As the cold winter nights of February unfold, Neo Soul Cypher is proud to shine its spotlight on an artist whose vibrant voice and innovative spirit have made indelible marks on the genre: Sy Smith.…
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Sa-Roc! Sa-Roc is Hip-Hop - bars, beats and a message all combined to create an experience that is familiar but not familiar enough. What do you mean Neo Soul 1? Well I mean that Sa-Roc…
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Frequently an artist is dubbed as having an iconic sound or "unique" style simply due to a slight derivation from typical phrasing or intonation; rare is it that these labels are applicable. Kem is an…
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Ok, here we are – Part 4 of our journey with the Native Tongue family. A Tribe Called Quest is probably the most well-known and is the best-selling member of the Native Tongue collective. They helped…
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As I stated in the Erykah Badu feature, Maxwell is one of the four Neo-Soul pillars. Maxwell's languid liquid runs, and effortless expressive range is the actual living definition of 'the cool side of the pillow'.…
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“De La Soul from the soul, black medallions, no gold” (from the song “Buddy”) – that says it all, it was a branding message. De La Soul represented something different than the gold chains and…
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The Jungle Brothers helped usher in a new phase in Rap music. Releasing “Straight out the Jungle” in 1988, the Jungle Brothers helped usher in the “Golden Era” of Hip-Hop in addition to being the initial…
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The Black Sheep were dope to me. As the “Black Sheep” of the Native Tongue family they played on their unique position as the comical/tongue-in-cheek/devilishly clever members of the collective that included the “Jungle Brothers,”…
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Goapele is that smooth, sultry, on that political tip ish. I got hooked on Goapele in the early 2000’s when she released “Even Closer.” I still think this album is one of the finest blends of…
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Whodini was the sound of a generation. In 1983 Whodini helped to usher in the national presence of Hip-Hop. Before Whodini and Run-DMC, Hip-Hop was more of a regional phenomenon. With the release of “Whodini” the group set…
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When it comes to lyricism, flow, and range, Yasiin Bey, previously known as Mos Def, stands among the elite. Whether using his pocket perfect laid-back delivery to offset the staccato punch of Talib Kweli…
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Tiana Major9 is our Artist of the Week, and she is also on our Next List – the List reserved for the artists we believe are about to Pop and let the world know how…
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The Digable Planets are the group we need today. We need the vibe, the lyrics, and the consciousness. Yes when DP’s hit the scene in 1992 they helped stem the tide, if only for a while, of…
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The Pharcyde "Now there she goes again, the dopest Ethiopian..." with that line Fatlip immortalized himself as the one of the most influential artist in the golden era of hip hop. I've encouraged the reader…
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Bradd Marquis represents R&B at its soulful best. His rich, gritty yet smooth voice, is a bit of a throwback to those vocalists that “SANG.” Folks like Sam Cooke, Teddy Pendergrass and Dennis Edwards come to mind. Well…
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As classic hip-hop and NeoSoul fans we are perfectly familiar with music collectives. Individuals and groups coming together to share their genius, shape their sounds and push boundaries. From the tradition and spirit of the Dungeon Family…
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Since 1987 Public Enemy has been the pulse of the Hip-Hop protest body politic. Chuck-D was made for times like these. For that matter he was made for times when conscious and conscience coincide. With…
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“This is it, whatLuchini pourin' from the skyLets get rich, whatThe jiggy vines and sugar dimesCant quit, whatNow pop the cork and steam the VegaAnd get lit, what, what, what’ These lyrics from “Lucini (This…
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If you are a child of the 70's or 80's you likely not familiar with Olu (aka Johnny Venus) and WowGr8 (aka Doctur Dot) the two men behind the act known as EarthGang. This talented…
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Tiana Major9 is our Artist of the Week, and she is also on our Next List – the List reserved for the artists we believe are about to Pop and let the world know how…
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The groundbreakers, the ones who took the art to the masses. Yes, that's RUN-DMC, they took rap and the Hip-Hop aesthetic mainstream, yet they were still true to the game. With the first rap album…
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In my opinion, the four musical pillars of Neo-Soul, are D’Angelo, Maxwell, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu IS Neo-Soul, from her iconic hair wrap sitting as the crown on the African queen that she is,…
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I’m a fan of music collectives. Whether they be label mates or personal friends, these collaborative efforts are typically dope in the Classic Hip-Hop world. We think of the Roots Crew, the Dungeon Family, Native…
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Jill Scott Jilly from Philly is just plain dope. An indomitable spirit that only comes a close second to those pipes. Jilly can blow. But what we love about her the most, is how she…
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