When I first heard D'Angelo's debut CD, "Brown Sugar", Groove Theory's, "Groove Theory",Maxwell's, "Urban Hang Suite" & Eryka Badu's, "Baduizm" , I knew something had changed in soul music-- a departure was made, a new road was being embarked upon. As an avid music fan (& wannabe song writer), I was literally jumping out of my skin on this innovative hybridity. Teddy Riley's synth-based funk which dominated the scene in the late '80s to mid-'90's, was on its way out and 'neo-soul' was making its' presence felt from the underground to a wider audience. From the mid-nineties to the present, an amazing array of artists have blossomed and shifted the musical landscape just as Prince, James Brown, the Philadelphia Sound and George Clinton/P-Funk did in their generation.
Although a lot of artists hate the labeling of their music as 'neo-soul', it is a term that I think loosely describes their sound & swagger. Like any movement, there are & have been quite a number of mediocre, copy-cat artists who have donned the "neo-soul artist" label, but lacking in originality, artistry and personality, they are/were anything but. I guess that is what made Jaguar Wright name a CD she did some time ago, "Divorcing Neo 2 Marry Soul". This mislabeling/rigid categorization of musical genres can be quite distorting and neutering, but exploiting artists & making quick bucks off their artistry is part of the sordid undertow of the music industry. (I will examine this at length in a future essay).
In any event, here is a sample of some of the best innovators of the 'Neo-Soul' movement. One artist on this list that I am particularly crazy about is Hope (the last two selections on the third playlist)~~Enjoy!
Neo-Soul Playlist1
Neo-Soul Playlist2
Neo-Soul Playlist3
....I had to include this wicked interpretation of Sade's classic, "Love Is Stronger Than Pride" by Rahsaan Patterson which blew me away...
peace::love::truth
MixMasterE
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