Texas-based rap artist S.O. releases his brand-new EP, entitled Larry Ginni Crescent, whose nostalgic title comes from the street he lived on as a child in Lagos, Nigeria.
Talking about the EP, S.O. shares, “This is a project that is connected to my African roots – Larry Ginni Crescent is the name of the street I lived on as a child back in Lagos, but it’s also deeply sentimental for me and it is dedicated to my grandmother who passed away from COVID late last year. As a proud Nigerian, I have always loved my heritage, from the food and the language to the music and the culture, and afrobeats is one of the branches on the Nigerian tree that’s rooted in the diaspora.”
He goes on to add, “This project has been something I’ve wanted to do for a while and the lockdown opened the door for that. I got to collaborate with two special Nigerian producers, TBabz and SteveRawd, as well as my long-time collaborator GP. Not only am I a Nigerian but I am also a Christian and that comes out in this project. So ‘Larry Ginni Crescent’ can be described as deeply Christian and deeply Nigerian. From the songs about faith to songs about love, everything connects to this one point – all that we do, all that we experience, can be used for our art. I hope it moves you.”
The new EP follows on the heels of his previous album, Augustine’s Legacy, which amassed more than 16 million streams on Spotify and received features in prominent media outlets.
Since his debut mixtape, 5 Solas, S.O. has collected over 40 million streams and performed for SRO audiences in the U.S., Europe, and Africa. His music has charted in the Top 10 of Billboard’s Heatseekers, as well as the Top 30 on Billboard’s Rap album chart and Billboard’s Christian album chart.
Comprising seven tracks, the EP begins with “Prosper,” opening on gleaming, swirling colors flowing into a delicious afropop tune with hints of reggae running through it. Highlights include “Corner (O Ti De).
a contagious track displaying head-bopping dynamics topped by S.O.’s rapping flow, relating who has his back.
“No babalawo in my corner / Just God putting things in order.”
A personal favorite, “Kinda Love” rolls out on delicious textures of afropop revealing S.O.’s intense love for his wife. The bouncy, plush rhythm imbues the tune with luscious savors as lustrous tonal accents add gleaming sonic filaments.
The final track, “Wonder” travels on an alluring rhythm as S.O. dishes out his supple, tight flow. The infectious, percolating rhythm exhibits tangs of Latin flavors merged with scrummy afro-pop layers.
Larry Ginni Crescent is an impressive EP, brimming with energizing momentum, riding the irresistible thrum and dynamics inherent in afropop.
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