</span> American singer (born 1971)

Erica Abi Wright, known professionally as Erykah Badu, is an American singer and songwriter. Influenced by R&B, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut album Baduizm (1997), placed her at the forefront of the neo soul movement, earning her the nickname "Queen of Neo Soul" by music critics.

<i>Baduizm</i> 1997 studio album by Erykah Badu

Baduizm is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Erykah Badu. It was released on February 11, 1997, by Kedar Records and Universal Records. After leaving university in order to concentrate on music full-time, Badu then began touring with her cousin, Robert "Free" Bradford, and recorded a 19-song demo, Country Cousins, which attracted the attention of Kedar Massenburg. He set Badu up to record a duet with D'Angelo, "Your Precious Love," and eventually signed her to a record deal with Universal. Recording sessions for the album took place from January to October 1996 in New York City, Philadelphia, and Dallas.

<i>Voodoo</i> (DAngelo album) 2000 studio album by DAngelo

Voodoo is the second studio album by the American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist D'Angelo, released on January 25, 2000, through Virgin Records. D'Angelo recorded the album during 1997 and 1999 at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, with an extensive line-up of musicians associated with the Soulquarians musical collective. Produced primarily by the singer, Voodoo features a loose, groove-based funk sound and serves as a departure from the more conventional song structure of his debut album, Brown Sugar (1995). Its lyrics explore themes of spirituality, love, sexuality, maturation, and fatherhood.

<i>Live</i> (Erykah Badu album) 1997 live album by Erykah Badu

Live is a live concert album by American singer Erykah Badu, released in 1997. Released in the fall of 1997, with her debut album Baduizm released earlier that year, Live quickly went double platinum with the radio hit "Tyrone".

<i>Mamas Gun</i> 2000 studio album by Erykah Badu

Mama's Gun is the second studio album by American singer Erykah Badu. It was recorded between 1999 and 2000 at Electric Lady Studios in New York and released on November 21, 2000, by Motown Records. A neo soul album, Mama's Gun incorporates elements of funk, soul, and jazz styles. It has confessional lyrics by Badu, which cover themes of insecurity, personal relationships, and social issues. The album has been viewed by critics as a female companion to neo soul artist D'Angelo's second album Voodoo (2000), which features a similar musical style and direction. Critics have also noted that while Badu's first album Baduizm contained its share of cryptic lyricism, Mama's Gun is much more direct in its approach, and places the artist in a subjective position more than its predecessor.

<i>Brown Sugar</i> (DAngelo album) 1995 studio album by DAngelo

Brown Sugar is the debut studio album by American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist D'Angelo, released on July 3, 1995, through EMI. The album was recorded during 1994 and 1995 in sessions at Battery Studios and RPM Studios in New York City and at the Pookie Lab in Sacramento. Its production, instrumentation, arrangements, and songwriting were primarily handled by D'Angelo, who employed both vintage recording equipment and modern electronic devices. The songs feature earnest lyrics about love and romance, set against a fusion of contemporary R&B and traditional soul music with elements of funk, quiet storm, and hip hop music.

Hip hop soul is a subgenre of contemporary R&B music, most popular during the early and mid 1990s, which fuses R&B or soul singing with hip hop musical production. The subgenre had evolved from a previous R&B subgenre, new jack swing, which had incorporated hip-hop influences into R&B music. By contrast, hip hop soul is, as described in The Encyclopedia of African American Music, "quite literally soul singing over hip hop grooves".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Poyser</span> American record producer and songwriter

James Jason Poyser is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has been a member of the hip hop band The Roots since 2009, and plays with The Roots in the house band for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and formerly, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxwell (musician)</span> American R&B singer (born 1973)

Gerald Maxwell Rivera, known mononymously as Maxwell, is an American singer-songwriter, and record producer. He rose to prominence following the release of his debut studio album Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (1996), which received widespread acclaim and spawned the hit singles "Ascension " and "Sumthin' Sumthin'". Through the album and its follow ups, Maxwell has been cited—along with Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo, and Erykah Badu—for ushering in the neo soul movement and its sensibilities into mainstream popular music during the late 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bilal (American singer)</span> American singer

Bilal Sayeed Oliver is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is an independent artist, noted for his wide vocal range, work across multiple genres, and intense live performances.

