Akai Solo’s “Ride Alone, Fly Together” - CJ Crawford

Artist: Akai Solo

Genre: Hip-Hop

Break All Records 2020

Album: Ride Alone, Fly Together

Rotation: Heavy

Photo from Band Camp (https://akaisolo.bandcamp.com/album/ride-alone-fly-together)

In a hip-hop culture run primarily on a stylish albeit stale aesthetic, Akai Solo brings refreshing insight to the underground scene with his latest release Ride Alone, Fly Together (RAFT). Contemporary with acts such as MAVI, Medhane, and Pink Siifu, Akai Solo’s pen is just as cryptic as it is clear, exploring his spiritual struggles, growth, and role within his city and artform. Production on this project recalls J Dilla and the beginning of the lofi jazz hip-hop era yet sounds crisp and experimental enough to transcend any timestamp.

The defining quality of this project are Solo’s lyrical gems. The persona he’s created is that of a space-pirate on Earth training his abilities with other artists in what he refers to as “the guild.” If those details alone don’t spark your curiosity then I’m not sure what else I can say. Fantasy and sci-fi elements litter his songwriting with plenty of anime and comic book references to build a colorful, exciting world to imagine. Solo’s charisma also shows in his cadences and witty remarks but doesn’t come across as obnoxious as he paints vivid sceneries and often displays an underhanded wisdom that is much appreciated in such a relaxing, lofi package. 

RAFT excels in this matter, bringing back what I’d coin as ficto-philosophy to the modern rap game. Acts such as MF Doom mastered this craft of creating a world completely separate from ours—rapping about mad science, supervillains’ dastardly deeds—all while writing about his own deeper life philosophies parallel to the theatrics. The two elements feed off each other within RAFT and make for an entertaining, even enlightening listen lyrically speaking.

If you aren’t accustomed to this style of rap however, you may find that the album overstays its welcome with its predictability sonically. But if you’re intrigued and would like a firsthand look at the New York City underground, RAFT brings a compact yet smooth hour long runtime fit for a cool evening looking out your window.

All the project’s tracks are indecent but for the most part refrains from obscenities, instead focusing on Solo’s creative world-building and character crafting.

Recommended: 2, 5, 11, 16

For More Akai Solo - https://akaisolo.bandcamp.com/album/ride-alone-fly-together