Whether soulful and melodic, spiritual and uplifting, or nostalgic and introspective, ibnSoul's music is best described in one way....honest.
While he'd be the first to say that he is primarily a vocalist, as a songwriter, ibnSoul (pronounced ibben-soul) skillfully blends rich, smooth vocals, compelling lyrics and wistful harmonies with genre-straddling melodies ranging from the classic R&B and neo-soul traditions to contemporary worship, euro-soul, funk and college rock. To see him perform is both an invitation to a party and a window into his soul.
Throughout most of the 1990's, ibnSoul (aka Abdul Muhammad) was the frontman for the Des Moines, IA-based R&B and Funk band, Kolour of Soul (K.O.S.). During this time, K.O.S. played clubs and venues around central Iowa and Omaha. The group was founded in 1991 by Abdul and long-time writing partner Earl Gooch (alias G-P.h.a.t.) at Iowa State University in Ames, IA. K.O.S. was the opening act for R&B singers Rome and Howard Hewitt. During the band's run, Abdul was widely regarded as one of the best vocalists and frontmen in the midwest. In 1998, Abdul left the club scene and has spent the last 9 years as a worship leader and vocalist in churches in Ames and Omaha.
"I left K.O.S. and my journey brought me to Christ from my Muslim upbringing in the late '90's. Since that time, I've struggled to find the musical balance between the sacred and secular in a way that doesn't compromise my faith," Abdul reflects. "I was unfortunately influenced by people who said that it was defiling to the Lord to be 'in the world' and write or perform secular music. Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that to God, there is no difference between the two. My preoccupation with this imaginary dilemma caused me to squelch my creativity and resulted in an almost decade-long episode of writer's block. During this time I went from writing about two songs a day to about 1 every few months.
Abdul goes on to say, "It's taken me a long time to find my voice. I never wanted to be just another R&B singer who only sang about romance, sex and partying; I have much more to say than that. But much of what I wrote during this period was a rehash of what I was listening to at the time and not very original. Then one day I was reminded of why I fell in love with music in the first place. I was listening to the Lauren Hill, Unplugged CD and I heard her say, '...the real you is better than the fake somebody else.'
"Almost prophetically, it came to me. The real me is many things. I am first and formost now a follower of Christ (the term Christian has unfortunatey become somewhat trite) who is deeply rooted in the authentic saving faith of Jesus of Nazareth. The real me is also someone who was raised in the language of soul music and Black Nationalist ideology from Garvey, Noble Drew Ali and the Moorish Science Temple, to The Nation if Islam, and finally orthodox Islam. The real me loves raw, soul cleansing hip hop and has influences of the Five Percenters coursing through my veins. The real me listens to everything from Thelonius Monk to Nine Inch Nails. That's just who I am. And the real me loves the unique power of music to heal and unite. It's hardwired to my psyche."
"So when I heard Lauren Hill's quote, I was reminded of why I love to sing in the first place. My musical reality is that every melody has it's own story to tell...it's own soul, and that every lyric is a lost soul desperately trying to find it's way home. I understood in that instant that my job as a musician was simply to be a vessel; to tell the story of the melody and to sing the song in a way that relieves the lyric of it's homesickness. The end result is a beautiful reunion. To put it simply, music tells the story of the heart. It is truly a spiritual experience." It was at this moment that ibnSoul was born. "So now when I write, I first try to listen. If I listen hard enough, I can hear the song say, 'tell my story'."
ibnSoul goes on to say, "I no longer concern myself with the boundaries of sacred vs. secular or R&B versus soul, or any other kind of imposed musical bondary. The real me loves and appreciates several different styles and genres of music. Just like everyone else, I'm also a product of my experiences , and when I'm being the real me, the things that I am shaped by come across in my writing. So when I write, I write about whatever I'm hearing and feeling at the time. Whatever results is the will of the God."
Lately, ibnSoul is attempting to return to the live music scene saying. "It's one of the places where I feel that I'm doing what I was meant to do. I love the rush of the crowd when they're really feeling you and they give you their energy."
Abdul says that he's very comfortable being referred to as a soul singer. "Ol' school soul music was not just about romantic themes. It was also about social commentary, politics, protest and struggle. These themes are part of the footprint of classic soul music, hip-hop, jazz, blues and raggae. These are things that define what authentic soul and neosoul is. These are also things that are on my mind and heart often. It's more than a cool string arrangement and a Fender Rhoads piano. There are very few male soul singers that tackle these themes anymore." Abdul questions, "Where are the songs that are reminiscent of 'What's Goin' On, 'Strange Fruit,' 'Livin' for the City' or 'Village Ghetto Land?'"
These days, ibnSoul continues his quest to find his voice. His music echoes the themes of romance, faith, love, life and existence. The produt is music that is soulful, candid, vulnerable, and hopeful. ibnSoul definately provides refreshing scenery to the neo-soul landscape.
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