Joe

Joe isn't alone in his obsession with R&B's past, but unlike the neo-soul crooners who use early- to mid-'70s soul as a point of departure (see LuvanMusiq, Music Soulchild's tribute to Philly Soul), Joe has managed to make it up to Luther Vandross and Teddy Pendagrass. "Where You At" and "If I Was Your Man" telegraph emotional longing over twinkling beats. Even when Joe teams up with rappers, as he does on "Get to Know Me" (ft. Nas) and "Just Relax" (ft. Dre of Cool and Dre), the results are far softer than the typical roboto-rap soul claptrap.