Soulbrotha
Hip hop as a culture and art form for many years since its inception has provided a veritable means of personal and collective expression. Such expressions, be they break dancing, graffiti, fashion, or music all provide meaningful outlets through which people communicate with each other and can affect change on a spiritual and social level. One of such people gunning to push the boundaries of hip hop music impact is none other than the emcee known as Soulbrotha.
Born and raised in Nigeria, and being exposed to diverse forms of music from folk, 80’s pop, reggae, rock and hip hop music inspired a young Soulbrotha to choose hip hop above all other genres as a means to impact his community and the world at large most importantly. This emcee is always bent on “moving the crowd” and makes no excuses for his faith in Jesus Christ, whilst refusing to be pigeonholed into a particular kind of sound. His music can be best described as spiritual, conscious, emotional, and soulful. His fist interest in hip hop sparked back in 1987, “when I was first taught the lyrics to the song by Eric B & Rakim's "Paid in Full,"” he recounts, as he emphasizes that this was his first true encounter with music of this genre. Fans can thank his cousin for introducing him to hip hop, as SB recalls that his cousin was the one who always rhymed the words to the song “Paid in Full.” At that moment when hip hop graced its presence into his life, he knew that he would never be the same. The rise of Yo! MTV Raps spawned an even greater interest in hip hop for SB, where he then discovered artists such as Slick Rick, Doug E Fresh, LL Cool J, Run DMC, Audio Two, MC Lyte, Salt N' Pepa, Big Daddy Kane, Father MC, Queen Latifah, Lords of the Underground, Naughty By Nature, Snoop, Dr. Dre, and many more that influenced him as an artist.
Now, with the awaited debut of his first LP, Ezekiel Hanani, after a recent collaboration with famed Birmingham producer/DJ impresario – Roeg Du Casq, Soulbrotha is geared and ready to speak words of truth to the public. The LP chronicles the life of a fictional character (Ezekiel Hanani) and is a testament to the commonality that all human beings share in the struggle to live life with a sense of purpose and destiny. Fans can listen to songs from this 13 track opus, such as Stories, Without a Trace, City 2 City, and Dedication, which are all personal favorites of SB, as he confesses that "Stories [was] my first attempt at a concept/creative track, [while] Without a Trace involves some actual personal events that happened in my life. And Dedication,” he continues, “is my opinion as an African and a young black male on how people of color are treated in [today’s] society.”
In the meantime, SB continues to improve his artistry with the release of his first mixtape, entitled Music for Agony. Although this was completed shortly after his album Ezekiel Hanani, it gave Soulbrotha “the opportunity to do something with a 'darker' tone, if you will, on the album and also the opportunity to put together songs [that] I had done with different producers that may not have made it to actual later albums or projects.” Exodus, yet another project taken on by the multi-talented artist is a continuation of the ongoing mixtape series of which Music for Agony was the first installment. “This series,” he explains, “entitled, The Good News, gives me a unique opportunity to be more flexible with [a] subject/topical matter as well as experiment with rhyme schemes, cadences, and other intricacies that make up songs and also help [to] show [my] growth as an artist.”
Besides his numerous projects that find him in the studio quite frequently, SB has also been found regularly performing at Nashville’s renowned LoveNoise, the Redeemed Christian Church of God (Dominion Chapel), and Believers’ Love World: The “Essence” program in Houston, TX. Fans are never disappointed with his live performances as he has enamored crowds with passionate, sometimes animated and creative lyrical styles.
As if multiple projects and ongoing live performances are not enough for this busy emcee, SB has also been interviewed and featured on various media and internet outlets, having airplay and rotation on WIDR-FM 89.1 Kalamazoo, MI, FuseBox Radio (WRSU 88.7 FM, Rutgers, NJ) where the song, “How can I be mad?,” topped the play list charts for 3 weeks in a row. He has also been featured on Da Nawlinz Groove, Splash Radio Washington DC, DJ Come of Age’s internet podcast, Splash Radio, True Radio 86.5, Los Angeles, CA, as well as spotlights internet magazines and outlets such as Nigerian Entertainment magazine. And if that is not enough to fill your plate, fans will be happy to know that Soulbrotha is not only involved in the musical side of hip hop as an artist but has a vested interest in journalism, specifically as a writer for One Word Magazine, contributor for Ariztos Magazine, and a blogger on Music For America. With his hard work, Soulbrotha is certainly reaping the benefits of the dedication to his art. His music has caught the eyes of famous producers and artists such as Karriem Riggins (The Roots, J-Dilla, Soulquarians), Large Professor (Main Source, Nas, A Tribe Called Quest) who were quoted to have said, “Yes Fam! I’m feelin’ it..keep rockin’ that raw,” “Good deals right there. I like them jointz for real.” In addition to capturing fans all over the globe, he has obtained numerous guest features on several mixtapes such as: Okayplayer’s Lesson Mixtape (Vol. 5), a follow up appearance on volume 6 of the aforementioned, Daru Beats compilation, as well as collaborations with Nigerian R&B soul man, Keno, Producer-maestros, B-Live, and Doug Funny and many more in the works. The future for Soulbrotha looks bright and prosperous and we are anxious to see what else is in store for this young, multi-faceted artist. So be on the look out for upcoming projects from SB, as he is sure to become a house-hold name.
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