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. Musiq’s 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.
Previouscats
Musiq Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Recognize who is with you now
Second thing, can't blame me for how
You were treated before I came
See I'm not Steven, Anthony even
Leroy or Ivan, damn girl I've been
Right there for you since day one
So where is all this coming from
I'm not to blame for the pain that was caused by previous cats
Who had your heart before me
I'm not to blame for the pain that was caused by previous cats
You gotta see me for me
Now what is with all the questioning about where I've been
And why must you roll your eyes when I say she's just a friend
I knew before
Not like I called you Sabrina
Pam or Tenisha, Andrea either
Girl we go deeper than any other I had before
So tell me why you ignore
See now
I'm not to blame for the pain that was caused by previous cats
Who had your heart before me
I'm not to blame for the pain that was caused by previous cats
You gotta see me for me
Now
I don't know what those young boys did
To make you insecure
But I think you need to let it go (let it go)
Don't let your past get all in the way
'Cause what is here today
May not be guaranteed tomorrow
I'm not out of line, just speaking my mind
When I say that I put in too much time
For another brother's crime
Girl
I'm not to blame for the pain that was caused by previous cats, previous cats yeah
Who had your heart before me
I'm not to blame for the pain that was caused by previous cats
People in, people in, people in your life
I'm not to blame for the pain that was caused by previous cats
Previous
I'm not to blame for the pain that was caused by previous cats
You gotta see me for me
The song "Previouscats" by Musiq Soulchild is about a man who is trying to convince his girlfriend that he should not be blamed for the pain caused by her previous relationships. He is asking her to recognize that he is with her now and not to judge him based on what she has experienced before. Musiq starts by acknowledging that there were other men before him, but he is not one of them. He says that she shouldn't compare him to people like Steven, Anthony, Leroy, or Ivan, because he has been there for her since day one.
Musiq then moves on to talk about how she questions him about where he has been and why he has female friends. He is irritated by her behavior and compares her to Sabrina, Pam, Tenisha, or Andrea, suggesting that she is acting like someone he used to date. He insists that their relationship is deeper than his previous ones, and he doesn't want to be blamed for the mistakes of others. He points out that whatever happened to her in the past should not affect their present or future together.
The chorus repeats the main message of the song - Musiq is not responsible for the pain caused by her previous partners, and she needs to see him for who he is. He wants her to trust him and let go of the insecurities that stem from her past relationships. Overall, the song is about building trust and understanding between two people and overcoming the baggage of previous partners.
Line by Line Meaning
First things first girl,
Let's establish some priorities here, my dear.
Recognize who is with you now
Acknowledge the fact that I am the one by your side currently.
Second thing, can't blame me for how
Also, it's not fair to hold me responsible for how you were treated by others before me.
You were treated before I came
I understand others may have caused you pain in the past that I was not a part of.
See I'm not Steven, Anthony even
Please understand that I am not like those other guys, named Steven or Anthony or any others you may have encountered.
Leroy or Ivan, Damn girl I've been
My name is not Leroy or Ivan or any other name but mine; and I have been there for you all along.
Right there for you since day one
I have been by your side since day one, and you can count on me to continue to do so.
So where is all this coming from
So what is the reason for all this doubt and distrust of me?
I'm not to blame for the pain that was caused by previous cats
I am not responsible for the hurt you may have experienced at the hands of your previous partners.
Who had your heart before me
I recognize that you may have been emotionally invested in others before me.
You gotta see me for me
But it's important to see and accept who I am for myself, not based on comparisons to others.
Now what is with all the questioning about where I've been
Why are you asking me so many questions and being suspicious of my whereabouts?
And why must you roll your eyes when I say she's just a friend
And why do you give me that disapproving look when I tell you that she is simply an acquaintance?
I knew before
I have always been honest with you about my relationships and friendships.
Not like I called you Sabrina
I never compared you to anyone else, like Sabrina or any other name.
Pam or Tenisha, Andrea either
I do not refer to other women by name, like Pam or Tenisha, or even Andrea.
Girl we go deeper than any other I had before
You and I have a deeper connection than I have ever shared with anyone else in the past.
So tell me why you ignore
So please explain to me why you are disregarding this fact.
Now I don't know what those young boys did
I cannot speak for the behavior of other young men who may have treated you poorly.
To make you insecure
But I can see how their actions may have led you to feel insecure.
But I think you need to let it go (let it go)
However, I think it is time to move on from those past experiences and not let them control how you feel about our present relationship.
Don't let your past get all in the way
Don't allow your past hurt to interfere with our present and future together.
Cause what is here today
Because what we have together right now is what matters most at this moment.
May not be guaranteed tomorrow
We never know what the future holds, so let's focus on the present and cherish what we have.
I'm not out of line, just speaking my mind
I am not being unreasonable, I am just being honest with you about my thoughts and feelings.
When I say that I put in too much time
I have invested a lot of my time and energy into our relationship.
For another brother's crime
It would be unfair to hold me accountable for the wrongdoings of another man.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Eric Roberson, Jermaine Mobley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind