SoulStice – North by Northwest (Solid Ground)

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Following the success of his debut single Always / The Quickening, SoulStice comes at us with the solid album North by Northwest: Solid Ground.  North by Northwest is already considered by many as one of the best indie albums of the year. Taking a different approach to gain exposure unlike many ‘mixtape circuit’ running rappers, SoulStice concentrates his efforts on bringing us original instrumentals and a unique sounding product from the very beginnings of his rap career.

Working alongside many high ranking hip hop figures such as DJ Jazzy Jeff, Talib Kweli and Gary Shider, SoulStice is taking this rap game very seriously and it is reflected here. One thing that caught my attention while listening to the album was the well balanced nature of lyricism and commercial digestion (or wider appeal). SoulStice manages to express his thoughts lyrically while STILL moulding good sounding music – I give props to that.

North by Northwest: Solid Ground features 14 tracks of bare roots hip hop. After a quick listen to the album, I am already reminded of guys like Talib Kweli or Dilated Peoples when they were appreciated to the fullest. Lyrically, SoulStice is not cutting edge like Jay-Z or Papoose but his consistency of style and articulation is worth noting. Listen to his songs, and you’ll be sure to pick up some worthwhile meaning from them.

If you’re looking for some hoop beats that stick in ya mind, then SoulStice caters for that too. Tracks like It Don’t Stop are sure to get you miming it in no time. I may sound overly reflective when I say this, but some of the album’s tracks remind me of why I got into Hip Hop in the first place. Tracks like Sleepwalk are both inspiring and thought inducing, in other words, (real good shit).

It is good to see that new rappers coming up in the game are still appreciating the lyrical art form that is rap music and less concerned about iced chains or representing ‘the hood’. If you’re a 14 year old, Chris Brown loving teeny bopper then you may not understand this album and cry.