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.
Thequestions
Musiq Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yes, I like to please their bodies, but I feel like it's a waste of time
Can you tell me, what is wrong?
I'm supposed to love the fact that I never gave a girl my heart
And if I told her I did, I lied, and instead I tore hers apart
Can you tell me, how long 'cause...
[Chorus]
Right now I'm so lost; but when I find you, I'll be found
And I won't have to ask all these questions like
Can someone tell me where you are?
What'll happen if I settle and just go along with what I have
'Cause there's a difference between good and great
But good wasn't built to last
Can you tell me, is this all for me?
'Cause right now I just wanna be staring into your eyes
Right now I'm so lost; but when I find you, I'll be found
And I won't have to ask all these questions like
Can someone tell me where you are?
[Bridge]
(What would it take to be) What would it take to be
(In a love I know that's right for me?) ...a love that's right for me
And I know that you don't even know me yet
But I believe that one day I'll be where you are
The song "Thequestions" by Musiq is a contemplative piece that explores a man's internal struggle between his desire for physical pleasure and his longing for emotional connection. He reflects on his past experiences with women, acknowledging that while he enjoys pleasing their bodies, he feels it is ultimately "a waste of time" because it doesn't fulfill him in a deeper, more meaningful way. He realizes that he has never truly given his heart to anyone and feels conflicted about the idea of settling for something that isn't great, wondering if it's all there is for him.
The chorus reveals the man's hope and desire to find someone who he can truly connect with emotionally, someone who will lift him out of his current state of confusion and help him find meaning and purpose. The bridge expresses this desire even more directly, asking what it would take to find a love that's truly right for him, and acknowledging that he doesn't even know who this person is yet.
Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on the human need for emotional connection and the struggle to find it amidst the distractions and temptations of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
When I think about all the girls I'm with all the time
Every time I reflect on all the girls I hang out with, I can't help but feel an emptiness inside me.
Yes, I like to please their bodies, but I feel like it's a waste of time
Even though I engage in physical pleasure with them, I sense like it's not fulfilling, and I'm just wasting my time.
Can you tell me, what is wrong?
I can sense something is fundamentally not right, and I'm hoping someone can enlighten me.
I'm supposed to love the fact that I never gave a girl my heart
People seem to think it's great that I'm emotionally detached from hookups, but deep down, I know it's not.
And if I told her I did, I lied, and instead I tore hers apart
I regret lying to girls that I loved them, only to shatter their hopes and dreams, leaving them heartbroken.
Can you tell me, how long 'cause...
I wonder if this painful cycle of casual affairs will ever end or how long I have to keep doing this.
Right now I just wanna be staring into your eyes
At this moment, I desire nothing more than to gaze deeply into your eyes.
Right now, I'm so lost, but when I find you, I'll be found
I'm struggling to find my true purpose, but I know once I find you, I'll discover my real identity.
And I won't have to ask all these questions like, Can someone tell me where you are?
Once we're together, I won't have to seek answers to questions like where you could be.
What'll happen if I settle and just go along with what I have
I'm pondering what my life would be like if I stopped searching for real love and settled for mediocre relationships.
'Cause there's a difference between good and great, but good wasn't built to last
I'm aware that good relationships exist, but they're not long-lasting, and there's a chasm between them and great relationships.
Can you tell me, is this all for me?
I'm not sure if this current situation is genuinely what I need or if I'm merely trying to fill a void temporarily.
(What would it take to be) What would it take to be, (In a love I know that's right for me?) ...a love that's right for me
I'm wondering what I need to do to discover and relish the sort of love that is specially created for me.
And I know that you don't even know me yet
I'm aware you haven't met me yet, but I have faith that you will soon.
But I believe that one day I'll be where you are
I'm optimistic that one day, I'll locate you, and we'll start our journey towards true love together.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: THERON OTIS FEEMSTER, HAROLD SPENCER JR LILLY, HAROLD LILLY JR, MUSIQ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind