Interview By: Millie Chantel
Photo by: Jack Redmond Video by: Jack Ritz
If you haven’t already heard of him, well, you’re welcome. Souly Had is one of Island Records newest artists, or as his squad would say our latest, “industry plant”. This rising star is putting on for his hometown back in Upstate New York as he continues to rack up on millions of streams on platforms such as Spotify. We caught up with Souly on his Entreband Tour as he graced the stage at FM Bar and Lounge in Jersey City where he performed some of his greatest hits. The crowd was obsessed with his performance, and so were we. Souly had introduces a new kind of sound that we did not know we were missing. He also has a unique swagger from the purposefully messy top bun, down to the overalls he screams new generation superstar. Aside from being incredibly talented, this young artist has genuine intentions as he navigates through the music industry. When we asked him what his overall mission as an artist is he stated that he wishes to, “Pay it forward, be a beacon of light in today's generation, and put a new face to this music industry”, and we firmly believe that he is capable of it. Souly Had knew from a very young age exactly who he wanted to be and what he wanted to do. As we got to know him he shared how it all began with him freestyling to nursery rhymes in the car with his lovely sister Mackenzie (we even got to hear a piece of one of his old rhymes, amazing), to writing real raps on a consistent basis, to ultimately recording demos. Now, he’s a charting artist who is not only accomplishing his childhood dreams, but making the dreams of those around him possible as well. As part of his mission to diversify the current sound of music, and to spread love throughout his platform Souly Had is bringing his entire squad on tour with him. We had the pleasure of meeting Mac Moon, Mostly Everything, Deo, Tom C and DJ Siroc who collaborate with Souly Had on some of his work. So what exactly is Souly Had’s sound? Well, he self identifies as a contemporary lo-fi singer/rapper. Not only can he spit bars, but he can also beautifully carry a melody over any beat. He claims to draw inspiration from other rappers like Mac Miller, and Kid Cudi who were not afraid to put conscious lyrics over super vibey tracks. His songs are lyrically packed as he touches on topics of old school love, heartbreak, and motivation. As we wait for what Souly Had claims will be, “...the hottest EP of 2019”, you can currently stream his music on all major platforms including Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Spotify. (My personal favorites are “Crush”, and, “Tides” because whewww!) . We hope all our subscribers enjoy this artist as much as we have! We’d also like to give a special shoutout to his Entreband team! Thank you to Mac Moon, Mostly Everything, Deo, Tom C and DJ Siroc for taking a moment to chat with us as well.