Musiq Soulchild

On a mission to re-invent the tired, generic, R&B format, Musiq Soulchild created an experimental soul sound that moulded together electro beats, vintage funk, hip hop swagger and classic jazz melodies. Born in Philadelphia, Taalib Johnson picked up the nickname Musiq while beat boxing and MC-ing at open mic nights and added Soulchild as a nod to his father's collection of 1970s funk and soul records that first inspired him. His eclectic range of styles and influences produced the Number 1 albums Juslisen (2002) and Luvanmusiq (2007), and singles Love, Halfcrazy and Dontchange charted as Soulchild balanced a fine line between commercial populism and challenging, artistic credibility. He featured on tracks by Santana, Ice Cube, Estelle and The Roots and recruited Mary J. Blige and Damien Marley on fifth album OnMyRadio (2008), which took another musical turn and included Caribbean and reggae influences. He again made the US Top 10 with MusiqInTheMagiq (2011) and duetted with girlfriend Syleena Johnson on the album 9INE (2013) as well as passing on dating and relationship advice in his self-help book 143 - Love According to Musiq.