Nu (or neo) soul is the answer to fans of the alternate rhythm and blues genre; for music lovers who have long graduated from traditionally linear smooth lurve jams or thumping baselines. If you're not yet a convert, think 70s style soul, alternative hip hop, and contemporary RnB all fused together with a classical jazz sound. Think back to the early 90s with artists like Tony! Toni! Toné!, Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo, Erykah
Badu – just a few of the architects of the nu soul sound.
And what better way to celebrate these artists than with a compilation called Soul Brotha Soul Sista featuring these artists and their celebrated contemporaries. Marking the first of a brand new series of compilations, Soul Brotha Soul Sista presents an illustrious group of musicians such as the likes of Raphael Saadiq who made a name for himself as the lead vocalist in rhythm and blues and dance trio Tony! Toni! Toné!
He is also joined by his own supergroup creation Lucy Pearl, Grammy award-winner D'Angelo, soul/funk connoisseurs The Brand New Heavies, French songstress duo Les Nubians and lyric masters Floetry who have written for the likes of Bilal (also featured), Jill Scott and Michael Jackson. For anti-mainstream nu soul followers, a choice few have been included, namely singer songwriter and producer Dwele who's collaborated
with Slum Village and Bahamadia, BET award-winner Anthony Hamilton and independent recording artist Syleena Johnson, the voice behind Kanye West's single "All Falls Down" and the soul sista who's often been referred to as the next Chaka Khan.
This collection of highly-acclaimed musicians which make up the first installment of Soul Sista Soul Brotha is an essential ingredient to any legitimate music collection. Nu Soul typifies a new generation of listeners who love music that evokes all the sentiments and sensations that good modern soul music should. For me, that means grooving and funking not bumping and grinding; and lyricising
and rhyming not lambasting and rapping. It's good mood music for the soul...