Musiq Soulchild was born and raised in Philadelphia and grew up with his family--including eight brothers and sister]. As a teenager, he began plans for a career in music. He released his debut album, ''Aijuswanaseing'' (read: "I Just Want to Sing"), in 2000, which was well-received by critics and audiences. Musiq did much of his own songwriting, and most of the record was produced and co-written by Ivan "Orthodox" Barias and Carvin "Ransum" Haggins, then of the A Touch of Jazz production company headed by Jazzy Jeff, now of Karma Productions. The singles "Just Friends (Sunny)", "Love", and "Girl Next Door" received exposure in America mainly on the more underground music video network, MTV2, as well as on BET. His singles also received a good amount of airplay on urban and urban contemporary radio stations.
In 2002, he released his sophomore album, ''Juslisen'' (read: "Just Listen"), as simply ''Musiq''. He had continued urban and MTV2 success with its singles, "halfcrazy" and "dontchange", the former of which was one of the most played music videos on MTV2 in the summer of 2002 and during the year overall. Both videos also got substantial play during the year on VH1 Soul. The singles had heavily amounts of airplay on both urban and urban contemporary radio sations in 2002. He also gained exposure during that year by opening concerts for Alicia Keys.
In late 2002, Musiq contributed guest vocals to "Break You Off", the first single from The Roots' ''Phrenology'' album. Once again, its video got heavy play on MTV2 and VH1 Soul, as well as on MTV Jams. He also appeared in Santana's song "Nothing at All" which is featured in his 2002 album ''Shaman''.
In 2003, the singles and videos "forthenight" and "whoknows" from his third LP, ''Soulstar''. "forthenight" was one of VH1 Soul's most played videos of 2004, and also had a very successful run on American urban radio stations.
Recently, Musiq Soulchild (who has added the "Soulchild" to his moniker again) has parted ways with Def Soul and has signed with Atlantic Records. A new Musiq Soulchild album is slated for a spring 2007 release. He will be making guest appearances on rapper Lloyd Banks's ''Rotten Apple'', Talib Kweli "Eardrum", Black Ice "The Death of Willie Lynch", pay tribute to Soul music legends Earth Wind and Fire and appear on the soundtrack "Daddy's Little Girls".
Musiq Soulchild released his debut album, Aijuswanaseing (I Just Want to Sing), in 2000, which included the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop single, "Just Friends (Sunny)". Musiq's second single, "Love", spent 22 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Musiqโs sophomore album, 2002's Juslisen (Just Listen), debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Charts and went platinum; "Halfcrazy" and "Dontchange". In 2003, Musiq released his 3rd album, Soulstar. It included the singles "Forthenight" and "Whoknows".
After a four year break and changing his management to Solqi Management and his record label to Atlantic Records, in 2007, Musiq's released his fourth album Luvanmusiq (Love and Music) which included the singles "B.U.D.D.Y.", "Teachme", and "Makeyouhappy". His fifth album OnMyRadio was released on December 2, 2008. The lead single, "Radio" has posted on both Musiq's MySpace page and official website.
Musiq Soulchild has had 2 platinum albums, 2 gold albums and 7 hit singles. He has received awards from Billboard, BET, ASCAP, BMI, and Soul Train. Musiq has also earned award nominations from MTV, American Music Awards, NAACP, and 9 Grammy nominations, including 3 for his 2007 album Luvanmusiq. Besides being a successful recording artist, Musiq is notable for his creative and unique way of titling his albums and songs by ignoring the rules of capitalization, punctuation and spelling.
He recently performed at the Antigua & Barbuda first Romantic Rhythms Music Festival in the Caribbean which was held from June 12-15,2008 which features legendary artists such as Kenny Rogers, Brian McKnight, Lionel Richie, Keyshia Cole, Maxi Priest, Destra, Heather Headly, Shaggy and many other local artist from the island including The Burning Flames.
He has also made guest appearances on rapper Lloyd Banks's album Rotten Apple, Talib Kweli's Eardrum, The Roots's Phrenology (album), Black Ice's The Death of Willie Lynch and pays tribute to soul music legends Earth Wind and Fire, appearing on the soundtrack to Tyler Perry's movie Daddy's Little Girls. And Ice Cube announced that Musiq will appear on his upcoming album, Raw Footage. He also lent a song from his latest album Luvanmusiq to the soundtrack for Perry's later movie Why Did I Get Married?. He then recorded a remake of Arrested Development's song "People Everyday" with British rapper Estelle for the soundtrack to Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns entitled "People Everyday (Metamorphosis Mix)".
Outside of music, he has been featured in television and print ads for McDonald's, Nike, Inc., Coca-Cola, Levi Strauss & Co. and The Gap. He also made a special appearance in The CW's #1 comedy The Game on Monday, October 29, 2007.