<i>The Pendulum Vibe</i> 1994 studio album by Joi

The Pendulum Vibe is the debut album of American recording artist Joi, released on June 28, 1994, by EMI Records. She recorded the album in three weeks with producer and mentor Dallas Austin at D.A.R.P. Studios in Atlanta. The Pendulum Vibe is a neo soul album that incorporates R&B, funk, and psychedelic soul styles. The songs are about themes of enlightenment, personal freedom, intimate relationships, and womanism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soulquarians</span> American musical collective

The Soulquarians were a rotating collective of experimental Black music artists active during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Initially formed by singer and multi-instrumentalist D'Angelo, drummer and producer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, and producer-rapper J Dilla. They were later joined by singer-songwriter Erykah Badu, trumpeter Roy Hargrove, keyboardist James Poyser, singer Bilal, bassist Pino Palladino, rapper-producers Q-Tip and Mos Def, and rappers Talib Kweli and Common. Prior to its formation, Q-Tip, Common, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli were members of the Native Tongues collective, whilst Q-Tip's original group A Tribe Called Quest served as one of the inspirations behind the Soulquarians.

<i>Embrya</i> 1998 studio album by Maxwell

Embrya is the second studio album by American recording artist Maxwell, released on June 30, 1998, by Columbia Records. As on his 1996 debut album Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite, he collaborated with record producer and Sade member Stuart Matthewman. A neo soul album, Embrya features heavy basslines, string arrangements, and an emphasis on groove over melodies. It has themes of love and spirituality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">On & On (Erykah Badu song)</span> 1997 single by Erykah Badu

"On & On" is a song by American singer-songwriter Erykah Badu, released on December 10, 1996, by Kedar Records and Universal Records as the lead single from Badu's debut studio album, Baduizm (1997). It was written by her with JaBorn Jamal. A neo soul song, it features teachings of the Five-Percent Nation in its lyrics. A commercial success, it spent two weeks atop the US Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart, while peaking at number 12 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. Critically acclaimed, the song won Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards (1998). Its accompanying music video was nominated in the categories for Best Female Video and Best R&B Video at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2022, Pitchfork included "On & On" in their list of "The 250 Best Songs of the 1990s".

<i>Maxwells Urban Hang Suite</i> 1996 studio album by Maxwell

Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite is the debut album by American R&B singer-songwriter Maxwell. It was recorded in 1994 and 1995 and released on April 2, 1996, by Columbia Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erykah Badu discography</span>

American singer Erykah Badu has released five studio albums, one live album, one compilation album, one mixtape, 31 singles, three promotional singles and 20 music videos. Badu's career began after opening a show for D'Angelo in 1994 in her hometown; record label executive Kedar Massenburg was highly impressed with her performance and signed her to Kedar Records. Her debut album, Baduizm, was released on February 11, 1997. It spawned three singles: "On & On", "Next Lifetime", and "Otherside of the Game". The album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Badu's first live album, Live, was released on November 18, 1997, and was certified double Platinum by the RIAA.

<i>New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)</i> 2008 studio album by Erykah Badu

New Amerykah Part One is the fourth studio album by American R&B singer Erykah Badu. It was released on February 26, 2008, by Universal Motown following Badu's hiatus from recording music due to writer's block. In returning from the hiatus, she received music from several hip hop producers over the Internet and recorded demos of her vocals using the GarageBand software on her laptop. Most of the album was then recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City.

<i>New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)</i> 2010 studio album by Erykah Badu

New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Erykah Badu, first released on March 30, 2010, through Universal Motown. Collaborating with several hip hop producers over the Internet, Badu conceived 75 songs set to be split over three albums with New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) (2008) being the first. The album was recorded primarily at Electric Lady Studios in New York City.

