Sol (musician)

Sol
Background information
Birth name Sol Moravia-Rosenberg
Also known as Solzilla
Born (1988-12-07) December 7, 1988
Origin Seattle, Washington, United States
Genres Hip hop
Occupation(s) Rapper
Years active 2008–present
Labels Zilla Music
Website www.solsays.com

Sol Moravia-Rosenberg (born December 7, 1988[1]), better known as Sol or Solzilla, is an American hip hop artist based in Seattle, Washington.[2] In 2012, he released his second studio album Yours Truly, which received critical acclaim and rose to number one on the iTunes U.S. Hip-Hop Albums Chart while also charting on Billboard's Heatseekers Chart.[3] Sol has collaborated with other artists such as the Macklemore, Blue Scholars, Grynch, and The Physics.

Life and career

1988-2008: Early life and career beginnings

Sol was born in Shoreline, Washington, and is of Haitian descent through his mother and Russian-Jewish descent through his father, both of whom are teachers. He first began rapping during middle school with his cousin Ben Fodor (now known as mixed martial artist and real-life superhero Phoenix Jones), and further cultivated his musical aspirations while apprenticing at North Seattle’s Undercaste Studios.[4][2]

2009-2010: Debut album and Dear Friends EP series

Sol released his debut album The Ride independently in 2009, followed by three free EPs: Dear Friends, Vol. I, Vol. II, and Vol. III).[4]

In 2010, Sol's EP Dear Friends, Vol. II reached KEXP's Hip-Hop Top 10 Chart, and his song "Dear Friends" was included in KUBE's Sound Session Best of 2010.[5] In October 2010, Sol's song "So Damn High" climbed the charts on The Hype Machine, reaching number one above the likes of Kanye West, deadmau5, and Kings of Leon.[6] His live in-studio performance on KEXP was covered in the Seattle Times.[7]

Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Sol organized a benefit concert for Doctors Without Borders, generating $7,000.[2]

2011-2015: Global travels, Yours Truly album tops iTunes

Sol graduated from the University of Washington in 2011, and was awarded its Bonderman Fellowship that provided him the opportunity to travel the world for ten months.[8]

On January 20, 2012, Sol independently released his second album Yours Truly, which quickly rose to #1 in the U.S. and #4 worldwide on the iTunes Hip-Hop Album charts, while also landing on Billboard's Heatseekers Chart.[9] Following appearances at Live Nation's Sasquatch! Music Festival, a West Coast tour, and a sold-out show at Seattle's The Showbox, Sol then departed the U.S. in June 2012 on his ten-month fellowship around the globe, which spanned ten countries including Ethiopia, Uganda and South Africa. He returned to the U.S. in April 2013, and during an interview recalling his travels, he described, “It was very tiring both physically and mentally. Day-to-day trying to survive and also big-picture trying to understand what it is that you’re seeing and trying to process that.”[10]

Sol was recognized in May 2013 by XXL in its "Rappers You Should Know" article.[11] Later in September 2013, he released an EP titled Eyes Open.[12]

In 2015, Sol released two new singles, "People" and "Ain't Gon' Stop". Both songs were accompanied by music videos, and served as a prelude to a new album planned for the following year.[13][14]

2016-present: The Headspace Traveler

In February 2016, Sol released two music videos, "See the End" and "Happiness", and announced his plans to release a third studio album titled The Headspace Traveler. The Headspace Traveler was released on March 4, 2016, followed by a tour across the United States and Canada.[15][16]

Discography

Albums
EPs
Singles
Guest appearances

References

  1. ↑ "Growing Pains". Sol. SoundCloud. December 7, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Sol — The Next Macklemore?". seattletimes.com. November 23, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Sol - Billboard Chart History". billboard.com. February 4, 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Sol's Growing Pains". seattleweekly.com. February 24, 2009.
  5. ↑ "Sound Session #291 – Best of 2010". theaudacityofdope.com. December 26, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Sol Drops a New Single in the Wake of His Hype Machine Success". seattleweekly.com. November 16, 2010.
  7. ↑ "“Trojan” and “Albert Einstein” by Seattle rapper Sol, live at KEXP". seattletimes.com. March 7, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Sol Awarded the 2011 Bonderman Travel Fellowship". washington.edu. May 16, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Sol - Red Bull Sound Select". redbullsoundselect.com. February 7, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Sol Featured in Seattle's City Arts "Jumping Off the Ladder"". washington.edu. November 19, 2013.
  11. ↑ "15 Seattle Rappers You Should Know". xxlmag.com. May 23, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Sol - Eyes Open EP". itunes.com. September 10, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Sol - People (Official Music Video)". youtube.com. March 3, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Sol - "Ain't Gon' Stop" (Official Video)". youtube.com. August 12, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Sol Announces New Tour, Album & Video Titled “The Headspace Traveler”". goodmusicallday.com. February 12, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Sol Uses Crispy New Visuals To Explain The Meaning Of True ‘Happiness". uproxx.com. March 4, 2016.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sol (rapper).
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, April 18, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.