IfULeave
Musiq Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Verse 1: (Musiq Soulchild)]
You think
Im so full of it, full of it
But I think Im just fed up baby
You think I can be so arrogant, arrogant
But Im just tryna get keep my head up baby
But I think Im taking my time
You think you need to leave
But I think I disagree but
[Chorus: (Musiq Soulchild)]
If you believe youll do best without me
Ill let it go girl, Its over
But before we say good bye
Lets give it a try
If you leave, then baby I'll leave
I'll let it go girl, Its over
But I have no doubt
We can work it out
[Verse 2: (Mary J Blige)]
Yeah
I think your so full of it, full of it
You just dont know when to let up, Baby
I think you're so arrogant, arrogant
But you think you're so much better baby
That I think It aint dealt before me to judge you by your flaws & thats why
No I could criticize, but I put that aside
To focus on you & I
[Chorus: (Mary J Blige)]
If you believe you'll do best without me
Then I'll let it go boy, Its over
But before we say goodbye
Lets give it a try
If you leave, then baby I'll leave
I'll let it go boy, its over
But I have no doubt
We can work it out
Yeah
[Bridge: (Both)]
Now if you wanna go
Baby then I'll let you go
& even though Im tryna hold on
I cant let you go
& if youre gonna leave me, youre gonna miss me
& Im not saying that Ill be here waiting
Since we here right now (instead of just walking out)
Let's work to reach the point that I know we can beย ?
[Chorus: (Both)]
But if you believe, you'll do best without me
Then I guess I'll let you go
Its over (its over)
If you wanna say goodbye
Lets give it a try
If you leave, then baby I'll leave
I'll Let it go, its over
I have no doubt
That we can work it out
If you believe, you'll do best without me
I'll let it go girl, its over
Before we say goodbye
Lets give it a try
If you leave, then baby I'll leave
The lyrics of Musiq's song "IfULeave" are about a couple who are deciding whether to break up or work through their issues. The song features guest vocals from Mary J. Blige, who offers her perspective on the situation.
In the first verse, Musiq addresses his partner's negative perceptions of him, insisting that he is not arrogant or procrastinating but instead simply taking his time. He disagrees with his partner's belief that they should break up, suggesting that they should try to work through their issues instead. The chorus repeats the sentiment that both parties will let go if the other believes they will do best without each other, but they could still work things out if they try.
In the second verse, Mary J. Blige takes on the role of Musiq's partner, accusing him of being full of himself and insisting that he thinks he is better than her. Despite this, she chooses not to judge him by his flaws and instead focuses on their relationship. The bridge emphasizes the importance of working through problems instead of giving up, even though the decision to leave may ultimately be made.
Line by Line Meaning
You think Im so full of it, full of it
You perceive me as being insincere and dishonest
But I think Im just fed up baby
However, I feel that I am just tired and frustrated
You think I can be so arrogant, arrogant
You believe that I am showing an unpleasant sense of superiority
But Im just tryna get keep my head up baby
But in reality, I am just trying to remain positive and confident
You think I procrastinate baby
You believe that I am putting off tasks and delaying decisions
But I think Im taking my time
However, I believe that I am being thoughtful and deliberate
You think you need to leave
You feel that it is necessary for you to depart
But I think I disagree but
But I personally think that this is not the best course of action
If you believe youll do best without me
If you genuinely think that separating is best for you
Ill let it go girl, Its over
I will accept your decision and we will end our relationship
But before we say good bye
However, before we end things
Lets give it a try
Let us attempt to make it work
Yeah
Yeah
I think your so full of it, full of it
I believe that you are being deceitful and insincere
You just dont know when to let up, Baby
You do not know when to stop and take a break, my love
I think you're so arrogant, arrogant
I believe you are showing a negative sense of self-importance
But you think you're so much better baby
However, you feel that you are superior to others
That I think It aint dealt before me to judge you by your flaws & thats why
That is why I do not think it is fair for me to judge you based on your faults
No I could criticize, but I put that aside
While I could criticize you, I choose not to focus on the negative
To focus on you & I
Instead, I want to concentrate on our relationship
Now if you wanna go
If you truly want to leave
Baby then I'll let you go
I will permit you to depart
& even though Im tryna hold on
Despite my attempts to keep you with me
I cant let you go
I cannot force you to stay if you are determined to leave
& if youre gonna leave me, youre gonna miss me
If you do leave me, you will regret not having me in your life
& Im not saying that Ill be here waiting
I am not promising to wait for you to return
Since we here right now (instead of just walking out)
Now that we are both present, we should try to resolve our issues rather than giving up
Let's work to reach the point that I know we can be ?
Let us make an effort to get our relationship to where I believe it can be
But if you believe, you'll do best without me
However, if you truly feel that you will thrive without me
Then I guess I'll let you go
Then I will allow you to leave
Its over (its over)
Our relationship has come to an end
If you wanna say goodbye
If you want to bid me farewell
Lets give it a try
Let us put in an effort to make it work
If you leave, then baby I'll leave
If you choose to depart, then I will also leave
I'll Let it go, its over
I will release any attachment to our relationship, it is finished
I have no doubt
I am confident
That we can work it out
That we can find a way to resolve our problems
Contributed by Makayla I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@atlanticrecords
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@stephaniedavis236
O9
@stephaniedavis236
O
@moesesmario2none.913
Pp]p
@jamaicaevans6115
This aint even 90s
@stacibethglaze2951
90's R & B will always be my favorite
@ZyZy456
This song was so underappreciated.
@emyliahwilkes3958
I agree wholeheartedly
@krystalmelissalloydwatts1221
Yes it was
@virgodiva2811
I agree but I appreciated the hell out of it!!!!