Neo soul
Kedar Massenburg coined the term neo soul in the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music emerging from traditional R&B. He was an entrepreneur at Motown Records who established Kedar Entertainment Inc. in 1995 to release breakthrough recordings by artists like D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, and Maxwell. The success of D'Angelo's 1995 debut album Brown Sugar served as the primary inspiration for creating this new category. Massenburg felt there was a need to label these artists so listeners could understand what they were hearing. In a 2002 interview with Billboard, he admitted that genre classifications are often unpopular because they suggest short-lived trends. Yet he believed marketing labels helped define the movement against the producer-driven, digitally approached R&B dominating the charts at the time. Many artists involved remained ambivalent about the term itself. Music writer Tyler Lewis noted in 2010 that the reaction to the name represented black self-determination within an industry still wedded to narrow definitions. Jason Anderson of CBC News compared the etymology to new wave, calling it an effective tag for mixing modernity with tradition.
Neo soul is distinguished by its use of live instrumentation and conscious lyrics rather than digital sampling. Critics described the genre as everything from avant-garde R&B to organic soul, developing something outside the norm of contemporary R&B. Most works are album-oriented and incorporate elements of jazz fusion, funk, hip hop, rock, reggae, and African music. Anne Danielsen wrote in her book Musical Rhythm in the Age of Digital Reproduction that neo soul exhibited experimentation with grooves at the microrhythmic level. This meant manipulating phrasing and timing in ways unique to played music. Writers viewed lyrical content as more conscious-driven with a broader range than other R&B artists. Dimitri Ehrlich of Vibe said they emphasized elegant, jazz-tinged R&B mixed with subdued hip hop. The approach was highly idiosyncratic and deeply personal regarding love and politics. Neo soul artists were often associated with alternative lifestyles including organic food, incense, and knit caps. Peter Shapiro noted the style obtained influence from older R&B while setting itself apart from mainstream counterparts. Time journalist Christopher John Farley observed in 1998 that singers like Hill, D'Angelo, and Maxwell shared a willingness to challenge musical orthodoxy.
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the musical collective Soulquarians contributed significantly to the neo soul movement. Members included D'Angelo, The Roots, Erykah Badu, Bilal, Mos Def, Common, James Poyser, J Dilla, and Q-Tip. Greg Kot described their output as organic soul, natural R&B, and boho-rap. The collective developed through production work by Questlove, drummer and producer for The Roots. In 2000, D'Angelo released his second album Voodoo serving as an alternative to mainstream late 1990s R&B and hip hop. Ben Ratliff of The New York Times called it a succes d'estime proving the force of this new music. The year also saw Badu's second album Mama's Gun by which time she had been dubbed queen of neo-soul though she rejected the title. Scott's first album Who Is Jill Scott? sold millions worldwide proving one of the genre's significant releases. Hip hop acts such as The Roots and Common released albums incorporating neo soul including Phrenology in 2002 and Electric Circus in 2003.
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Common questions
Who coined the term neo soul and when?
Kedar Massenburg coined the term neo soul in the late 1990s to market a style of music emerging from traditional R&B. He was an entrepreneur at Motown Records who established Kedar Entertainment Inc. in 1995 to release breakthrough recordings by artists like D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, and Maxwell.
What distinguishes neo soul from other R&B genres?
Neo soul is distinguished by its use of live instrumentation and conscious lyrics rather than digital sampling. Most works are album-oriented and incorporate elements of jazz fusion, funk, hip hop, rock, reggae, and African music while emphasizing elegant, jazz-tinged R&B mixed with subdued hip hop.
When did D'Angelo release his second album Voodoo?
D'Angelo released his second album Voodoo in 2000 serving as an alternative to mainstream late 1990s R&B and hip hop. Ben Ratliff of The New York Times called it a succes d'estime proving the force of this new music.
Which musical collective contributed significantly to the neo soul movement during the early 2000s?
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the musical collective Soulquarians contributed significantly to the neo soul movement. Members included D'Angelo, The Roots, Erykah Badu, Bilal, Mos Def, Common, James Poyser, J Dilla, and Q-Tip.
Why did Kedar Massenburg create the label neo soul?
Massenburg felt there was a need to label these artists so listeners could understand what they were hearing against the producer-driven, digitally approached R&B dominating the charts at the time. He believed marketing labels helped define the movement even though many artists involved remained ambivalent about the term itself.