On his further albums with Def Jam and Atlantic, Johnson maintained that close connection to soul’s golden age while skllfully incorporating elements of hip-hop, funk and reggae. He’s kept that torch burning strongly ever since he scored immediate success with 2000’s Aijuswanaseing (I Just Want To Sing), a deftly handled debut that established him as a leading light of neo-soul. He added Soulchild to honour the many ‘60s and ‘70s heroes that have always inspired him: giants like Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway and Marvin Gaye. Pronounced “music”, the first part of Taalib Johnson’s distinctive moniker grew out of Music Boy, a nickname Johnson gained as a teen who was keen to show off his gifts whether he was performing at open mic nights or beatboxing for local MCs in Philadelphia, where he was born in 1977.
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