I literally just woke up from a dream, where my former infatuation, D'Angelo, was about 30-pounds lighter, donning the same gear from his Voodoo music tour—a black tank top, black leather pants and a black bandana tied around neatly pleated cornrows. (I think it was in anticipation of this blog, or perhaps I just miss his music that much.... sigh.)
It was 2001, I was in high school and my favorite uncle had escorted me to see D'Angelo live at Radio City Music Hall. At the time, I had the biggest crush on the "Brown Sugar" singer and despite what most of my friends and the media were saying, I didn't love him or his music simply because of the oiled-down pectorals prominently displayed in his infamous "Untitled" video. It was much deeper than that.
I "loved" him because I truly respected and admired the time and effort he put into his craft, and it showed heavily in the music he put out. D’Angelo played more than one instrument, he wrote most of his own songs and his music actually had a message. (See "Africa" lyrics.) Simply put, he was the embodiment of Soul music. D'Angelo, along with Erykah Badu, Maxwell, and a host of other soul artists, ushered in a new era, where the music had substance and the messages behind it could be applied to just about anyone.
In recent times, however, it seems as if the lack of neo soul artists has led to a steady decline in the amount of genuinely good music. In 1999, you could not—and probably would not—have released a single like Bobby Valentino’s "Beep, Beep" alongside Maxwell's "Fortunate" and honestly felt as if you'd accomplished something major. "She gonna let me beep beep beep beep" vs. "Never seen a sun shine like this, never seen the moon glow like this, never seen the waterfalls like this... never heard a song quite like this." I mean, really?
Now, I'm not going to sit here and knock some of these current R&B "artists" out there, but it really is time to step their pen game up. Sure, you need your club music, but you also need a balance of the good and the bad, and right now, with the current trend of pop and R&B fusions, along with a bevy of new singers with image, but no talent to match, the music industry is headed in the direction of ugly.
Don’t get me wrong, I still have some lingering hope that we will be saved, thanks to some recent finds. Philadelphia bred artist, Jazmine Sullivan, along with a few more artists, are silently making their mark on the scene, including Grammy Nominated, DC-based singer Wayna, an independent soul artist of Ethiopian descent, who touches on everything from police brutality ("Billy Club") to domestic violence ("My Love") and the immigrant's longing to return to their native land ("Home") on her latest CD, Higher Ground. I was able to catch Wayna perform live in New York City recently and, needless to say, she did not disappoint.
Backed by a full band and two background singers, the curvy songstress performed to a packed crowd filled with people of all backgrounds, ethnicities and ages. The music was even better live, and Wayna’s set was amazing. By the end of the night, I left the place with a sense of urgency and a newfound call to action.
It seems that neo soul music is alive and well, but currently buried underneath hoards of trash. It is our, yes our, duty to dig through the trash by scouring the internet/blogosphere and unearthing this new crop of indie neo soul artists for our fellow good music connoisseurs. As a matter of fact, just the other day, I was reintroduced to the music of Atlanta-based artist, Algebra, who is signed to Kedar Massenburg, the same man responsible for developing Erykah Badu, D'Angelo and India.Arie and coining the term "neo soul." Ironically, I also happened upon a blog, which featured some stills of a spankin' new Maxwell video that will be released in the coming weeks! Perhaps, 2009/2010 will be the year of the indie soul artist and the neo soul artist comeback, after all. We can only dream…
Which indie soul artists or neo soul artists do you support? How many of you still purchase albums? What are your thoughts on the current state of R&B music? Lastly, which soul artists would you like to see make a comeback?
~Trés Ink
