Sol.iLLaquists of Sound sign to Anti-/Epitaph!
Sol.iLLaquists of Sound to Drop Anti-/Epitaph debut LP As If We Existed on September 26, 2006
Thought-provoking hip-hop protégés of hardcore rapper Sage Francis emerge
Sol.iLLaquists of Sound – protégés of acclaimed, politically-minded rapper Sage Francis – will release their debut album through Anti-/Epitaph Records on September 26, 2006. Titled As If We Existed, the first studio offering from the dynamic, Orlando-based hip-hop collective is the next link in the chain of cerebral hip-hop.
Discovered by outspoken rapper Sage Francis, the Sol.iLLaquists’ combustible live presence prompted the renowned MC to not only take the troupe on tour as a support act, but incorporate them into his live set. Now, with As If We Existed, S.O.S. offers up a thinking person’s brand of the genre.
Not content to just jam together, but actually live communally in a cramped, slightly overgrown Florida lakehouse, Sol.iLLaquists of Sound are a collective in every sense of the word. And it’s that sense of family translates to the thought stirring, vibe-steady compositions found on As If We Existed.
As activists, healers and vegans, the Sol.iLLaquists fuse intellect, spirituality and action, taking aim at specific issues like cultural revolution (“Black Guy Peace”), ethnic alcoholism (“Property & Malt Liquor”) and personal wellness (“Our 2 Cents”). Serving as both a harsh mirror and a challenge to rise above, As If We Existed prospers in the presence of MC Swamburger’s flow, a tongue-twisting, machine-gunning cadence whose precision is surgical in both rhythm and message.
Coupled with the technical skills of DiViNCi on MPC (Midi Production Center), The Sol.illaquists’ facile, athletic beats and ‘Burger’s tense lines find balance in the soulful vocals of Alexandrah and Tonya Combs. Fusing critical messages with a multi-dimensional sound, As If We Existed is a public service announcement with spit. One listen and you’ll be well-grooved, dually enlightened and quite possibly inspired.