Musiq Soulchild: Aijuswanaseing (2LP, fruit punch vinyl, indie exclusive) [DEF JAM]

Why you'll love it

An indie exclusive pressing on fruit punch vinyl, spread over two LPs. The debut went platinum and spent 67 weeks on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart.

This edition

• 2LP set
• Fruit punch vinyl
• Indie exclusive
• Stereo mix

About the album

Philadelphia was the place to be for neo-soul in 2000, and Musiq Soulchild arrived right in the thick of it. His debut came out that November on Def Soul with a deep bench of producers behind him, including Ivan "Orthodox" Barias and Carvin "Ransum" Haggins, Andre Harris, Vidal Davis, James Poyser, Vikter Duplaix, Osunlade and Scratch, with A Touch of Jazz credited too.

The result is warm, live-sounding and a little playful, the kind of record that sounds like a band in a room even when it's built from programmed parts. "Just Friends (Sunny)" flips Pat Martino's take on "Sunny," "Girl Next Door" borrows from Ramsey Lewis, "You and Me" leans on Pat Metheny, and "143" and "Mary Go Round" keep the mood easy, while "Love" remains one of the great slow jams of the turn of the century.

It debuted at No. 32 on the Billboard 200 and kept climbing to No. 24 the following April. The title, for the record, is pronounced "I Just Wanna Sing," which should save you a slightly awkward moment at the counter.

Also at Kops: more Musiq Soulchild on vinyl · browse Hip Hop / R&B

Tracklist

Listen

On Def Soul / Def Jam, a reissue of the 2000 album.