Welcome to the Neighborhood has been gaining a lot of momentum within Portland’s hip hop community thanks to a collection of impressive on air freestyles and overall support shown for the talent in the area.
Tonight DJ Klyph welcomes Portland artist Soul Minor who is making his first appearance on the show. Make sure you listen live tonight at 8pm online at kzme.fm.
So for our readers who are still unfamiliar. Tell us a bit about yourself.
I create music that I consider spiritual-evolutionary hip-hop. My name, Soul Minor, is a reference to the path I’ve walked – from the depths to emerging with an understanding of my gift and purpose. The name also pays homage to my great-grandfather who died in the coal mines of West Virginia. I just released my debut album, PerMission To Shine, last month.
You rap a lot about the differences between perception and reality that our society faces. What do you think would help bridge that gap?
I think we first change our perception as individuals. Most of us have grown up with conditioning / programming that engrains a subconscious belief that power exists outside of ourselves and that we should feel guilty / judge ourselves. This is like a prison-guard of the mind that disconnects us from our true nature as creative, spiritual beings. Since we are creating our reality at every moment, and our power comes from how we perceive, becoming aware of our thoughts will allow us to begin to make conscious decisions to manifest the reality we intend for.
For me it was very important to get past my substance and media-stimulation addictions, then discover the spiritual teachings of the First-Nation people of this land, which supported my process of learning and growing. I think our society has a lot invested in making sure people don’t see reality. People have been feeding on this stuff and have become comfortable in the illusions. If we want to bridge that gap, for our grandchildren, we have to create the solution, which starts with every individual’s process of awakening, reclaiming power and taking responsibility.
Portland has a tremendous amount of talent getting slept on right now. What do you think it would take to change that?
I see what you mean, although I ‘d ask you to define who’s sleeping on who? I know that a lot of the industry promotes music that keeps people asleep so maybe it’s not a bad thing if you’re getting slept on by people who want people asleep!
We don’t need to be looking outside for validation or access to established avenues, but instead, create our own movement. I envision it as a culture / consciousness of talented artists building together with a common thread, rooted in community.
Who are a few of your favorite artists in the region?
Mic Crenshaw, Luck One, Red Shield – we used to bump their album hard back in high-school, and I’m a big fan of Syndel of Oldominion.
Klyph has released some pretty impressive freestyle videos over this summer. Do you have a favorite? And can we expect to hear a freestyle from you tonight?
Yeah man, these cats are seriously dope – every video I saw was fire. I’d have to say my favorite is the Illmaculate freestyle earlier this year, because of the content he came with – CRAZY, he beasted it. Then closely followed by Matty. Big ups to these cats!
Yeah man, no doubt, if Klyph sets me up, imma have to do my thing.
Closing thoughts?
Thank you for your questions and for your support of the hip-hop community my brother.
Thank you to the reader who took the time to read these words. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me, I’m open to connecting to anyone who’s interested in building, collaborating or continuing the conversation. This is my direct email: info@soulminor.com