Brer Soul is the debut studio album of Melvin Van Peebles. Released in 1969, the album introduced Van Peebles as a recording artist, following his work as an independent filmmaker, playwright and novelist. It is notable for its use of sprechgesang, a vocal style which lies between speaking and singing.Unlike later albums, which are more varied in style, Brer Soul features an experimental spoken word style, with soul jazz instrumentation.