Summer of Sam 24 (EP) - Solar Soundz (Rap) Today we welcome Solar Soundz to his first feature on our blog with 8 track EP “Summer of Sam 24”. The album boasts a blend of old school hip hop and trap, pulled together by overarching storyline, themes and haunting atmospherics. Cohesive with some standout records, we dig into the LP below.
But first, a little about our artist. Hailing from Lisbon, Portugal, Solar Soundz is a renowned hip hop producer known for his eclectic and innovative style who has been in the game for over a decade. For his latest EP, Solar Soundz partners with a star-studded lineup of features including Jarren Benton, Young Buck, Bishop Lamont, Kool G Rap and Canibus, and worked with sound engineer Emer Ferrari on bringing the EP to life.
There is one word that sums up this EP best, and that’s “danger.” The atmosphere on this EP is thick with tension—there is a foreboding sense of gloom and doom that hangs over the entire project. Along with that cohesive soundscape is a loose narrative around the abduction of a woman—we hear her ask for help intermittently throughout the project.
Thematically, you immediately understand the darkness. Tracks range from the hustle to struggle, violence, frustration and existential dread, as each feature tells their particular story and why they have the grit and determination to suceed. As a collection, the EP feels rooted in late 90s/early 00s hiphop—we get moments of Biggie, Busta and Wu Tang throughout. We feel that the tracks would sit alongside ones like Mobb Deep’s “Quiet Storm” and Biggie/Busta “VICTORY” quite well.
“6 Feet Deep” and “Who is Sam?” come as a pair, summing up for us into a single track, which does most of the work to set up the intensity of the EP. Jarren Benton joins halfway through the first track to issue a warning of what is to come. “Death & Disaster”, our favorite track and we think the most commercial of the offering, features Young Buck and Bishop Lamont passing the baton between them seamlessly to serve up an ode to anxiety and existential dread.
On “SoS”, Big Twins and Legs Mc continue the theme on a more restrained production, evoking imagery of a walk through a cemetery—as if our artists are touring the aftermath of a carnage. iNTeLL takes center stage on “Bury Your Bones”, which centers the anti-hero in this journey—this is the “don’t fuck with me because I’m the shit” track.
“No Reason” gives us straight Biggie, with Kool G Rap delivering one of our favorite spits on the project, while “Last Man Standing” takes more of a trap direction, with Ren Da Heatmonsta stepping up to bat like the final boss in a video game.
Finally, album closer “Vacation” brings us full circle with Canibus evoking early Busta Rhymes for us in his tone. His lyrics are incredibly clever, showcasing quite a storyteller in his evocative descriptions, as he is backed by a demonic chamber choir.
Reflecting on this collection, we almost feel as if this is the soundtrack to a “choose your fighter” screen in a video game—with each character taking their turn to tell you why they are the strongest choice.
The summer of Sam is upon us.