As the alternative soul sound garden becomes littered with analogous mimes, the music increasingly emphasizes style rather than substance. Thankfully, Juslisen, the highly awaited sophomore album by Philadelphia soul singer Musiq (the artist formerly known as Musiq Soulchild), not only distinguishes him from his peers, but it also demonstrates that true innovators can be imitated but never duplicated.
Preceded by the popular lovesick single, "Half Crazy," Juslisen is the natural evolution of the earnestly soulful, hip-hop–inspired sound that Musiq, 24, conceived with his platinum-plus debut CD, 2000’s Aijuswanaseing. "Juslisen is like the sequel to a great movie—same characters, just a different plot and story line," says Musiq, whose clever wordplay and knack for storytelling often have more in common with rappers than soul singers. In fact, there are songs on Juslisen that conceptually pick up where certain tracks on Aijuswanaseing left off without missing a Jeep-rocking beat.
"I have this new song called ‘Caught Up’ that’s like part two of ‘Seventeen’ on my first album," he explains. "In ‘Caught Up,’ the girl I was singing about in ‘Seventeen’ is now of legal age and I’m just talking about what happened when we bumped into each other and had a conversation.
Musically, though, I took it to another level—it’s on a real funked-out vibe, like James Brown mixed with George Clinton and a little Jimi Hendrix."
Juslisen also contains a potent dose of original new flavor. "Don’t Change," for instance, is a tender ballad in homage of unconditional love. Another standout is "Something," a soulful cover of the classic Beatles tune that Musiq has updated in a musical language that speaks to his peers without losing the essence of the fab four’s original flavor.
"I used my first album as a blueprint and followed in those footsteps, but I also added things bit by bit and took a few different roads," Musiq says. "Musically, I have a lot to say, so I pushed my potential with this album," he adds. Indeed, Juslisen is bold, declarative statement of Musiq’s personal and artistic maturation that reflects how he’s grown—and changed—since the release of his first CD.
Born and raised on the streets of West Philly, Musiq (née Taalib Johnson) is the oldest of six brothers and two sisters. He was raised in a "very strict" Muslim household, where his father introduced him to the music of Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Miles Davis and John Coltrane. At 16, he dropped out of high school, moved out on his own and began laying the foundation for his career by beat boxing for MCs who rhymed in ciphers on the South Street strip, gathered on street corners and battled in malls. "That’s how I got my name," he says. "Philly cats called me the Music Boy because I used to beatbox and sing all the time," he explains. "I kept the name, grew into it and eventually gave it my own definition. It’s actually two words: muse and IQ. Muse represents inspiration and motivation, and IQ—I just basically want to be an inspiration for people to be creative and think creatively in whatever they do in life." Currently pursuing his high school diploma, Musiq has become an advocate for arts programs in schools and encourages young students to develop their talents through music education.
After couch-surfing and making the rounds on Philly’s open mike circuit for several years, Musiq recorded a demo tape in 1999. Within a year, that tape would sell two million copies. Aijuswanaseing is actually my demo," he explains. "When my managers (Jerome Hipps and Mike McArthur of Mama’s Boys Music) presented it to (Def Soul president) Kevin Liles, I told him it was something I did while experimenting and messing around with different ideas in the studio. But it just so happened that (Def Soul) really fell in love with it, and so they put it out as my first album."
In the wake of Aijuswanaseing’s release, Musiq weathered a blizzard of dizzying success that included months of globetrotting on tour with soul divas Jill Scott and Erykah Badu. In addition to being nominated for a Grammy for Best Male RnB Vocal Performance for his hit single, "Love," Musiq was also nominated for two NAACP Image Awards (Best Song and Outstanding New Artist), and he took home a BET Award, four Billboard RnB / Hip-Hop Awards and garnered this year’s Soul Train Award for Best RnB/Soul Single, Male. "That whole period was real crazy—it really changed my life, really fast," he says. "Artistically, it made me more confident and really appreciative of my gift. It also motivated me—I inspired myself with my accomplishments, which made me excited to go back in the studio and do it again."
With Juslisen, Musiq has not only fulfilled a commitment to himself, but he has also focused his newfound creative confidence and inspiration to create the perfect synthesis of soul, funk and gospel that is sure to spawn a generation of imitators. In keeping with his homegrown approach to Aijuswanaseing, he primarily collaborated with his longtime writing partner, Carvin Haggins, and steadfast producer Ivan Barias — with whom he has formed a production triumvirate named CaRmuI (pronounced "karma"). The result is an assortment of sweet, churchy melodies fused with thumping hip-hop beats and jazzy rhythms steeped in classic soul influences that abundantly proves Musiq, who co-produced the bulk of Juslisen with his partners in CarMuI, has the talent to merit his chosen appellation.
"I had a lot of fun making this album because I had a lot more time and space to do what I wanted to do," he says. "My first album was like an introduction, but with Juslisen I want to make the statement that this is real and my music is not manufactured. I’m not one of those cats who spends sleepless nights thinking about what’s gonna be the hottest or hippest thing to do. I’m a soul artist and I make soul music. My thing is about making good songs with substance that can have a positive effect on people."