Alternative R&B is a term used by music journalists to describe a stylistic alternative to contemporary R&B that began in the mid 2000s and came to prominence with musical artists such as Frank Ocean, Drake, the Weeknd, SZA, Khalid, Bryson Tiller, PartyNextDoor, Tory Lanez, 6lack, and others. It is considered to be "more progressive and diverse" than its mainstream counterpart.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Ross, Sean. "After a False Start, The Neo-Soul Genre Picks Up Steam on the Mainstream Track Archived March 19, 2015, at the Wayback Machine ". Billboard : May 8, 1999. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  2. ↑ rtmsholsey (February 24, 2010). "Neo-Soul: The Complete Story". Michigan Chronicle . Archived from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  3. ↑ Neal, Mark Anthony (2003). "Songs in the Key of Black Life: A Rhythm and Blues Nation Archived March 20, 2015, at the Wayback Machine ". Routledge: pp. 117–118. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Ehrlich, Dimitri. "Young Soul Rebels Archived March 20, 2015, at the Wayback Machine ". Vibe : 72. February 2002. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Shapiro, Peter; Spicer, Al (2006). The Rough Guide to Soul and R&B. Rough Guides. ISBN   1-84353-264-6.
  6. ↑ Kot, Greg. "Dusting of Old King Soul Archived February 8, 2013, at the Wayback Machine ". Chicago Tribune: 1. July 21, 1996. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mitchell, Gail. "Soul Resurrection: What's So New About Neo-Soul? Archived May 3, 2017, at the Wayback Machine ". Billboard : 30, 36. June 1, 2002. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 Lewis, Tyler (September 28, 2010). Review: Airtight's Revenge Archived January 16, 2013, at the Wayback Machine . PopMatters. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Anderson, Jason (July 17, 2009). "Soul on Fire". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Centre. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  10. ↑ Burch, Audra D.S. (June 3, 2001). "Neo-Soul: Past Future Perfect". Richmond Times . p. H.2.
  11. 1 2 3 Ratliff, Ben. Out of a Rut and Into a New Groove Archived March 30, 2019, at the Wayback Machine . The New York Times . Retrieved May 9, 2010.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Farley, Christopher John. Music: Neo-Soul on a Roll. Time . Retrieved May 9, 2010.
  13. ↑ Tate, Daniel; Bowman, Rob (2019). The Flyer Vault: 150 Years of Toronto Concert History. Dundurn. p. 271. ISBN   9781459745438.
  14. ↑ Rabaka, Reiland (2011). Hip Hop's Inheritance: From the Harlem Renaissance to the Hip Hop Feminist Movement. Lexington Books. p. 170. ISBN   9780739164822.
  15. ↑ Danielsen, Anne (2010). Musical Rhythm in the Age of Digital Reproduction. Ashgate Publishing. p. 19. ISBN   978-1-4094-0340-1. Archived from the original on March 20, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  16. ↑ McIver, Joel (2011). "Love Can Make It Better". Erykah Badu: The First Lady of Neo-Soul. Bobcat Books. ISBN   9780857124494.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Genre: Neo Soul. AllMusic. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
  18. ↑ Rabaka, Reiland (2011). Hip Hop Inheritance: From the Harlem Renaissance to the Hip Hop Feminist Movement. Lexington Books. p. 174. ISBN   978-0-7391-6481-5. Archived from the original on March 20, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Anthony David – India.Arie's Singer-Songwriter Friend Has His Own Testimony". Vibe. 14. Vibe/Spin Ventures: 100. 2006.
  20. ↑ Lewis, Miles Marshall. "R. Kelly, 'Write Me Back' (RCA)". Spin . New York: Spin Media. Archived from the original on February 5, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
  21. 1 2 Green, Tony. "Props: Tony! Toni! Tone! Archived March 20, 2015, at the Wayback Machine ". Vibe : 168. May 2003. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  22. ↑ Bordowitz, Hank. "Gil Scott-Heron Archived May 7, 2020, at the Wayback Machine ". American Visions: June 1, 1998. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  23. ↑ "Biography: Brian Jackson". All About Jazz. Archived from the original on May 23, 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2008.
  24. ↑ Mock, Brentin. The Joyful Noise of Janelle Monáe Archived May 22, 2010, at the Wayback Machine . The Atlantic . Retrieved May 18, 2010.
  25. 1 2 3 4 "Alternatives : The Neo-Soul Family Tree". AllHipHop. June 26, 2008. Archived from the original on October 7, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2011.
