Back in 1998, Questlove, J Dilla, D’Angelo, and James Poyser founded the notorious hip-hop collective known as the Soulquarians. In a new six-minute animated short created by Pitchfork, learn the history of how the legendary group came to be.
These artists all had a strong desire to channel the aesthetic of music from the 60s and 70s into their present era of the late 90s. Their jam sessions, according to the short, captured the attention of other compatible musicians such as Q-Tip, Raphael Saadiq, and DJ Premier. The Soulquarians’ timeless music can be heard on multi-platinum albums such as D’Angelo’s Voodoo, Common’s Like Water For Chocolate, and Erykah Badu’s Mama’s Gun.
Unfortunately, the group came to an end in 2000. However, as the short eloquently states, “The Soulquarians shined brightest as a constellation, a legacy that will continue to burn long after their individual light is extinguished.” Watch the creative short above.
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