MUSIQ SOULCHILD

Musiq Soulchild is a hip-hop soul artist, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He built a reputation for being musically gifted, beat boxing for MC’s, free styling on the open-mic circuit or just performing acappella for strangers on the streets.

Deeply inspired by the R&B/Soul sound of the 70’s he uses the name “Soulchild” as a way to show respect and admiration to his biggest musical influences such as Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Marvin Gaye and many others.

In September 2017, he released his 8th studio album and first 24 track double album entitled “Feel The Real” leading with the new hit single “Start Over”. The album peaked and was nominated for Soulchild’s 13^th Grammy Nomination.

Musiq Soulchild is a hip-hop soul artist, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He built a reputation for being musically gifted, beat boxing for MC’s, free styling on the open-mic circuit or just performing acappella for strangers on the streets.

Deeply inspired by the R&B/Soul sound of the 70’s he uses the name “Soulchild” as a way to show respect and admiration to his biggest musical influences such as Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Marvin Gaye and many others.

In September 2017, he released his 8th studio album and first 24 track double album entitled “Feel The Real” leading with the new hit single “Start Over”. The album peaked and was nominated for Soulchild’s 13^th Grammy Nomination.

Life on Earth, an album executive produced by multi-instrumentalist Warryn Campbell (Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Mary Mary, and DJ Quik), Musiq’s 7^th studio album was a boundless evolution of an artist who for nearly 20 years has made a career out of confounding his critics while turning on followers to one of the most effortlessly smooth and adaptable voices of his generation. With a string of awards from Billboard, BET, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and an impressive 13 Grammy nominations under his belt, the multi-platinum Musiq Soulchild has always strived for musical progression.

After the public was all too ready to stamp the singer as the next big neo soul act following the immense success of his bouncy, omnipresent 2000 debut single “Just Friends (Sunny)” and its powerful follow-up ballad “Love”—which has since become a go-to millennial wedding anthem—Musiq flipped the proverbial script. He delivered a gorgeous 2002 cover of the 1968 Beatles’ pop-rock classic “Something,” showing off an understated range that managed to avoid look-at-me gimmickry.

Musiq proudly displayed his reverence for old school hip-hop on 2007’s body-moving, De La Soul sampled “B.U.D.D.Y.” Even the guitar rock god himself, Carlos Santana, recruited Musiq Soulchild to appear on the stunning Latin-infused single “Nothing At All.” From his 2011 work with jazz saxophonist Kirk Whalum on the bluesy “We’re Still Friends” to the ambitious 9INE, his bold 2013 reggae duet album with vocal powerhouse Syleena Johnson, the unpredictable Musiq continued to brazenly defy categorization.

By the close of 2010, he had already amassed two platinum (Aijuswanaseing and Juslisen) and two gold albums (Soulstar and Luvanmusiq) as well as eight top-10 Billboard hit singles.

For Musiq Soulchild, music didn’t just represent some mundane career path. It was his salvation. Musiq found a deep connection with his father’s extensive record collection. Soon the music of R&B and funk greats Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Sly & The Family Stone and Donnie Hathaway became an obsession, awakening his own gifts .He took on the Musiq moniker in the streets of Philly (his two-fisted neighborhood Johnson’s ubiquitous musical talents earned him nickname “music boy”).

“It got to the point where I wasn’t even interested in school,” recalls Musiq Soulchild, who dropped out of the 9^th grade because he felt like he wasn’t being intellectually challenged. “I would not advise that for kids who want to follow their dreams. I had to educate myself.”

Indeed, Johnson educated himself on the sidewalks of Philadelphia, in such places as the legendary 5^th & South Street where fellow Philly music icons the Boyz II Men and the Roots perfected their craft. Musiq did the whole starving artist thing, making a name for himself on the open mic circuit and jazz clubs around the city where his immense talents shined.

Musiq’s no nonsense conversational songwriting style and buttery vocals earned him a recording contract as he took on an illuminating, life-changing last name. Musiq Soulchild was born. Everything down to his meticulous hip-hop soul sound (his trademark denim apparel and designer shades) screamed SUPERSTAR.

“Truthfully, the success I had out the gate was different than how people now make it out to be,” Musiq recalls. “I didn’t have a chance to revel in that amazing moment of having my first two albums go platinum. I was dealing with political issues, writers, producers, and managers. The labels were trying to get me to be something that I didn’t want to be. I’m from the streets, so I wasn’t use to people telling me what to do [laughs]. It turned into, ‘Well, if you want this check you might want to compromise.’ But even with that negative experience, I got to do what I love, which is inspire people.”

Musiq Soulchild stands as an uncompromising musical force. Feel The Real represents a pivotal chapter in the ever evolving career of an artist who continues to search for new muses; new sounds. 

Soulchild has received multiple awards including, Billboard, BET, ASCAP, BMI, and Soul Train. He has also earned award nominations from MTV, the American Music Awards, the NAACP, and 13 Grammy nominations.

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