Musiq Soulchild released his debut and second albums under the moniker of Neo-Soul artist, which cemented him into mainstream popularity but hindered his artistic growth. For him to make real progress as an artist he needed a breakthrough that would break out from this niche market and force change within it.
Hit-Boy was brought on as producer to investigate what made Musiq Soulchild such an engaging performer, which led to this collaboration on Victims & Villains.
Taalib Johnson
Taalib Johnson was one of the biggest stars on Def Jam record label and an innovator of Neo Soul genre, well-known for fusing different forms of music such as rock, jazz, R&B and hip hop with his unique sound. Known as one of the pioneers in this genre, his unique sound blended different forms including rock jazz R&B hip hop into one cohesive genre with success; several studio albums were released successfully with critical acclaim resulting in television shows and movies featuring his songs featuring them prominently in soundtracks and movies as well.
Taalib “Musiq” Hassan Johnson has been singing since he was young, and his talent has never been called into question. A true artist, Johnson has used music to provide solace for many across the world and even featured as one of several television shows he appeared in. With musical skills unsurpassed by any other performer today, Johnson has established himself as one of the great Neo-Soul singers of our time.
Musiq was known for his distinct musical sound that combined classic soul, funk and jazz influences from A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Erykah Badu as well as other artists like Erykah Badu. Musiq emerged during the 2000s without any debt to flashy sexually aggressive hip-hop; instead he developed his romantic yet approachable everyman persona across six major label albums.
His debut album, Aijuswanaseing, was met with rave reviews from critics and audiences alike, while singles “Just Friends (Sunny)” and “Girl Next Door” became massive hits, further cementing him as one of the leading figures of neo-soul movement.
On his second album, Juslisen, Juslisen balanced “neo” and “soul”. Ballads such as “Time” recall Marvin Gaye’s smooth passion while “Realove” sampled some classic funk. With his boundless musical curiosity and knack for finding grooves he keeps pushing forward his music while giving classic ideas new life in today’s 21st-century society.
OnMyRadio was released in December 2008 with its title track being an abrupt change from his usual smooth neo soul sound. Additionally, OnMyRadio featured duets with Mary J. Blige as well as SoBeautiful as its ballad. Additionally in September 2013 he released 9ine, an independent Shanachie label duet album featuring nine reggae tracks recorded over nine days compiled into one album; later that same year he left Atlantic Records and signed with Warryn Campbell’s My Block Records as his record producer Warryn Campbell became involved as record producer Warryn Campbell had produced his previous albums on Atlantic.
Hit-Boy
Hit-Boy has had an indelible mark on modern rap music over decades of production work. His innovative productions have propelled numerous artists onto charts including Jay-Z and Kanye West; garnering him three GRAMMYs along the way for his efforts as both producer and rapper.
Hit-Boy was born and raised in Pasadena, California and began his musical career as a rapper before quickly discovering a passion for producing hip hop beats. Early credits for Hit-Boy include Lil Wayne’s “Drop the World” and Kanye West’s Watch the Throne album (2011); following his production for Hov, ‘Ye, and Big Sean’s track “N****s in Paris”, Hit-Boy has produced numerous critically acclaimed projects with various artists since 2011.
Hit-Boy has built an acclaimed career as both a rapper and producer, as well as being an innovative businessperson. Through HBK Entertainment he has released over 30 independent albums and served as home for numerous YouTube personalities. Additionally, Hit-Boy founded digital activism platform COMMUNITYx as well as hip-hop label Black & Whites.
Hit-Boy is no stranger to working with rappers, having collaborated on many successful collaboration projects throughout 2022 with Offset, Pacman Da Gunman and Curren$y among others. Additionally, Hit-Boy helped shape Nas’ King’s Disease series with three iterations of production of each project produced.
His latest project, Victims & Villains, is a joint effort with R&B legend Musiq Soulchild and features an eclectic blend of jazz, R&B melodies, and hip-hop production without any one genre being overwhelming – an excellent project to get into Musiq Soulchild’s musical mind!
