Westleaf Staff
What's up Leafers? Welcome to the latest edition of On the Rise where we interview upcoming hip hop talent. Today's guest is rapper, soullooper. Soullooper is a rapper and. producer from Raleigh, NC. The rising MC is buzzing in his home town so we had to tap in with him. Check out the interview below.
Westleaf Staff: What's up, Soul? Your sound is dope! When did you start making music?
Soullooper: Back in 05', my friend Teejay introduced me to FL Studio 4. Fast forward about 4 years later during my freshman year of high school, I started producing artists I met in school. Ended up meeting Tristan from platinum recording group Troop 41 and I continued to elevate from there.
Westleaf Staff: That's dope! What city do you represent?
Soullooper: Raleigh, NC.
Westleaf Staff: Shout out to Raleigh! There's hella talent out there. So how did you create your stage name?
Soullooper: Most of my beats are constructed within an 8 bar loop and I pour my soul into every beat I create. In one of my sessions I was ad libbing "I'm looping soul" while I was creating and I thought it was tough! soullooper it was! All lowercase 'soullooper'
Westleaf Staff: That's a dope name. So how did your early life shape your interest in music?
Soullooper: Most of my beats are constructed within an 8 bar loop and I pour my soul into every beat I create. In one of my sessions I was ad libbing "I'm looping soul" while I was creating and I thought it was tough! soullooper it was! All lowercase 'soullooper'.
Westleaf Staff: Dope! It's a tough name! So who is your biggest Musical influence?
Soullooper: I can remember as a child, my dad used to play A Tribe Called Quest albums repeatedly. From there I spiraled into learning Q-Tip's samples and inspirations. I ran across Minnie Riperton, Kool & The Gang, The JB's, Roy Ayers and more. I could go deeper but then you had Kanye coming strong in the game during the Roc a Fella era. My dad was a huge Jay Z fan and I couldn't help but notice the cadences of Kanye West and my dad got me The College Dropout album. Later on I learned Kanye was partly influenced by J Dilla and I miraculously found out J Dilla produced some of A Tribe Called Quest classics. J Dilla is by far my biggest music influence.
Westleaf Staff: Dope! I feel that. Love Dilla. Those are some legends! What's been the defining moment in your music career thus far?
Soullooper: I produced Build by Earthgang off their Royalty EP executive produced by J Cole. At this stage of my career, I was going through some tough times. This song boosted my confidence and helped me transition my life into a better situation. I also noticed the impact of this record when it was released and saw that it did help several others as well.
Westleaf Staff: That's dope! So what makes you a unique artist?
Soullooper: I produce for several artists each and everyday from different backgrounds. Working with different sounds and being able to fully create the entire process by myself can make a difference. I'm able to engineer myself and fully create anything that's in my head without needing to depend on anyone else to do it for me. At the same time, I'm able to listen and share ideas with others to evolve.
Westleaf Staff: Dope! So what does art mean to you?
Soul Looper: Art is the definition of everything. Nothing would exist without it. Everything we see, touch, feel and hear. No limitations. It is the only thing that is free.
Westleaf Staff: That's deep! Where do you see your music career going over the next few years?
Soullooper: In the next few years I see a lot of content, lots of projects, lots of collabs, and lots of good original music. Can't give too much details out.
Westleaf Staff: I wish you much success! Before we go, describe music in three words.
Soullooper: Reflection of self.
Follow Soullooper:
https://www.instagram.com/soullooper/ https://www.tiktok.com/@soullooper https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPJF733KQQs
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