Neo For The Soul

Every so often, a new music trend embarks on its own special journey. Among them were disco and soul in the ‘70s, New Jack Swing in the 80s and gangsta and “reality” rap in the early ‘90s. Some of these and others soon faded while the strong still survive today on the “oldies but goodies” stations.
With the new millennium still in its toddler stage, of course a new trend is to be expected. Enter the dome…neo soul. What is neo soul, exactly? Well, it is not so easy to define. We will just call it the love child of jazz, hip-hop and soul. In fact, artist Erykah Badu, who graced the music scene in 1997, deems herself as the “midwife, aiding in the rebirthing process of music.”
From whence does this magnificent rebirth come? Let us take a trip back to the “good ‘ol days” when music was…well, music. Stevie Wonder, Donnie Hathaway and others ruled the airwaves along with Mr. Soul himself, Marvin Gaye.
In that same era, His Royal Badness, Prince, brought to the scene his unique style. Fast-forward a couple of years and one finds Sade with her not so “ordinary” sound. Let us not forget what the ‘90s brought us in the midst of rap’s reign. Tony Toni Tone and Mint Condition hit the scene running with hit after hit. These two bands infused a touch of jazz with deep lyrics that prove to still be a successful formula. Just ask the leaders of neo soul.
Among its select few are Badu, Maxwell and D’Angelo. When these artists hit the scene, music critics and listeners were at a lost of how to categorize such a sound. In a March, 2001 interview with JET magazine, D’Angelo stated, “I refuse to put any limits on what goes into soul…Soul music is limitless and that’s the way I view my music.”
It was mellow, meaningful and refreshing. Listeners were craving a sweet decadence of soulful nourishment and thus, their appetites were satisfied. A couple of years later, the neo soul priestess, Angie Stone, blessed our ears with her melodies, launching her solo career from previous stints such as Vertical Hold and Sequence.
Other artists on the rise are Jill Scott and Musiq Soulchild, both Philadelphia, Pennsylvania natives. With their chart-topping hits, they are the reigning queen and king of the “Philly Sound,” which is quickly blazing across airwaves.
India Arie, Alicia Keys and Bilal have also made strides in this market. Very newcomer Glenn Lewis, is also becoming a favorite for soul music appreciators.
Neo “soulism” is constantly making its mark from everything to winning the most coveted music awards to being in constant rotation on major video networks. Coca-Cola has even launched several commercials with the neo soul “aura. ” Two of the aforementioned artists, Arie and Keys are Grammy and Soul Train music Awards hopefuls this year.
With its earthy tones and conscious lyrics, neo soul is spreading like wild fire…and listeners are looking for no water to put it out.