Ckc4's Blog

5 of my favorite Neo-soul Artists | April 22, 2010

Well, as I promised, here are the five neo-soul artists who are legendary to me:

5. Angela Johnson

Talk about deep music, Angela Johnson has the perfect balance of voice and message.  Her songs are emotional, her lyrics are relatable and her delivery demands respect of the listener.  In my opinion, one of the, if not the, most underrated singers period.  People need to listen to this incredible artist.  Some notable songs include: “Cry,” “They Don’t Know” and “Home Away from Home.”

4. Erykah Badu

Ms. Badu = Controversial, Charisma, Expressive, Unique.  Without these four qualities, Erykah Badu just wouldn’t be… well, just wouldn’t be Erykah Badu.  Ms. Badu’s music is real and has an explicit message.  Some of her songs are a bit comical, other songs are serious and yet all of her songs have a deep message embedded.  Some good songs from Erykah Badu include: “Love of My Life,” “Window Seat,” “Next Lifetime” and “Tyrone.”

3. Jill Scott

Jill Scott is just beautiful.  Her face is beautiful, her personality is beautiful and her music is gorgeous.  If Jill Scott couldn’t sing, her music would still be off the hook simply because of her lyrical abilities.  However, the good lord decided to give Jill Scott the full package and gave her the gift of a soulful voice.  In addition to soulful, I’d say jazzy fits her as well.  Whenever you take a walk down a park on a sunny day, turn on Jill Scott’s music and the whole scenery will look like a movie scene.  Some notable tracks from Jill Scott: “Golden,” “A Long Walk” and “Hate On Me.”

2. Lauryn Hill:

I’ve heard that “genuises have abnormal tendencies.”  Beethoven was a crazy and angry man, Einstein never wore socks and the list goes on.  Lauryn Hill, well, she definitely does have strange tendencies, and she is a genius in her own right.  Popularizing Neo-soul and reggae during the 90′s and early 2000′s, Ms. Hill is an incredibly accomplished singer and rapper.  Unfortunately, she’s been out of the picture for a while due to personal issues.  However, her loyal fans, including me, are waiting for the day she comes back strong and does what she does best, make that real music. Some notable songs from Lauryn Hill include: “Doo Wop,” “Everything is Everything,” and “Killing Me Softly.”

1. Donny Hathaway

Donny Hathaway.  That’s all that needs to be said.  No need for introduction, the name speaks for itself.  Although Mr. Hathaway’s life tragically came to an end when he was only thirty, his works will never be forgotten.  The way Mr. Hathaway could interpret a song..Incredible.  Mr. Hathway was also a pioneer of the neo-soul sub-genre.  What James Brown and Sam Cooke were for the original soul music style, Donny Hathaway was for neo-soul.  One of the greatest musicians and vocalists to ever live.  Some notable tracks from Donny Hathaway include: “A Song for You,” “For All We Know,” “Someday We’ll All Be Free,” “This Christmas,” ”Where is the Love (duet with Roberta Flack)” and “The Closer I get to You (duet with Roberta Flack).”