Seattle’s Prince of Hip-Hop brought down the house (from the basement up!) this past weekend, delivering an incredible performance in The Studio at the East Village’s Webster Hall. Sunday Funday was on a whole ‘nother level April 3rd, as one of our favorite musical heroes rang out the weekend on a high note - while simultaneously kicking off the work week with a bang. There was a sol(e) factor that united such an intimate group of lyrical junkies Sunday evening, and that powerhouse was none other than the inspirational musician SOL.
We’re super grateful SOL’s music has been in our lives for a few years now – and if for whatever reason you’ve been missing out, now you have no excuse not to be part of SOLZILLA’s squad following. If you weren’t aware, SOL hails from the Evergreen State’s largest city, and it became rather obvious once you started noticing all the Seahawks snapbacks and Seattle swag sprinkled throughout the crowd. At the moment, SOL is about to wrap up his national Headspace Tour promoting the debut of his newest album, The Headspace Traveler (which dropped March 4, 2016). In tow, SOL has recruited an equally talented crew of guys to accompany him on tour, which truly enhanced the experience. SOL and Co. owned the stage – and the floor too; SOL actually jumped down into the crowd and performed one of his final pieces amidst his fans. The entertaining trio, Brothers From Another, came in hot spitting creative beats and set the energy right with their lively stage presence; I mean, these kids dance moves were on point – routines and all! And we were fortunate to hear the powerful vocalist Otieno Terry let it roar on a number of tracks with SOL. These guys seemed like they went way back, and fed off each other’s energy - a real brotherly camaraderie.
Its clear SOL is a very smart guy, and knows how to collaborate with the best of the best. From the moment you entered the venue, the atmosphere oozed positivity, which was no doubt due to the team he’s assembled. And not only is he working with quality musicians, he’s also joined forces with the artistic talents of Seoul-based Moonassi, who created the cover art for his new album – which was also displayed in full on the bass-drum! But in addition to teaming up with great forces, he’s writing and singing from the heart, about really important topics. Through SOL’s travels and life, he’s taken inspiration from the world around him, and truly brings his voice to the microphone. His resonating message of equality connected with the listeners, and his hope for peace brought everyone’s hands up in the air towards the end of the show.
I think that what made the concert so fantastic was SOL’s realness, he just gave the gig his all, and told it like it was. No bull, straight up. And that truth in character is what makes him so successful (plus his Dylan shirt was pretty fly too!). SOL’s singing from the soul, and we can’t wait to see what he creates down the road. But, in the meantime, make sure you get SOL’s music via iTunes, listen to it on Spotify, SoundCloud, etc., and enjoy the HAPPINESS he’s spreading.
