Soulquarians

The Soulquarians were a neo soul and alternative hip-hop informed musical collective. The collective, formed during the late 1990s, continued into the early 2000s, and produced several well-received albums.

Members were Erykah Badu, Bilal, Common, D’Angelo, Roy Hargrove, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Pino Palladino, James Poyser, Questlove, Q-Tip, and J Dilla.

Prior to its formation, members Common, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, and Q-Tip were members of the Native Tongues Posse.

Producer and drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson of hip-hop band The Roots acted as the “musical powerhouse” behind several of the collective’s projects during the late 1990s and early 2000s, including The Roots’ Things Fall Apart (1999), D’Angelo’s Voodoo (2000), Erykah Badu’s Mama’s Gun (2000), and Common’s Like Water for Chocolate (2000).

In an interview for Spin magazine, Common discussed the production of those albums, stating:

It was one of those time periods that you don’t even realize when you’re going through it that it’s powerful.