Bio
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”. According to the singer himself, via his September 18 concert at the Warfield in San Francisco, his fifth album On My Radio will be 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.
Betterman
Musiq Soulchild Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Someone between a lover and a friend
It feels good when she's around
'Cause she's so far from all the others that I've been with
'Cause I thought I knew what love was
But it wasn't until she came and changed my life
And now I realize that
[Chorus]
All the love in this world
I wanna give to this girl because she makes me wanna be a better man
And all the games I've played are in the past
Because I know this one's gonna last
It's crazy how she makes me wanna be a better man for her
When I look into her eyes, I see
So much in her that reminds me of myself in awe
She's so beautiful, body, soul, and mind; and I
Just wanna be the one to make her feel good in a special way
I'm a hug and kiss her
And tell her how much I miss her when she's gone
'Cause I know that I will never find another one like her at all
[Bridge]
When it's said and done, you wanna
Be with someone who's gonna
Be there for you when all your chips are down
And no one's around, and when
No matter how hard it gets, she will always be by your side
To comfort you like only a woman does, and that's why...
[Chorus]
Babe, when I'm with you it, makes me wanna be a better man
Every day and night it's true, you make me wanna be a better man
Hangin' out with you just makes me wanna be a better man, and
Laying up with you really makes me wanna be a better man
In Musiq Soulchild's song "Betterman," the singer expresses his love and admiration for his partner, whom he considers to be the perfect combination of lover and friend. He compares her to all the previous lovers he's been with, expressing his gratitude for finding someone who revolutionized his concept of love. The chorus emphasizes his desire to give all the love in the world to this woman, because she inspires him to be a better man. Musiq Soulchild cites that he wants to leave past mistakes behind because he believes this love is long-lasting. He believes that the woman he’s with now is the only one who can make him a better man.
The second verse exposes the level of Musiq Soulchild’s admiration and appreciation for his partner. He sees a reflection of himself within her and constantly marvels at how beautiful she is, both in mind and body. Musiq Soulchild expresses his desire to give her the affection and attention she deserves, as well as provide that tender care that women are capable of sharing. The bridge is a reflection of Musiq Soulchild’s beliefs when it comes to love, partnership, and being in a relationship. He believes that the ideal partner is someone who will always be there during tough times to comfort and help lift you up.
Line by Line Meaning
I got a real good woman now
I am currently in a fulfilling relationship with a wonderful woman
Someone between a lover and a friend
Our relationship is a delicate balance between romantic and platonic love
It feels good when she's around
Being in her presence brings me joy and comfort
'Cause she's so far from all the others that I've been with
She is unique compared to my past partners
'Cause I thought I knew what love was
Before her, I believed I knew the extent of love
But it wasn't until she came and changed my life
She has opened my eyes to a deeper, more meaningful kind of love
All the love in this world
I wanna give to this girl because she makes me wanna be a better man
I want to devote all of my love to her because she inspires me to improve as a person
And all the games I've played are in the past
Because I know this one's gonna last
I have left behind any manipulations or deceit from previous relationships because I am confident in the longevity of ours
When I look into her eyes, I see
So much in her that reminds me of myself in awe
I am in awe of her qualities that I also admire within myself
She's so beautiful, body, soul, and mind; and I
Just wanna be the one to make her feel good in a special way
I find her to be stunning in all aspects and I yearn to bring her happiness in a uniquely meaningful way
I'm a hug and kiss her
And tell her how much I miss her when she's gone
I express my affection for her physically by hugging and kissing her and emotionally by communicating my longing for her during our times apart
'Cause I know that I will never find another one like her at all
I am certain that no other person could compare or replace her in my heart
When it's said and done, you wanna
Be with someone who's gonna
Be there for you when all your chips are down
In the end, an ideal partner is someone who remains supportive during times of hardship
And no one's around, and when
No matter how hard it gets, she will always be by your side
To comfort you like only a woman does, and that's why...
Even in the toughest moments, I can rely on her unwavering comfort and care that only a woman can uniquely provide
Babe, when I'm with you it, makes me wanna be a better man
Every day and night it's true, you make me wanna be a better man
Hangin' out with you just makes me wanna be a better man, and
Laying up with you really makes me wanna be a better man
Through all of our time spent together, she continuously motivates me to strive for self-improvement and growth in our relationship
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TAALIB JOHNSON, ROBERT OZUNA, RAPHAEL SAADIQ, KELVIN WOOTEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind