mixtape maestro (2.0)

After a brief moment when the Philly neo-soul singer opted on not using the “Soulchild” surname (a Mellencamp-like move that barely drew a collective shrug), Musiq Soulchild makes his comeback backed by a brand new label (he’s left Def Soul for Atlantic) and a hot new single.

“Buddy”, the first taste of Musiq’s fourth album, the cleverly titled Luvanmusiq, finds the R&B crooner once again expressing his hip hop-informed influences by singing over a classic rap beat. In the past he’s mined the soundscapes of Notorious BIG and A Tribe Called Quest, but none have garnered as much instantaneous appeal as his take on the playfully horny De La Soul posse favorite “Buddy”.

Updating the lazy funk bass groove of Taana Gardener’s disco masterpiece “Heartbeat” with a lively horn intro and bridge, Musiq effectively re-purposes the Native Tongue description of a “sex buddy” while trying to woo a lady he meets on the street. The singer who seemed to be okay with being “Just Friends” on his noteworthy debut single now appears to be possessed of a more sex-crazed mind. He bombards the personal space of the object of his affection, trailing behind her with hopes of getting her digits, though his monotone delivery and awkward mouthpiece is more creepy than charming (“Sorry if i come off disrespectful/ But my convo is a little bit too sexual/ But damn it’s incredible/ Be more flexible/ Cause the context of this text is special”). His more familiar gentleman persona seems to be at odds with his new found carnivorous state as the idea of being a “buddy” comes up, but there’s more of a dark intention behind it than just talking on the phone for hours at a time.

Those who figured the man would only be good for saintly ballads like “Love” and “don’tchange” will be knocked ajar by the more forward Soulchild. But the personality shift results in one of his most exciting offerings yet.