Prince ‘BlkMagic’ Damons

It does not matter what the genre is, all types of music go through a similar life cycle. There is the birth, evolution, mainstream acceptance and the decline. One stage that is never truly reached is that of obscurity. Why? Well, before a particular genre is seemingly left for dead by one culture, another works tirelessly to keep it alive. This factor is the very reason why the era of gangsta rap will never die as new fans dig up the old recordings and bring them to life, blaring the tunes of Eazy E and 2Pac like they just hit the shelves yesterday. On a similar note, slowly but surely, the new generation of soul is reaching beyond the inner-city urban environment. The best way to analyze the acceptance is to look at it from the controversial, yet intriguing angle of black and white.

The Birth of New Soul

When the millennium rolled around, artists like D’Angelo and Lauryn Hill spearheaded a new revolution of soul music, one that is now referred to as neo soul. These artists were heavily compared to those from the 60s and 70s, gaining praise from audiences and negativity from critics alike. Although names like Floetry, Jill Scott and Musiq Soulchild seemed to be a lock for driving the next generation, the flame sort of fizzled out as the demand for dancing hip hop stars and bootilicious divas reached an all-time high.

Momentary Decline

Though the vibe is often mellow and sensual, the market for neo soul has always been smaller in comparison to acts like Beyonce and Rihanna, sensational artists who know how to wrap soulful melodies around the notes and get the blood pumping as well. Let’s face it; the world we live in is one of instant gratification. Most people want something they can instantly groove with, tracks with catchy hooks that motivate them to get out on the floor and shake it. Neo soul is a genre they have to sit back and dissect to truly get the full effect. This holds truth for both blacks and white. Ironically enough, it was some of the most unlikely artists who helped keep the soul torch alive and enter the homes of suburban America.

Into the Mainstream

The success of Amy Winehouse’s Rehab was just too strong to deny. As a result, this major hit opened up the eyes and ears of many listeners, essentially brining soul back to the mainstream. This brought much attention to lesser known artists such as Ledisi who has been selling a lot more since the likes of Amy Winehouse and Robin Thicke helped push soul to the forefront of commercial appeal. As you would expect, there has been debate and much controversy about who really deserves the credit, but it just shows that more people are simply looking for good music with no preference to the color of the artist.

Because soul music originated in the inner-cities primarily occupied by African Americans, it is unlikely that any form of the genre would ever be as widely accepted by those who dwell in the suburbs. With that said, one should accept the fact that music has no boundaries and each style has the ability to captivate the listener you would least expect.