Maxwell was only 23 years old when his debut, Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite was released. Yet, the album was full of the spiritual albeit soulful stylings of a crooner who seemed quite older. The album covered romance and the highs and lows of a relationship in bloom, but it also was one of music’s first introductions into neo-soul.
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D’Angelo’s Brown Sugar, Erykah Badu’s Baduizm and Urban Hang Suite were the trifecta that led the neo-soul movement of the late ‘90s and early 2000s. What set Maxwell a part were his nods to the sensuality of Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye, along with the sonic comparisons to funk and jazz. In honor of this iconic album turning 25, Maxwell spoke exclusively with Audacy’s own Kenny Burns about his impactful debut, the ‘neo-soul collective,’ and him carrying the torch of soul music.
“If you would’ve told my 25-year-old self that 25 years later at 47, I’d be talking about an album that I really didn’t think would connect. I believed in it. You know, the people, who were working with me on it, thought that it would be substantial on some level, but I had no expectations that it would mean what it has eventually meant, I wouldn’t believe you,” he began. He went on to express his gratitude for “the listeners, Black people, Black love and the tradition of soul music.”
He simply hopes to guide newer R&B artists (specifically spotlighting H.E.R., SiR and Giveon) as he was guided. He didn’t even have to ask the question of the decade, “is R&B dead,” because his answer was already weighing on his heart. The crooner stated, “... seeing soul and R&B continue and to never die. It will never die and I’m so grateful to be a part of this community.” Coming from a biracial home with a Puerto Rican dad and a Haitian mom, he often feared about being accepted and included. However, this music spoke for itself.
Later on, you can hear him getting emotional when discussing his legacy in relation to something bigger than himself. "I'm part of a tradition," he expressed. "I wanna take credit, I do. I wanna feel like yeah, 'it's my 25th,' but it's soul's music's 25th. [...] All I ever wanted to do was to do good, and to make good on the tradition of music." He brings up Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" and Aretha Franklin's "R.E.S.P.E.C.T." as music that many have marched to— the music of the civil rights movement. "It's connected to the experience that we as Black people go through everyday. Black women who are not appreciated. [...] I'm so happy that I'm apart of it," he says tearfully.
Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite is certified double-platinum and had four timeless singles— "...Til the Cops Come Knockin'," “Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder),” “Sumthin' Sumthin',” and "Suitelady (The Proposal Jam)” and different variations of the album’s singles appeared on a series of EPs. For the album’s anniversary, it’s been remastered for the very first time and it’s currently available on all digital streaming platforms. For the full Maxwell interview, stream the audio below.
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