I think what the Soulquarians are doing is a wonderful thing for music. To me, the inustry was getting a little too electronic. I know times are rapidly changing, but artists forgot what it was like to have an album that sounded like a 70 minute jam session. I like how ?uest keeps the beat almost perfect (almost because sometimes he slums it to perfection!), making sure that the boat has a good anchor. I like how D'Angelo brought back the virtually dead soul movement with VOODOO. I like how James Poyser has took production to newer heights. And Jay Dee's otherwordly sonic concoctions will leave any sane homosapien with a craving to make beats. Plus you add in the extended family (The Roots, E. Badu, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, Bilal, Tip) and you have a melting pot of talent just dying to free our minds. I, for one, can't wait to see what they have in store for us, the faithful consumers. 1st Born Second, Com's new joint, James River, Introducing the Roots, the Soulquarians album, etc. That's a whole lot of shit to digest in one lifetime, much less in 2 years. Are the Soulquarians ruining music? Hell naw! Are they drumming to their own beat (no pun intended, ?uest!), encouraging us to live out, through their music, a "vicarious fantasy"? And how!

K. Himes
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