by Kerry Smith
Philadelphia-born Taalib Johnson, aka burgeoning R&B artist Musiq (Soulchild), grew up the oldest of nine children and did not finish high school. Musiq, whose influences include James Brown, Patti LaBelle, Billie Holiday, and Sly & the Family Stone, participated in Philadelphias open mic scene in his early teens. The son of a die-hard 70s soul music fan, Musiq performed at Philly showcases like the Five Spot and Wilheminas until his management team, Mamas Boys (Jerome Hipps and Michael McArthur), brought him to Def Jam Records attention. Musiqs debut album, 2000s Aijuswanaseing, was recorded mostly at the Touch of Jazz Studios in Philadelphia. Musiqs first single, Just Friends (Sunny), appeared on the soundtrack to Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, and two years later Musiq released his second album, the spiritual and personal Juslisen, which debuted at number one on the Billboard R&B/hip-hop charts. The following year brought the widely-acclaimed Soulstar, and in 2007, after moving to Atlantic, Musiq released the more mature Luvanmusiq.