Fans who have followed Musiq Soulchild since his 2000 debut probably know him as part of the contemporary Philadelphia soul movement that includes Jill Scott, Kindred and the Roots.
Now the balladeer concedes that some of his Philadelphia soul got its slickness from a bit of Southern grease — Atlanta Waffle House grease, to be exact.
Yes, Musiq served up smothered and covered hash browns here before he got a record deal, and spent long periods of time with friends and relatives in the metro area.
A year ago he decided to make Gwinnett County his official home. So the first question before this evening's appearance at the Fox Theatre was obvious:
Q: Why the Atlanta area?
A: "I really just wanted a change, and the first place I thought of was Atlanta. I'd been to Atlanta plenty of times. Even worked at the Waffle House — does it get more Atlanta than that? And you know, I just thought it had a similar vibe to Philly's as far as being a hub for creative people."
Q: How has the tour been going?
A: "It's real beautiful to share the same stage with two great, great artists. ... And I'm mostly proud, in like a big brother way, of Jazmine Sullivan. Just watching her grow and come into her own in this industry as a young black girl — and for the industry to be really excited for her — is cool. ... We all kind of represent soul music from back in the day. And to be appreciated by our generation in our own time is a blessing."
Q: Is that why you think you've been around for five albums now (the latest being "OnMyRadio") and a lot of your peers when you started out are ...
A: "Like poof?! [Laughs] Yeah, you know I think what's been working for me is the fact that I've always tried to be as realistic as possible in what I sing about. ... When I started Lauryn Hill and D'Angelo and Erykah Badu was coming through and people weren't really hearing anything else. Eric Benet was trying a little bit then, I think. Maxwell and Rahsaan Patterson. But we were like lumped all the way over there as the candles-and-incense people. Nah — I didn't see this at all."
About the Author
