Renaissance of Hip Hop Antiquity:
The Sol.illaquists of Sound Interview
by Scott Pausal aka Rubox

William Shakespeare wrote about 38 plays and sonnets in the 16th century. He used soliloquies, which were used to express out loud to the audience the emotions and thoughts of a character without use of a third party narration. Also known as a monologue, a soliloquy also may give stage direction for the performer and information about their setting. Those who give a soliloquy are soliloquists. A group which uses sound, whether be the busting of a live MPCs beats to break in and out beyond the spectrum of the hip hop sound, an emcee’s rhymes which not only ride rhythms but weave in and around toying with words in a positive way, a female vocalist which infuses spoken word and jazz/R&B tinges, and a poetical muse which adds depth, these elements make up Sol.illaquists of Sound.
Sol.illaquists of Sound is one of the strongest independent hip-hop groups coming out from Orlando, FL. They are signed to Epitaph Records, which is an Indie Punk and Hardcore label that houses such artists from Rancid, Bad Religion to Sage Francis, Blackalicious, and Danger Doom. They are currently in production on their new album entitled, As If We Existed.
Sol.illaquists of Sound consist of members Swamburger, Divinci, Alexandrah, and Tonya Combs. I honestly can’t tell you when was the last time I saw a hip-hop group that included 2 guys and 2 girls. Hmmm…closest that I can think of is Fugees or Digable Planets, but they were 2 guys and 1 female. I know in rock, you had the Mamas and the Papas and Fleetwood Mack. Perhaps this grouping sets this group apart from others.
The group’s sound is extremely colorful and expresses much emotion. Their blend of different genres have made this group unique with a positive aggressive message which compliments their chaotic production that grabs you from the beginning and never ceases to let go in their music. “Is this hip hop?” some may ask. 100 % Hip-hop. Wait…I take that back. It is 199% Hip Hop. I say this because it is to the degree that their sound may be light years ahead of their time. With Divinci on the MPC, he produces the sound in a way that a pilot guides a spaceship through 20 solar systems visiting the different landscapes of 75 different planets. Swamburger, Alexandrah, and Tonya are the guides and orators telling their story of the many issues they see for the goodness of the listener. They amazingly fit and ride the most complex grooves like they are one whether it is one person rhyming, the other singing, and the third harmonizing. They not only incorporate a base level of the basics of the Hip-hop genre, but they challenge the listener to get out of the box of what the mainstream feeds them about what they think they know about hip hop music.
Chuck D. of Public Enemy once said that “Rap music is the black CNN”. If that is the case, then Sol.illaquists of Sound are the broadcasters that are willing to shake up a generation and do not pull punches in their delivery of political issues in their songs. Songs such as 911 is one of their most emotional songs about the controversies about the day of September 11 over somber classical piano. Property and Malt Liquor is a mid-tempo funk hip-hop track, which discusses the issue of how alcohol and liquor stores are poisoning African-American people. Orlando is a hilarious track that talks about the troubling issues of a conservative city of Orlando that people take for granted. Their music explores everything from Jazz, Drum and Bass, Old-School Hip hop, Funk, Abstract, R&B, and Neo-Soul. However, their style is constantly changing day in and day out.
Never have I seen a group bring such emotion in hip-hop music like Sol.illaquists have. They are definitely a group that will be making waves in the next couple of years to come. If you think that hip-hop music has been lacking substance, then I urge you to cop a listen of their music. Better yet, I recommend you also see them live and be prepared to witness the future of Hip Hop music.
I was able to catch the group at their house to conduct an interview of each of the members. These interviews are in separated into 3 parts. The first interview was with Swamburger, the second with both Alexandrah and Tonya Combs, and the third with Divinci.