The Soulquarians: Influencing the Sounds of Today

Written by Dylan Keesee

Photo courtesy of Red Bull Music Academy Daily

With all of the new sounds and genre-bending albums that have come out in the past couple of years, it’s easy to accredit a greater diversification of music to the people currently in the spotlight. But, to get a better understanding of what is happening in music today, the past must first be observed. The original new wave artists were a neo-soul collective born in the 1990s: the Soulquarians.

The Soulquarians consisted of several members including Questlove, Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, and Mos Def. The first few members, D’Angelo, Questlove, and James Poyser, met up in the then forgotten Electric Lady recording studio where they wanted to record D’Angelo’s sophomore album, Voodoo. The Electric Lady recording studio was first built and used by Jimi Hendrix frequently until his death when the studio was forgotten about and faded into the background of the music industry. When the members realized it was Jimi Hendrix’s old studio, they set up camp and started recording. The three of them turned the worn-down recording studio into a place of acceptance and positivity that then attracted the likes of Lauryn Hill, Eric Clapton and Chris Rock. The Soulquarians sought to create a supportive community in which everyone was free to explore and express their creativity. Their vision and general attitudes attracted the rest of the Soulquarian group that were recording next to the Electric Lady recording studio. Once the group settled into their groove, the members realized that they all shared the Aquarius zodiac sign (or were born close to the sign’s season), hence the name Soulquarians. Erykah Badu’s Mama’s Gun, The Roots’ Things Fall Apart, and Common’s Like Water for Chocolate were among some of the albums that the Soulquarians collectively worked on. It’s said that they all recorded in adjacent rooms, but would pop in on each other, adding new sounds to each of their respective sessions. While the sound that came out of this collaborative period has been defined as neo-soul, it draws from jazz, R&B, hip-hop, and funk as well. The Soulquarians parted ways shortly after garnering enough recognition to be featured in Vibe magazine, which depicted Questlove as the leader of the group. This displeased the other free-spirited artists; they didn’t want the public thinking they worked for Questlove and decided to end the group.

This summer alone has been a huge time for music that sounds out of the box. Specifically, it seems that more and more artists are being influenced by the eclectic music of the Soulquarians. You can see artists like Smino, The Internet, or even The Carters and Kanye West borrowing from the collective. Smino’s distinct flow on off-kilter beats is very familiar to the fans of Mos Def and Q-Tip. Furthermore, The Internet seems to be a mirror of the Soulquarian movement, infusing jazz, funk, soul, and R&B into their newest album, Hive Mind. Jay Z and Beyonce directly sample Erykah Badu and Common on their joint album Everything is Love that was released earlier this summer. And Kanye, as controversial as he is, cannot be forgotten for his production that relies heavily on soul music and the sound that the Soulquarians were so influenced by. 

Music has been — and always will be — a dynamic work of art that builds off of itself as time progresses. Learning the history and references deeply interwoven in this art form leads to a more intimate and interesting relationship with your favorite songs. The Soulquarians’ music has stood the test of time and still influences today’s rich hip-hop scene.