— Leave a Comment

REVIEW: Yours Truly – Sol

Sol
Yours Truly
Self-released; 2012

Score: RECOMMENDED

Sol doesn’t care if his music goes pop. It’s the first thing he says on “Paint,” the decidedly upbeat Imogen Heap-sampling track from his sophomore full-length, Yours Truly. It’s a good thing, too, because with this record the accomplished (and still rising) Seattle MC has a terrific collection of songs that succeeds in connecting the universal pleasure principles of pop music with legitimate hip-hop artistry. Spinning through Yours Truly for the second time I couldn’t help but think this is what Lupe Fiasco’s Lasers should have sounded like.

Sol’s early 2009 debut, The Ride, introduced the EMP Sound Off! finalist and University of Washington student (now graduate) to the area hip-hop scene. His gravelly register and laser-precise technical ability helped him to stand out from a sudden rush of similarly-aged MCs looking to get on in the spontaneous combustion that was the Puget Sound rap scene. With the subsequent Dear Friends trio of EPs, Sol took a definitive turn away from the underground boom-bap that dominated The Ride and moved to a more soulful mix of R&B and blunted pop-rap.

The culmination of that transition is the 12-track (plus one bonus) Yours Truly. You can blame Sol’s affinity for weed or his advancing maturity (probably a bit of both) for the easy-going sensibilities of this album. Like all intelligent and skilled MCs, Sol has learned his life and career don’t hinge on spitting the best bars or realest shit ever written on each subsequent verse; consistency is important, too. Establishing a relationship with his listeners is what Sol values most here. He plays the part of both critic and member of his particular generation on “2020,” urging his peers to shed what he perceives as an identity-threatening ambivalence and stand for something. He also loves the ladies, or, more accurately, the ladies love Sol. On the whimsical “Ugly Love” (featuring Shaprece) he recognizes his status as one of the city’s circumstantial rap sex symbols and uses (presumably) learned experiences to both celebrate and lament the profits of his cachet.

My estimation is that Yours Truly will be a hit among close followers of Seattle hip-hop, especially with the younger set that leans toward the more Clear Channel variety. That’s just fine of course — equal representation is important in establishing a holistic listening environment, after all. Heads who don’t favor this brand of vodka can rest in the edification of a track like “Rap Life.” The standout Jake One-produced banger is a reminder that Sol’s hustle is rooted deeply in the hip-hop fundamentals and, at the very least, his growth sprouts from an unadulterated love for the art. Yours Truly is quality, independently-produced music with the artist’s full stamp of approval, and if that’s synonymous with “honesty,” then the effort is always above reproach.

Album Reviews
— 3 Comments

REVIEW: Dear Friends, EP (Sol)

"Dear Friends, EP" (Sol)

(Note: This review also appears on national hip-hop blog abovegroundmagazine.com.)

Sol’s debut album, The Ride, blazed onto the scene in February of this year and was met with a very welcome reception. The young rapper’s beyond-his-years confidence on the mic and particular brand of intellectualized battle-rap was a welcome addition to Seattle’s hip-hop landscape. The LP was aptly titled too, as it made a perfect riding companion whether creeping along Alki Beach or whipping northbound on I-5.

Now, Sol has decided to jump on the Free Download Bandwagon with the release of his Dear Friends, EP (get it here), a brief, six-shot to the dome dose of new material that succeeds in the same way The Ride did, with straight-forward, driving beats paired with Sol’s razor-sharp flow that can be as cold and technically proficient as Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning.

Dear Friends doesn’t fully represent a true musical progression, as the acoustics remain mostly in the same vein as The Ride. It’s all good, though, because the formula is a pleasing one. “Hyyy” finds Sol musing about his nascent success as a rapper over a hazy, chronic-induced interlude. “Millions” (featuring Scribes and Philharmonic) seems like it was made for the radio with a melodic, understated hook and repetitive piano lick that sounds a little like what KUBE was playing in 1997 (that may sound like a bad thing, but here it works just fine). The best track is “Cash Rules!”, Sol’s blatant but still dubious ode to the almighty dollar. The track has a thumping, sparse beat and tense string arrangement; it’s by no means groundbreaking, but still goes hard in the most satisfying of ways.

At this point in Sol’s career, the shorter EP format works to his advantage. The beats on The Ride were dope in a familiar but not-quite-fantastic sort of way which, after 16 tracks, ultimately led to a slight tediousness that never totally crossed the line into boring repetition. A six-song EP doesn’t allow the content to become diluted and Dear Friends stays fresh because of its length. The complaints over Sol’s music at this stage seem petty when considering the huge amount of talent and potential he still possesses. Dude is only 20 years old, and his voice is still emerging. Everything from Sol thus far suggests even better and brighter things are on the horizon.

Album Reviews Downloads
— 1 Comment

“It’s All Happening!”

I just finished watching Almost Famous for the second time. The first time was in 2000, the year the film came out and I enjoyed it then but never got around to seeing it again until about three hours ago. Of course, the flick has nothing to do with hip-hop music, but it does have broad appeal across genres because it speaks to the music fan in all of us. We’re a lot like the movie’s main character, William Miller. We seek to understand the histories, personalities, and motivations of those artists that we follow.

(An aside: It’s why, as fans, we read and write blogs, and obsessively re-fresh Twitter feeds. It’s why I like to listen critically to an album and then write something on how it made me feel and what my impression of the artist is based on what I hear. Contrary to what some readers or local artists might think, I’m not out to hate just for the sake of hating. Or disparage because it makes me feel good personally and will increase readership — though that is a convenient by-product of being honest. But anyway, I digress…)

In Almost Famous, the idiom “It’s all happening!” becomes the catchphrase throughout the movie, its motto. It’s a simple slogan meant to embody the singular emotional exuberance felt by the film’s characters as they take part in their respective musical experiences (and life experiences in general). “It’s All Happening!” is reserved for those who haven’t yet achieved fame, but may just be on the cusp. Or for those musicians experiencing for the first time that being widely appreciated for their art is a true possibility. It’s a feeling that I imagine a lot of local artists are going through right this moment as Seattle’s hip-hop movement continues to expand like Shawn Kemp’s waistline.

So, by way of a virtual 206-UPPERY! dap, here are a couple artists for whom “It’s All Happening!” They’re a group and solo act that I haven’t mentioned yet on the blog, but that I have a lot of love for.

Shapeshifters (SOTA)

Shout out to SOTA (State Of The Artist), a three-man crew that is getting a fair amount of burn in The Town these days, though I hear they’ve recently relocated (temporarily, I think) to SoCal. Download their free mixtape Shapeshifters on their blog (linked above). This crew is one of those rare breeds in rap, a group equally balanced with both individual talent and great chemistry as a collective.

The Ride (Sol)

Another virtual dap to the rhyme animal Sol. Purchase his debut album The Ride on iTunes right now. Technically, Sol’s a virtuoso. He’s the rap equivalent of Mariano Rivera, proficient and consistent, and always on point lyrically. He’s a rapper that you’d confidently hand the ball to in the ninth inning or trust taking the last shot in OT because, like a clutch performer, he never fails to make the competition look silly. Once the majority stops sleepin’, best believe Sol will get his due shine in Seattle.

That’s it for now! More for your head later…

Downloads Views From the Peanut Gallery