Features
Starving Artists: Sol Infinite – Within, Destination
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Deft Magazine staff writer Alisha Acquaye interviews Sol Infinite on his musical background and debut mixtape, “Within, Destination.”
“I just believe these days are the best days to do that which we are all destined to do. But it starts within.”
An interesting philosophy from the eclectic music lover and musician, Sol Infinite.
I haven’t interviewed many musical artists in my 20 years of existence, but I must say that Sol was a relatively down-to-earth and excited figure who is as humble and engaging as the music he produces. One might even say that his character is..sunny.
I was attracted to his smooth style of rap music, with instrumentals that lift you up by your ears and take you away, and lyrics that touch a soft spot within you. Within, Destination is his debut mixtape album is generously available of Bandcamp.com. Generous, because it is rare to find free music downloads that rocks your body the way his does. Several unsigned artists have not found their souls yet, so their music does not contain the depth and consistency that is well deserved in order to make a statement.
Sol seems to have it down.
But, maybe its because he always knew exactly what he was doing, or what he wanted to be doing. “I remember watching Video Music Box, and I think my seventh birthday one of the presents I got was some money. With that money I brought records. So the first record I ever bought was EPMD’s Strictly Business. It’s crazy looking back now, a kid buying an EPMD record rather than some toy.”
Even when he was a child, he had a knack for great music. He was imprinted by the sounds of 80′s and 90′s hip-hop at such a crucial age in his development that it was evident he was destined to make music one day.
He started out at the age of 16, as a drummer. “I was really into expressing myself since an early age through whatever I was a fan of at the time.”
Then, in the late 90′s, he quickly became reunited with hip-hop when he was apart of a rap group. From then on, his dreams of being an MC resurfaced and he was collaborating with several producers. Soon enough, with composing skills under his belt and writing and producing experience undertow, he set out on his own path, creating music straight from within.
Fast forward to 2011. Sol has completed Within, Destination, a two-sided work of art that inquires, soothes and mentally and emotionally stimulates the senses. His motive behind the project was totally self directed, inwardly questioning the search for personal destiny. “The main inspiration for Within, Destination is really something a lot of people can relate to, which is being at that moment in life, where you feel you have come full circle with one phase of your life. In Within,Destination. It’s really a story of going within myself first to reach my destination. It’s a redirecting of the path and journey in life. That is why I broke it up in two sides. The first side is the introspective, karmic side and the other side being the inspired ‘on my way’ journey. It really is autobiographical.”
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the best way to describe his music.
The more retrospective, self-critical side A features tracks like “No Name on the Street,” “Visions of a Better Day” and “Sol Searching,” which set the mood for his dark, yet hopeful, journey. However, his instrumentals are so uplifting that the lyrics almost seem cushioned by the fabric of the music. Side A is a successful warm-up. Side B is much more confident and empowering, with songs like “Autumn Sun,” “Can’t Believe These Dreams” and of course, “Within Destination.” Not to mention, the album plays like a cinema, and his rap flow is nothing short of a spoken artist, which is fitting for his style of music.
Sol isn’t finished, yet. He is working on a couple of projects, that range from: an album called I’m Not Here, that will involve film and music, four collaborative projects that will be dispersed throughout Winter and into Spring, and then another album to drop on his birthday in July.
What is most admirable about Sol is his confidence in his music that surely contradicts his credibility. He is an undiscovered hype, a taste that you will either love, hate or become acquired to over time. When asked how they categorize their music, most musicians would humbly mold themselves into a genre, innovatively create a whole new one or arrogantly deem themselves undefined. “I am very anti-parameters and boundaries so its really up to others to call it what they perceive it to be… I would say its Sol Infinite music,” Sol says.
I like that answer. He is not afraid of his being set apart. In fact, he embraces it.
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