Biography:
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 Philadelphia`s open-mike 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 Wilhemina`s until his management team, Mama`s Boys (Jerome Hipps and Michael McArthur), brought him to Def Jam Records` attention. Musiq`s debut album, 2000`s Aijuswanaseing, was recorded mostly at Touch of Jazz Studios in Philadelphia. Musiq`s 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 after moving to Atlantic, Musiq released Luvanmusiq (2007) and OnMyRadio (2008).