This album brings back many of the same players as previous installments in Musiq’s King’s Disease trilogy, such as Freddie Gibbs, Robert Glasper and EARTHGANG; plus newcomers Nia Archives as a singer-songwriter and Conway the Machine and Jae Skeese as rappers – but while this record doesn’t quite live up to Musiq’s earlier work it remains an engaging project sure to satisfy fans of both artists.
Aijuswanaseing
Musiq Soulchild’s debut album Aijuswanaseing has long been considered an all-time classic by music fans worldwide. Released in 2000, this debut set the course for his long career spanning 14 years in Philadelphia as it put R&B music and the city itself on the map while helping launch Carvin Haggins and Ivan’s careers along with Hit-Boy and other producers like him.
Musiq Soulchild distinguished himself with his blend of classic soul and organic hip-hop music, coupled with an inherently romantic yet approachable everyman style that made him memorable at the dawn of this century. Though following in the footsteps of artists like D’Angelo, Maxwell and Erykah Badu – his dedication allowed him to remain active longer than many of his contemporaries while garnering him critical acclaim throughout decades of career progression.
Hit-Boy, known for his work with superstars such as Jay-Z, Kanye West, Drake, Beyonce and Nas, boasts an impressive list of collaborators that includes Jay-Z, Kanye West, Drake, Beyonce and Nas. Furthermore, Hit-Boy’s catalog includes collaborations with 2 Chainz, Big Sean and Dom Kennedy; his most recent endeavor Victims and Villains shows his talents both as musician and producer.
Hit-Boy’s new project seeks to bridge the gap between hip hop and soul. He prioritizes lyrics that tell a narrative while working closely with Musiq to ensure his songs sound realistic; this partnership has resulted in timeless classics such as “Love” and “Just Friends”.
The album offers a range of musical genres, such as hip-hop, funk and jazz. Some songs are slow and sensual while others more aggressive; tracks like I Remember My Ex and Imreallytrynafuckwichu serve as counterpoints to Musiq Soulchild’s more sensitive songs. Yet somehow his signature style remains throughout: his smooth falsetto sings perfectly while rapping with his unique husky voice always sounds natural; Musiq Soulchild continues his pursuit for excellence as an artist who never stops pushing himself beyond his limitations as an artist!
Luvanmusiq
Musiq Soulchild returned after a brief hiatus in 2007 with Luvanmusiq, an album that showcased his mastery of R&B genre. Its lead single, “B.U.D.D.Y,” became an instantaneous hit, peaking at #2 on R&B charts and climbing to #36 overall US Billboard 100 chart – setting an excellent tone for his new record that included samples of De La Soul’s “Buddy” and Taana Gardner’s 1981 dance record “Heartbeat”, giving its urban flavoring that made this album an immensely successful commercial comeback for Musiq.
“Teachme,” his second single, told of a man determined to get love right even at the cost of his pride, with stirring piano chords and introspective lyrics making this tune an instantaneous fan favorite and setting the stage for his later transition into hip-hop soul with OnMyRadio seven years later.
Musiq has unveiled his newest collaborative effort with Hit-Boy titled Victims and Villains. This marks Musiq’s first solo effort since 2017’s Feel The Real; however he has featured on songs by Marsha Ambrosius (“For Better or Worse”), Kehlani (“Footsteps”), Ty Dolla $ign (“Your Turn”) and Robert Glasper (“Everybody Love”).
This album includes 10 tracks that explore the intricacies of modern relationship dynamics. Additionally, this project showcases the singer’s expertise of 2023 musical trends; songs like “I Remember You My Ex” and “Ireallytrynafuckwichu” show his vulnerability and willingness to admit errors within relationships.
Though his late projects don’t boast the timeless quality of his early efforts, Hit-Boy remains an excellent collaborator and truly understands Musiq Soulchild’s music. Unfortunately, some production on some songs falls short of its full potential; beats can sometimes feel outdated and lack creativity; the album can sometimes lack substance due to sporadic themes being poorly developed which leaves listeners frustrated and bored.