Jazzmatazz, Vol. 3: Streetsoul
Encyclopedia
Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 3: Streetsoul is the third entry in the Jazzmatazz series from Guru
of Gang Starr
.
inflections that made Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1
popular continued on this release (the decline was already noticeable on Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality
.) According to Billboard's music charts, any aspersions levied by music critics against the album had little (if any) impact on its performance in the marketplace. Streetsoul outperformed previous entries significantly; it peaked at #32 and #8 on the Billboard 200
and "Top R&B / Hip Hop Albums" charts respectively.
As with previous releases, a host of guest performers were featured on this recording. Most of the artists are stalwarts of the neo soul
and R&B scene. First-time appearances in the series were made by several contemporary acts, including Amel Larrieux
, Angie Stone
, Bilal
, Craig David
, Donell Jones
, Erykah Badu
, and The Roots
. Veterans featured on this release include Herbie Hancock
and Isaac Hayes
.
Guru (rapper)
Keith Edward Elam , better known by his stage name Guru, was an American emcee and member of the hip-hop duo Gang Starr, along with DJ Premier. He was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts...
of Gang Starr
Gang Starr
Gang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop duo that consisted of the late MC Guru and DJ/producer DJ Premier. Their style combined elements of New York jazz and hip hop.-Background:...
.
Synopsis
As the title seems to suggest, this volume featured a blend of Soul with R&B. The decline in JazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
inflections that made Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1
Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1
Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 is a jazz rap album by alternative hip hop artist Guru, released on May 18, 1993 on Chrysalis Records. This album is one of the first albums to combine a live jazz band with hip hop production and rapping. It is the first such project to feature established rappers...
popular continued on this release (the decline was already noticeable on Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality
Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality
Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality, was the follow-up to the well-received Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1. This second release to the Jazzmatazz series slightly toned down the jazz rap punch that made the first volume memorable. It was nevertheless critically acclaimed in its own right...
.) According to Billboard's music charts, any aspersions levied by music critics against the album had little (if any) impact on its performance in the marketplace. Streetsoul outperformed previous entries significantly; it peaked at #32 and #8 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and "Top R&B / Hip Hop Albums" charts respectively.
As with previous releases, a host of guest performers were featured on this recording. Most of the artists are stalwarts of the neo soul
Neo soul
The term neo soul was originally coined by Kedar Massenburg of Motown Records in the late 1990s as a marketing category following the commercial breakthroughs of artists such as D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell...
and R&B scene. First-time appearances in the series were made by several contemporary acts, including Amel Larrieux
Amel Larrieux
Amel Larrieux is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter and keyboardist. Larrieux rose to fame in the mid 1990s as a founding member of the duo Groove Theory along with Bryce Wilson. After leaving the group in 1999, she released her debut solo album Infinite Possibilities the following year on...
, Angie Stone
Angie Stone
Angie Stone is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She has been nominated for three Grammy Award. She is more successful on the charts R&B charts, with four Top 10 albums, forms including a number one album and 10 singles on the R&B chart,...
, Bilal
Bilal (musician)
Bilal Sayeed Oliver , better known by his stage name Bilal, is an American neo soul/jazz singer-songwriter, musician and producer. He is also a core member of the loose collective, the Soulquarians. Bilal started out by singing in small clubs until he began classical training in jazz and big-band...
, Craig David
Craig David
Craig Ashley David is an English singer and songwriter. He has released five studio albums: Born to Do It, Slicker Than Your Average, The Story Goes..., Trust Me, Signed Sealed Delivered and a Greatest Hits album...
, Donell Jones
Donell Jones
Donell Jones is an American R&B singer, songwriter and record producer.He is most notable for the hits "U Know What's Up," "Where I Wanna Be," and his cover of Stevie Wonder's "Knocks Me Off My Feet"...
, Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
, and The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
. Veterans featured on this release include Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
and Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
.
Track listing
- "Intro" – 1:05
- "Keep Your Worries" (featuring Angie StoneAngie StoneAngie Stone is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She has been nominated for three Grammy Award. She is more successful on the charts R&B charts, with four Top 10 albums, forms including a number one album and 10 singles on the R&B chart,...
) – 4:58 - "Hustlin' Daze" (featuring Donell JonesDonell JonesDonell Jones is an American R&B singer, songwriter and record producer.He is most notable for the hits "U Know What's Up," "Where I Wanna Be," and his cover of Stevie Wonder's "Knocks Me Off My Feet"...
) (Produced by DJ PremierDJ PremierChristopher Edward Martin , better known by his stage name DJ Premier , is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru...
