[Hello, and welcome to the Women of Neo-Soul Rate!](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/792922370213543977/794682646319726612/unknown.png)

What exactly is **neo-soul**?

Like “r&b” the term is a bit nebulous (often applied to black artists who don’t necessarily fit into an easy box) and many artists have a somewhat complicated relationship with it; even the queen of neo-soul herself Erykah Badu (who we’ll talk more about later) [has admitted that she’s not entirely sure what it’s supposed to mean](https://www.today.com/popculture/even-erykah-badu-isn-t-sure-what-neo-soul-wbna23150791). Coined and literally trademarked by label executive Kedar Massenburg in the ‘90s, the genre is most commonly defined by being a blend of soul music with r&b, funk, jazz, hip-hop, oftentimes with a strong emotional/socially conscious message and a somewhat “old school” aesthetic. This isn’t a perfect comparison but think about what “adult contemporary” is to “pop” and that’s what “neo-soul” is to “r&b.”

But let’s dig into the genre from a less clinical perspective. “Soul” is generally considered a pretty old-school genre, so “neo” (meaning “new”) soul might seem like a bit of an oxymoron, but neo-soul is all about the fusion of the old and new. It’s a sound that reaches into the past and the future at the same time to create something timeless; it’s a genre that loves its roots in but uses them to grow. Neo-soul artists are willing to pour their hearts out and lose themselves completely in the music, and thus allow their audience to listen to them laid bare. Artists like Prince and Sade laid the groundwork for the movement, but it wasn’t until the ‘90s that the genre tropes started to solidify– in large part thanks to the women featured in this very rate!

Neo-soul has always been a strongly women-driven movement, and to celebrate this we’ll be rating three albums that are considered foundational hallmarks of neo-soul. These albums are your favorite artist’s favorite albums, and once you hear them you’ll start noticing their fingerprints everywhere. So settle down, perhaps light some candles, and dive into the Women of Neo-Soul Rate.

For those of you who don’t know what rates are and how they work, instructions will be located after the artist/album descriptions. For those of you who have done this before, [a link to submit your scores is here.]()

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#Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill debuted in the industry as a member of successful hip-hop trio The Fugees, and it was clear from the beginning that she was a star. When she decided to work on her own solo album she sought inspiration in her pregnancy and her faith, as well as other personal struggles she was enduring at the time, and she was determined to make an album that was hers and hers alone. In a little studio in Kingston, Jamaica, Lauryn poured her (neo-)soul out into *The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill*, a legendary album if there ever was one.

Peppered with interludes featuring children discussing love and life in a classroom with a teacher, the album sees Lauryn sharing her views on the world over a unique blend of neo-soul, hip-hop, and contemporary r&b with rich vocals and sharp lyrics. Frequently cited as one of the greatest neo-soul and rap albums of all time, *Miseducation* earned her major praise amongst critics and extensive commercial success. She holds the distinction of being the *first* female rapper to top the Billboard Hot 100 solo (and would remain the only one for two decades) for “Doo Wop (That Thing)”, and the album was the first hip-hop album to win the Grammy for Album of the Year.

Hill never released a followup album but she still holds a deep place of respect in the music community thanks to the massive impact that this album had on many artists, and although her career and personal life have been fraught with messes and disappointments nothing has ever been able to erase the titanic legacy of this album.

Tracklist:

1. Lost Ones

2. [Ex-Factor](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE-bnWqLqxE)

3. To Ziom (feat. Carlos Santana)

4. [Doo Wop (That Thing)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6QKqFPRZSA)

5. Superstar

6. Final Hour

7. When It Hurts so Bad

8. I Used To Love Him (feat. Mary J. Blige)

9. Forgive Them Father

10. Every Ghetto, Every City

11. Nothing Even Matters (feat. D’Angelo)

12. [Everything Is Everything](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3_dOWYHS7I)

13. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

14. Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You - (I Love You Baby)

15. Tell Him


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#Erykah Badu - Baduizm

Known for her earthy voice, unique sound, and [over-the-top style,](https://www.instyle.com/celebrity/erykah-badu-fashion-closets) although Erykah Badu is often labelled as the “first lady of neo-soul” and her debut album *Baduizm* is one of the genre’s founding texts. It’s a gorgeous body of work that offers an innovative blend of contemporary hip-hop and ‘70s soul which still feels ahead of its time today. The combination of sounds allows Badu to effortlessly intertwine topics like love, religion, and Afrocentrism into a masterful text. She creates her own world on this album to the point where it almost feels like a spiritual experience at times!

