Souleye – Final Frontier (Single Review)

It truly is a breath of fresh air to see artists within the realm of hip-hop and rap take a different stance from what is usually paraded around and celebrated, to carve their niche and make a mark in their own way. Artists can go beyond the boundaries of what is seen as ‘cool’, for the sake of it, to delve deeper into topics through their lyrics and tell a deeper story, not just simply flexing or boasting about their basic desires. It is also amazing to see people who use the art of crossing through genres to create a piece of art that does not stay within perceived genre lines. Today’s review encompasses all of which I have mentioned, through the medium of an artist named Souleye.

Souleye, a multidimensional rapper, maps his humble origins in New England. Since he was a child, he was enamoured with hip-hop music. He would rush home from school, to catch a show called ‘Yo! MTV Raps’ in the early 90s, during what most would call the ‘golden age of rap’. His mother also gifted him his first rap album, titled ‘Rap Beginnings – Volume 1’, and history was solidified. He would take on the baton of rap, and go on to release nearly a dozen albums, with his most notable releases highlighted as ‘Flexible Morality’, written in the woods solitarily after his best friend passed of cancer, and ‘Universal Alchemy’, written after knowing the unfortunate news of his brother’s suicide. His rap style is described as eloquent, powered by tasteful ferocity. He plays the pantomime between words, sounds, and silence intuitively, and also with spontaneity. Moreover, he is known for polyphonic verses as well as lyrical wordplay.

The themes that colour his artistic input range from a slice of life to contemplations involving the universe and beyond, as well as mystic rumination. He champions topics such as metacognition, self-discovery, as well as cosmic revelation. As a consequence, he uses his platform as a means to broaden his horizons. Souleye has also had more notable releases, such as ‘Intergalactic Vibes’, ‘Soul School‘, and his most recent album, ‘Disguised as Tomorrow’. It is clear how cosmic themes and styles have influenced him, even in the single that this review chronicles, titled ‘Final Frontier’.

The song begins with a synth-heavy sequence that almost bears similarity to syncopations used in trance music, which immediately makes his ability to merge genres stick out. It has a highly technological feel. It also reminds me of 2010s hip-hop music, when it was more common for songs to merge various elements of EDM for a futuristic theme.

Throughout the instrumental of the song, hypersaws and more variants of vocoder manipulation are used, which makes the theme of the song stick out. Effects are used throughout the song, some even resembling sounds of digitization or even data trickling down, which I find quite ingenious.

The bass of the song is pretty palpable and significant, which wraps up the song and helps to elevate the song. My slight issue with the song is the beat of the song, as it sounds quite outdated to my ears- think of 2012-2013 hip-hop beats. I think a different type of percussion would’ve worked to completely take this song to the 16th dimension. Otherwise, the track is very well-produced, with the electronic elements of the song not in conflict at all with the hip-hop elements of the song. Souleye’s ad-libs and vocal layering are strategically placed to amplify some of the verses he raps about.

The break of the song at 2:42 is pretty ethereal, as the vocoder used really makes the song sound like as if I’m oscillating somewhere in space. It makes me feel like as if I’m on a rotating wheel space station, which is pretty cool!

As with any rap song, the competency of the lyrics have to also be analysed. Here are the lyrics of the song:

As for the lyrics of the song, this is one of the more verbose hip-hop songs out there. It depicts a level of linguistic variability as well as a penchant for references and puns that are not typically used. I have to commend Souleye for the level of competency for the lyrics, it is genuinely quite high.

Themes of ascension and love wrapped up with astronomical and cosmic references are woven through the lyrics, as well as determination towards the future- something that I rarely hear about when it comes to lyrics that people write. Souleye’s pen is truly refined. Moreover, this song also reminds me of ‘Walkin’ On The Moon’ by The-Dream– just a more refined, verbose, and assertive version of it. Truly an interesting track to behold with elements of futurism and exceptional lyricism.

Score/Good: ‘Final Frontier’ is an intriguing song that merges the intersection of hip-hop and elements of trance music to convey a futurism that is quite rare to see, in today’s themes of songwriting. With verbose bars and strategic composition to keep the listener listening, it is definitely a song worthy of checking out. Even more so, if you’re a space enthusiast like me.

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]

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