) – 4:46 - "All I Said" (featuring Macy GrayMacy GrayMacy Gray is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress, famed for her distinctive raspy voice, and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday and Betty Davis.Gray has released five studio albums, with her fifth studio album, The Sellout,...
and Pharrell) – 4:07 - "Certified" (featuring BilalBilal (musician)Bilal Sayeed Oliver , better known by his stage name Bilal, is an American neo soul/jazz singer-songwriter, musician and producer. He is also a core member of the loose collective, the Soulquarians. Bilal started out by singing in small clubs until he began classical training in jazz and big-band...
and Jay Dee) – 4:40- contains a sample of "Sugar Me" by Klaus Wunderlich
- "Plenty" (featuring Erykah BaduErykah BaduErica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
) – 4:38 - "Lift Your Fist" (featuring The RootsThe RootsThe Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
) – 3:48 - "Guidance" (featuring Amel LarrieuxAmel LarrieuxAmel Larrieux is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter and keyboardist. Larrieux rose to fame in the mid 1990s as a founding member of the duo Groove Theory along with Bryce Wilson. After leaving the group in 1999, she released her debut solo album Infinite Possibilities the following year on...
) – 4:06 - "Interlude (Brooklyn Skit)" – 0:51
- "Supa Love" (featuring KelisKelisKelis Rogers Kelis Rogers Kelis Rogers (born August 21, 1971 is an American musical artist. She is a BRIT Award, Q Award and NME Award winner and has been nominated for two Grammy Awards. She has had nine top 10 singles on the UK Singles Chart...
) – 3:52 - "No More" (featuring Craig DavidCraig DavidCraig Ashley David is an English singer and songwriter. He has released five studio albums: Born to Do It, Slicker Than Your Average, The Story Goes..., Trust Me, Signed Sealed Delivered and a Greatest Hits album...
) – 4:03 - "Where's My Ladies?" (featuring Big ShugBig ShugBig Shug is a hip hop artist from Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of the Gang Starr Foundation collective.-Biography:...
) – 4:07 - "Night Vision" (featuring Isaac HayesIsaac HayesIsaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
) – 3:33 - "Who's There?" (featuring Les NubiansLes NubiansLes Nubians is an R&B Grammy-nominated duo composed of sisters Hélène and Célia Faussart from Paris, France. In 1985 the sisters moved with their parents to Chad. Seven years later, they returned to Bordeaux, France, and began singing a cappella, producing poetry slams in Bordeaux and Paris, and...
) – 4:05 - "Mashin' up da World" (featuring Prodigal Son and Junior ReidJunior ReidDelroy "Junior" Reid is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician, best known for the songs "One Blood" and "Funny Man", as well as being the man that replaced Michael Rose as lead vocalist for Black Uhuru.-Biography:...
) – 5:20 - "Timeless" (featuring Herbie HancockHerbie HancockHerbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
) – 4:14 - "I Wonder Why" [Japan Bonus Track] (featuring Bobbi HumphreyBobbi HumphreyBarbara Ann Humphrey is an American jazz flautist and singer who plays fusion, jazz-funk and soul-jazz styles. Bobbi Humphrey has performed for audiences around the world....
and Melody Davis) – 4:23
Personnel
- ?uestlove--Drummer, Producer
- Erykah Badu — Vocals, Producer
- Kevin Bergen — Engineer, Mixing Assistant
- Big Shug — Performer
- Drew Coleman — Engineer
- Tom Coyne — Mastering
- Craig David — Vocals
- Ryan Dorn — Keyboards, Vocals
- Todd Fairall — Engineer
- Tameka Foster — Stylist
- Macy Gray — Vocals
- Guru — Vocals
- Herbie Hancock — Performer
- Isaac Hayes — Vocals
- Donell Jones — Vocals
- Caleb Lambert — Engineer
- Amel Larrieux — Performer
- Amy Linden — Liner Notes
- Shaun Martin — Keyboards
- Bill McMullen — Art Direction, Design
- Mark Mitchell — Engineer
- Patrick Moxey — Executive Producer
- Les Nubians — Performer
- James Poyser — Producer
- Junior Reid — Vocals
- Eddie Sancho — Engineer, Mixing
- Jon Smeltz — Engineer, Mixing
- Ryan Smith — Engineer
- Tom Soares — Mixing
- Angie Stone — Vocals
- Dexter Thibou — Engineer, Mixing, Mixing Assistant
- Pharrell Williams - Producer, Multi Instruments
- Chad Hugo - Producer, Multi Instruments
- The Neptunes - Producers
- J Dilla - Producer