  26. ↑ "Sophisti-Pop". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  27. ↑ Kot, Greg. "Review: Soldier of Love". Chicago Tribune . Archived from the original on February 6, 2010. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  28. 1 2 Henderson, Alex (August 1, 2003). British Soul. Allmusic. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
  29. ↑ Werner, Craig Hansen (2006). A Change is Gonna Come: Music, Race & the Soul of America . University of Michigan Press. pp.  327–328. ISBN   0-472-03147-3. Road to Freedom Young Disciples.
  30. ↑ Cordor, Cyril (2005). Biography: Omar Archived January 6, 2013, at the Wayback Machine . Allmusic. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
  31. 1 2 3 4 Farley, Christopher John (2001). Aaliyah: More Than a Woman. Simon and Schuster. pp. 54–58. ISBN   0-7434-5566-5. Archived from the original on August 19, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  32. ↑ Valdés, Mimi (September 2003). "The Sound of Music Archived March 20, 2015, at the Wayback Machine ". Vibe: 200–208. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  33. ↑ Cinquemani, Sal (July 3, 2001). Me'Shell NdegéOcello: Plantation Lullabies | Music Review Archived March 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine . Slant Magazine. Retrieved March 5, 2011.
  34. ↑ Aaron, Peter (October 2010). Goddess of Groove: Meshell Ndegeocello – Roll the Music :: Roll Magazine: Creative Living in the Hudson Valley. Roll Publishing. Retrieved March 5, 2011.
  35. ↑ Easlea, Daryl (2009). "Review of Me'Shell NdegéOcello – Plantation Lullabies". BBC Music . Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  36. ↑ Graham, Renee (June 4, 2002). "Ndegeocello's 'Cookie' Soars With Streetwise Soul". The Boston Globe . Arts section, p. E.4. Retrieved March 16, 2013.[ dead link ]
  37. 1 2 Coker, Cheo Hodari (January 12, 1997). Time to Jam—or Jam? – Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved June 25, 2011.
  38. 1 2 Stanely, Leo (August 1, 2003). House of Music – Tony! Toni! Toné! | AllMusic: Review Archived September 28, 2021, at the Wayback Machine . Allmusic. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
  39. 1 2 Venable, Malcolm (October 2002). "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems". Vibe. 10 (10). VIBE/SPIN Ventures: 124–128. Archived from the original on April 23, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
  40. ↑ Gonzales, Michael A. (November 15, 2016). "A Tribe Called Quest's Soundtrack to the Resistance". The Village Voice . Archived from the original on April 1, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  41. ↑ Alleyne, Sonia (March 1, 2008). "The Spirit of a Man". Black Enterprise . Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  42. ↑ Huey, Steve. Maxwell: Biography. Allmusic. Retrieved March 30, 2009.
  43. ↑ Nelson, Trevor. Radio 1 Listeners Top 50 Albums of 1993–2003. TrevorNelson. Retrieved March 30, 2009.
  44. ↑ Harvilla, Rob. Maxwell Returns. So Do the Giant Panties Archived October 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine . The Village Voice. Retrieved March 31, 2009.
  45. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ryzik, Melena (March 2, 2008). "The Mind of a One-Woman Multitude". The New York Times . Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  46. ↑ Raftery, Brian (November 1, 2001). Biography: Lauryn Hill Archived January 24, 2011, at the Wayback Machine . Allmusic. Retrieved March 5, 2011.
  47. 1 2 3 4 Graham, Renée (November 14, 2003). Boston.com / A&E / Music / Soul searching Archived May 12, 2011, at the Wayback Machine . The Boston Globe . Retrieved March 6, 2011.
  48. ↑ Promis, Jose F. (August 1, 2003). Love Jones – Original Soundtrack Archived May 15, 2011, at the Wayback Machine . Allmusic. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
  49. ↑ McIver, Joel (2011). "She Got Us". Erykah Badu: The First Lady of Neo-Soul. Bobcat Books. ISBN   978-0857124494.
  50. 1 2 3 Kot, Greg. "A Fresh Collective Soul? Archived February 8, 2013, at the Wayback Machine ". Chicago Tribune : 1. March 19, 2000. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  51. ↑ Jansen, Steve (May 28, 2009). First Lady of Neo-Soul – Page 1 Archived October 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine . Phoenix New Times . Retrieved March 6, 2011.
