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Soul Survivalist Fights For What He Feels
interview Page 1
Page 2 of interview
Welcome to the world of Musiq Soulchild. One moment, he was making music for the love of it, spitting ideas free of any preconceived notions. Two months later, he signed a contract with the most successful hip-hop label in the world, Def Jam, and was immediately billed as one of the company's hottest new artists in Def Soul, its expansion division. The tracks the artist was preparing in the studio as a demo were now being distributed worldwide, and his name and voice have become standards on radio and television. In less than a year's time, he has gone from complete obscurity to being one of the biggest names in soul music. Don't get it twisted: his rise to the top didn't come on an elevator suspended from golden cables, even if he was signed to such a big-name label.
There are many myths about being on a major label. Everyone has heard horror stories about musicians losing their artistic control, having their publishing rights taken from them, and being stuck with bills for services they had no idea they were receiving. On the other hand, some people believe that a major label contract means money in the bag with little effort. To be signed means an artist must produce for a label, no matter what the cost. Those that go into the deal with a hands-off approach—hoping the label will control their destiny—are bound to find that many of the stories associated with record contracts are true. In this case, Musiq Soulchild is in the game for the love of music, and is determined to control his future in the process. That struggle has led him down many varied paths in his short career, all of which have given him the ammunition to live out his dream of creating soulful, honest music.
musictoday.com tracked down Musiq Soulchild on the phone while he was in Minnesota. Soulchild was preparing for a show there, before hopping on a plane to do a week long promotional run in Japan. We spoke about the emotions surrounding such a quick ascent to stardom, the story behind his album, Aijuswanaseing, and the challenges of working for Def Jam/Def Soul. His calm confidence while frankly recounting his tale did not cover up his underlying humility. Enter the mind of Musiq Soulchild and learn what it takes to be the sole controller of your own destiny.
musictoday.com: Let's get down to business and talk about the new album. When did you start recording tracks for Aijuswanaseing?
Musiq Soulchild: I started in November of '98 on a couple of songs. I worked on it off an on, because I did a lot of moving around. I didn't really pick it back up until about early '99. I stopped doing it again around the summer of '99. My managers took the songs that I already did and took them to Kevin Lyles from Def Jam/Def Soul around late '99/early 2000. Kevin Lyles called me in January of 2000. I met with him in February. I got my deal in March 2000.
mt: That was a pretty quick turn of events. You must have been happy with that.
Musiq: Yeah, but I also felt a little weird about it because it happened so fast. I was expecting this long wait. Even when it eventually happened, I wasn't expecting it to have the kind of impact that it did.
mt: With the deal being so quick, did you make sure you went in with the proper ammunition so you wouldn't be taken advantage of or screwed by the label?
Musiq: Being as I am a different type of artist on Def Jam/Def Soul, that resulted in me having my own space to do a lot of things. Another thing is that the type of artist that I am, I have to have my hands in too many things. It is not because I want to control everything, it's just the way that I do things. I have to be in everything from the writing to the producing to the arranging…everything. I have to be into the marketing—where the album goes. I have to have my hands in it, because I take what I do very personally. At first it ruffled a few feathers, but that isn't something I can really worry about, because that is just me being myself. Also, I didn't go through the whole artist development thing, so right now, I am pretty much going off of instinct. Week by week, I am learning how to deal with the music industry.
mt: How much involvement in the industry did you have before the album? I mean, you were working on it for so long, did that give you the chance to get your feet wet, or was it more of a hobby?
Musiq: It started off as something, because I wanted to see what it was I could do in the studio. It just so happened that my experiments were [good] enough to market.
mt: I guess that gives you a lot of room to grow?
Musiq: Yes, it gives me a lot of room. This project is very introductory, because it was so random. This album was so quick, spur of the moment, and freestylish, that I didn't really give it too much thought. It is crazy that it is doing what it is doing, because I really didn't spend too much time with it.
mt: People often times talk about the "sophomore album syndrome," where an artist has a big first output, but falls off on their second time around.
Musiq: That isn't something I worry about too much, honestly.
mt: The reason I ask is because you speak of this first project as being very spontaneous and quick, which gives it a rugged and soulful edge. Often times, having time in the studio lets an artist become too involved with the music in wanting to perfect it, and the music doesn't come out bad, but sometimes loses the edge that comes from spontaneity. Do you see that as a concern?
Musiq: Not really. I do what I am going to do and people can take it how they want to take it. I am still going to do it, regardless. The same pressures or the same freedoms that were there on the first album are going to be the same things that go into the studio for the next album. It is going to be a little different, because I am in the business now, but I am not going to allow that to be a stress factor. I am not going to lean 'cause someone says, "Oh, you gotta do this kind of song or that kind of song." It doesn't matter what I do, because the bottom line is that I do what I do. As an artist, that is what I am putting out there. I am not trying to create something else for myself. I just want people to appreciate my work, and the more that I get into this business, the more of myself I am going to put into what I do, so that people can see me for who I am and not who they want me to be.
mt: Since you are involved in the handling of your album so thoroughly and it came about so quickly, how easy or hard was it for you to come up with a means of marketing it so that it represented you in the way you wanted?
Musiq: It was really difficult. I am with a team who is known for winning a lot. The label that I am with is very successful and has been around awhile. From what I have found, they do a lot of "tried and true" things that I feel don't particularly pertain to what I am trying to do. I don't feel that I am all that special and need to be singled out, but in that same light, my situation is a new deal. My approach to things is not as predictable. My approach to things is more off a feeling or a vibe than what I think. I go for what I feel is right for me at the time or what represents me at the time. Trying to persuade a big label like Def Jam/Def Soul to do it your way is not an easy thing. It takes a lot of proving. I don't really feel too pressured by that. I am who I am and that is the bottom line. If they are interested in me, then that is something they are just going to have to deal with. [Laughs] Don't get me wrong: I love the label because of what they have done for me and how they treat the situation. I just hope that they can keep the same mentality and not try to change me—which I doubt. If they had any ideas to try to change me, that would be a hard thing.
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