iBeJHill: “Solo Dolo” – grooving electronic hip hop!

Los Angeles rapper iBeJHill has dropped his crossover hip hop and electronic EP entitled, “Solo Dolo”. This EP seemed like it was an even further distillation of an emotional idea. The problem with rating electronic-based music that people fall into all too often, is that it’s easy to be concerned about the athleticism of the music. It seems like people complain rather quickly if something’s not happening in the music that’s a brand new production trick or something that really wows on technical merit or complexity.

Well “Solo Dolo” covers all angles here, as it puts rap in the center of the electro-beat. iBeJHill seemed incredibly lucid in terms of emotionally knowing what he wanted to get out of these mixes and the productions from Mantra Beats.

The way I tend to rate electronic-based music is how well a tune conveys a thousand pictures. Stuff that drills deep, goes archetypal, that’s the kind of thing that gets me going – It has to be real, gritty or smooth, and there has to be something in it where the music reaches quite a way deeper into your mind than most people are used to.

“Solo Dolo” no doubt, is a step forward along that path of expression. It’s very much an aural soul trip, intensely groovy while staying thoughtful and observant.

Quite frankly iBeJHill is really in a class and genre by himself. Often pushing the limits of what has been done musically ends up sounding sloppy, overdone, or extremely difficult to appreciate. What makes this EP great in my mind is that it is so different from the vast majority of what is out there, yet is still easy to listen to and enjoyable throughout.

The versatile use of synths/electronic beats and sounds keeps you interested while the interwoven laidback rapping and melodies add an extra layer of enjoyment. Rarely do you find an EP or album where each track flows together well yet each song creates an almost completely different feel.

There is a lot going on but is not too difficult to enjoy on first listen because the sounds are very accessible.

Without awareness of the artist, his identity is sought through encounter with his art which, in circumstances, creates a more intimate bond with the work as opposed to its creator. In the digital age, this type of listening experience happens less and less, though when it is possible, as in this case, it is especially intriguing.

Rap music is not generally equated with groove, atmosphere and transcendence, but iBeJHill provides a great example of how rap can be just as otherworldly as other genres. This intelligent and grooving electronic hip hop is unique and makes a great listen.