In Musiq, there is always a story to be told

The artist considers himself a soul singer.
By AL HUNTER JR.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
PHILADELPHIA -- In music, there are singers and there are storytellers. If you're lucky, you find both in one artist.
But in hip-hop and R & amp;B, where the emphasis these days is on looks, beats, choreography and inoffensive voices, artists who take listeners on a challenging journey beyond the usual boy-wants-girl-in-da-club have become rare.
And that concerns Musiq.
"Storytelling has been lost in soul music," he said during a recent interview. "Even in hip-hop music, where it was [once] found, you don't have too many MCs who tell a good story."
Trademark style
But on "SoulStar" (Def Soul), his third album in four years, Musiq continues his trademark style, presenting stories with a twist.
Listeners will find a slightly different vibe on the new disk, compared with Musiq's two previous albums. Released in December, "SoulStar" is funkier, a little more raw than "Aijuswanaseing" and "Juslisen." And it has garnered a Grammy nomination for best urban/alternative performance for the single "Forthenight," featuring the local duo AAries.
Going into the project, the West Philadelphia native said he wanted to "pay my respect to the people who paved the way for me having a career," citing James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Donnie Hathaway. He also wanted to honor those "who uphold that tradition today," such as D'Angelo, Dwele, Bilal and Erykah Badu.
The songwriting on "SoulStar," which Musiq shares with longtime collaborator Carvin Haggins, and the production, led by another longtime friend, Ivan Barias, remain strong.
"I'm trying to inspire the idea [of storytelling] again," Musiq said by cell phone shortly after deplaning in Philadelphia at the end of an 11-city tour. "It's not lost, but it's not being used."
Always has been
Musiq (born Taalib Johnson) has always been about telling a story. "Aijuswanaseing (I Just Wanna Sing)," out in 2000, had the upbeat "Just Friends (Sunny)," where he plays down romance for friendship; and "Girl Next Door," about how he would've treated his childhood playmate differently if he'd known she would develop into such an attractive woman.
That album, Musiq's debut, went platinum, earned several awards and established the artist, then known as Musiq Soulchild, as a leader in neo-soul -- a marketing label now unpopular with young soul artists who believe it limits their audience.
On his 2002 effort, "Juslisen," the hit song was "Halfcrazy," about how a relationship changes when friendship crosses over into romance.
His latest single, "Forthenight," has a familiar Musiq flavor -- two people, hurt by their lovers, find solace in each other just "for the night."
But though many of his songs revolve around love, a favorite R & amp;B staple, Musiq said there is more to him than R & amp;B. He considers himself first and foremost a soul singer, and he plans to use the "whole scale of music to express myself."
Indeed, "SoulStar" includes a fairly tame cover of the Rolling Stones rock tune "Miss You."
Imbued with unusual perspectives on the phases of love, the 15-track album also touches on an unplanned pregnancy ("Babymother"), revels in a glorious time (the outstanding "Momentinlife" with Philly's Kindred the Family Soul) and the need to leave something meaningful to children ("Givemorelove").