  52. ↑ Kinnon, Joy Bennett (July 1997). "Home Brew: Erykah Badu Archived March 20, 2015, at the Wayback Machine ". Ebony : 36–37. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  53. ↑ McIver, Joel (2002). Erykah Badu: The First Lady of Neo-Soul. Sanctuary. ISBN   1-86074-385-4. Archived from the original on August 15, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  54. ↑ Dombal, Ryan (December 12, 2012). "D'Angelo: Voodoo". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on October 7, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2012.
  55. ↑ Neo-Soul's Familiar Face; With 'Voodoo,' D'Angelo Aims to Reclaim His Place in a Movement He Got Rolling. The Washington Post . Retrieved March 6, 2011.
  56. ↑ Condon, Dan (June 9, 2013). "Neo Soul Icon Jill Scott Announces First Ever Australian Tour". The Music . Archived from the original on January 2, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  57. ↑ Seymour, Craig (February 2002). "The Re-Energizers Archived March 19, 2015, at the Wayback Machine ". Vibe: 68–73. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  58. ↑ Kellman, Andy (2013). "Bilal". AllMusic. Archived from the original on July 29, 2013. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
  59. ↑ Brooks, Daphne A. (2004). "Burnt Sugar: Post-Soul Satire and Rock Memory". In Weisbard, Eric (ed.). This is Pop: In Search of the Elusive at Experience Music Project. Harvard University Press. p. 104. ISBN   0674013212.
  60. 1 2 "The 100 Moments That Rocked Our World: 78) Voodoo Scares Off the Neo-Soul Competition". Spin : 98. May 2010. Archived from the original on May 11, 2011. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  61. 1 2 Nero, Mark Edward. Neo-Soul: What Is Neo-Soul? Archived July 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine . About.com. Retrieved March 5, 2011.
  62. ↑ Larrier, Travis (March 4, 2013). "Bilal Is the Future (And the Present…And the Past)". The Shadow League. Archived from the original on July 20, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  63. ↑ Bilal (July 7, 2010). "A Quick Chat With... BILAL". fabric blog (Interview). Interviewed by Smash Gordon. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  64. ↑ Mitchell, Gail (July 1, 2006). "The Next Soul Survivors Archived March 20, 2015, at the Wayback Machine ". Billboard: 27–29. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  65. ↑ Almeida, Chase (May 10, 2010). "Maxwell Tabs Erykah Badu to Support Select Summer Tour Dates". ConcertTour.org. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  66. ↑ O'Toole, Kit (April 26, 2011). "Reevaluating Nineties Music: Trivial or Noteworthy?". Seattle Post-Intelligencer . Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  67. ↑ "VH1 Soul is More Soulful Than Ever in Its Third Installment of 'SoulStage: Erykah Badu presented by Infiniti' Premiering Tuesday, February 26 at 9PM*". New York: PRNewswire. February 21, 2008. Archived from the original on March 24, 2014. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  68. ↑ Williams, Brennan (February 17, 2009). "India Arie: Brings International Appeal to VH1's 'Soulstage'". BVNewswire . Archived from the original on February 21, 2009. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  69. 1 2 Dinsmore, Jason (March 20, 2010). "Raheem DeVaughn: R&B Hippy Neo-Soul Rockstar". BE Entertained Magazine. Archived from the original on April 5, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2011.
  70. ↑ Smith, Jessie Carney (2010). Encyclopedia of African American Popular Culture, Volume 1. ABC-CLIO. p. 1120. ISBN   978-0-313-35796-1. Archived from the original on March 20, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  71. ↑ Rytlewski, Evan (July 24, 2012). "Frank Ocean: Channel Orange". The A.V. Club . Chicago: The Onion. Archived from the original on August 27, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
  72. ↑ Martens, Todd. "Dangerbird inks neo-soul act Fitz & the Tantrums". LA Times. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  73. ↑ Ashbrook, Tom (June 20, 2016). "Mayer Hawthorne Is A Musical 'Man About Town'". WBUR. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  74. ↑ Greene, Andy. "Farm-Aid 2016:10 Best Things we Saw". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  75. ↑ Tatangelo, Wade. "Sparring with Amos Lee". Creative Loafing: Tampa Bay. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  76. ↑ Nelson, Keith Jr. (August 26, 2019). "Neo-Soul 2020: 11 Artists Pushing the Sound into the New Decade". Okayplayer . Archived from the original on December 18, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2020.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.