Her genre blending approach and the themes she explored would set the tone for the rising neo-soul movement, as well as earn her massive critical acclaim and popularity. *Baduizm* earned Badu two Grammy Awards and a spot at #20 on the year end Billboard 200, and has been certified triple platinum. Capitalizing on this success Erykah released a live album (creatively titled *Live*) the same year featuring songs from *Baduizm*, covers, and an original hit song called “Tyrone” which will also be included in this rate.

Tracklist:

1. Rim Shot - Intro

2. [On & On](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CPCs7vVz6s)

3. Appletree

4. [Other Side Of The Game](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qpyDUfMq-8)

5. Sometimes - Mix #9

6. Next Lifetime

7. Afro - Freestyle Skit

8. Certainly

9. 4 Leaf Clover

10. No Love

11. Drama

12. Sometimes

13. Certainly - Flipped It

14. Rim Shot - Outro

15. A Child With the Blues

16. [Tyrone - Live:](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY2-mrsXgMM)


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#Jill Scott - Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1

https://imgur.com/a/a52DaWr

Scott has a background as a poet and a spoken word artist, and the influence of this is clear in her music. Poetic lyricism, rich vocal performances… Jill Scott knows how to write and perform a song. Her career as a musician was, in a way, launched by one of the other women in this rate: her first professional writing credit was on a song The Roots did with Erykah Badu. Her debut album would come a little later in 2000 when she collaborated with several prominent neo-soul musicians to create *Who Is Jill Scott?*

This versatile record which blends together neo-soul, hip hop, jazz, and spoken word into a lush tapestry of songs and poems exploring love and sexuality. She shows a different side of neo-soul with how she treats these topics (it’s definitely the *steamiest* album in the rate) but she’s a class act and nothing ever feels lewd about it; she makes sex sound, well, like poetry. *Who Is Jill Scott?* received praise by many critics and fans, and launched Scott’s hugely successful career that continues to this day. Although she perhaps has a bit less name recognition than the other two ladies here, you’ll definitely leave this rate knowing exactly who Jill Scott is.

Tracklist:

1. Jilltro

2. Do You Remember

3. Exclusively

4. [Gettin’ In The Way](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiR6sU1igKM)

5. [A Long Walk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSYMKUtNuw8)

6. I Think It’s Better

7. He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat)

8. It’s Love

9. [The Way](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCerHrqWQkQ)

10. Honey Molasses

11. Love Rain

12. The Roots (Interlude)

13. Slowly Surely

14. One Is The Magic #

15. Watching Me

16. Brotha

17. Show Me

18. Try


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#Rules:

* You must rate EVERY song in this rate, no exceptions. Yes this includes all the weird interlude tracks except for the intro to *Miseducation*.

* Each song can receive a score between 1 and 10, and decimal points up to 1 place are allowed (e.g. 5.5, 7.3, 9.9 - NOT 5.55 or 9.99).

You may give a 0 and/or an 11 to only one song each, and your 0 must be paired with a comment; 0s and 11s are not required.

If scores are missing, there are multiple 11s/0s, or other such mistakes, you will be notified and your scores will not be counted until they are corrected.

Your scores are not confidential - they will likely be shared when the results are revealed, so be sure to rate accurately! Feel free to campaign for any song that you love, but do not let things get too heated.
Once again, [use this link to submit your scores!]()

If you wish to edit your scores or add/remove comments at any point, feel free to PM the hosts and we will edit them for you.

If we notice that you are giving certain albums an abnormally low rating without justifying your scores with comments, we have the right to question you and potentially remove your scores altogether if it’s deemed that you are trying to actively sabotage the rate.

You are highly encouraged (not required) to provide comments along with your scores! However, please make sure that you format your comments properly! This is how you properly format a comment:

> Doo Wop (That Thing): 10 I wish someone would doo-wop MY thing!

This is how NOT to properly format a comment:

> Superstar: 10: princess peach anthem

> 4 Leaf Clover: I’m gonna give this song a 4 because I’m unoriginal

> When It Hurts So Bad: 6 - Me trying to [redacted] a [redacted] into my [redacted]

> I Think It’s Better: (7.4) That’s what I say every time Pitchfork gives an album by a white pop girl a 7

You may also write comments for the album as a whole! Just put a colon next to the album title and then write your comment, like so:

> Album: Who Is Jill Scott?: I hope I don’t sound ridiculous but I don’t know who Jill Scott is. She could be walking down the street and I wouldn’t know a thing.


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#Links:

##[Spotify Link](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ITITuoXRBnelgFCf1ocfC?si=TgOAwanoRaqAv65YgToB3A)

##[Submission Link]() and [Pastebin link](https://pastebin.com/tWAf8k0Z)

There is no set due date yet but the reveal will be in February so try to get your scores in as soon as possible!