There is a great amount of soul missing in today's music. The type of music that makes you want to cry, scream, and fall in love. Yes, there has been a resurgence in retro-soul from across the Atlantic (Amy Winehouse, Adele, etc.). But I'm not talking about that genre of soul. I'm talking about the type of soul music that speaks to and for this generation. We're in an economic crisis. There are wars and rumors of wars. And there seems to be a cultural disconnect between man and woman. But there is very little soul helping us explain the hard times. Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and Stevie Wonder's Innervisions are classics that gave sentimental hope to thoses looking for a better future. Now, everything is sexualized and glamorized (e.g. "Bust It Baby"). The same can be said about hip hop. Where are the Public Enemy's, NWA's, and LL Cool J's? Where is the innovation that made Mary J. Blige's My Life? (Diddy?) I really miss soul music. Don't get me wrong. There still are artists keeping soul music alive: Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, Alicia Keys. But that's not enough. Hip Hop Soul needs to be resuscitated back into life.
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