Musiq Soulchild says he didn’t have guidance when signing first music deal: “I didn't know anything at all”
Born Taalib Johnson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Musiq Soulchild paved a way for himself in music with his 2000 debut album, Aijuswanaseing. Released under The Island Def Jam Music Group, the project included timeless singles like “Just Friends (Sunny)” and “Love.”
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Reflecting on “Just Friends (Sunny)” — which spent 20 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart — the former Def Soul Records signee told REVOLT, "It was just a song about being socially awkward, being attracted to girls and not knowing what to say; Thinking of a cool way to break their ice, hopefully help other socially awkward dudes out there."
While thinking about his origin story, Musiq Soulchild added that it was not easy. "I didn't really have a lot of guidance, if any at all, to be honest," he explained. "Thankfully, the people that were around me at the time didn't rake me over the coals too bad and it's not really the people, it's really the system itself. The system is just the system. It's like working a 9-to-5. You don't want to work all of those hours for a check, but that's just the way that it's set up. So, you can enter into it feeling like you [are] being taken advantage of or you can just understand that that's just what it is, and you either choose to sign up for it or not."
Having dedicated over 20 years to his craft, the singer-songwriter acknowledges that he is in a better position now and cautions against the industry's pitfalls.
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"There is going to always be some level of trying to get over when it comes to business and money and people,” he continued. “Expecting it to be fair is a little delusional. You know, even in the language that is intended to protect you, there are still loopholes that can be exploited. So, it all depends on your understanding and what you know at the time. And hopefully you don't get yourself into something that you can't sort of renegotiate and make it better for yourself later. I didn't know anything at all. There [were] some shenanigans in the beginning, but I think I made it out okay."
Having weathered the industry's early challenges, Soulchild's music continues to resonate with the culture — as seen during a live performance during the 2024 ESSENCE Festival of Culture. Held in New Orleans, the event saw the talent appear on the Coca-Cola stage, as he energized the audience with hits.
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For him, the crowd’s response validated his belief that fans are the true influencers of content. Coming from a pre-digital era, the star trusts in music's ability to connect and captivate.
"Being in this industry for 20-some-odd years, it's just so much changes... so fast that is really challenging to keep up with everything," the artist admitted before his performance. "I just do my best to focus on what I'm here for, what I come to do, and I can only pray that I connect with people who get it, and I guess they're the ones who are going to be the curators of my content. To be honest, there's only been so much that I can do to anticipate how someone is going to receive what I do.”
He added: “I come from a time where none of this digital stuff was a thing. It's not really a thing I can really incorporate and process effectively because the foundation of what I do is rooted in a time where none of this even factored in. It's a learning curve. I'm transitioning the best that I know how. Only time will tell, I guess."
Soulchild also addressed the influence of Artificial Intelligence in the music landscape. “I'm not doing anything with it, but I think it's wide open,” he mentioned. “It's really interesting, but just like anything else, it can either help or hurt. It all depends on who's doing what with it...I don't really think anyone can really get a monopoly on it... It's too many ways that it can go. It's a huge, unknowable thing right now and I don't feel like it can truly replicate talent, in my opinion. But it's definitely been interesting to watch.”
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