I’ve been waiting to write this article for nearly two years. Philadelphia born Jasmine Solano is probably the best of the crew of multi-talented divas from Brooklyn of the hipster generation. I figured this out when I saw her as the lone female artist playing to the most frightening of testosterone, punk rock and prone to acts of violence related crowds, those of the Newmore Switchblades crew, meaning Ninjasonik, The Death Set, Cerebral Ballzy and Team Robespierre. Solano’s set, though about five or six songs long, was an oasis of talent and clear lyricism, but infused with a take no prisoners attitude that showed that she clearly belonged on the billing. She’s not a dance diva who culls her fashion sense from the film Xanadu, or a singer with a paper thin voice dependent upon autotune. Her road to stardom has been comparatively a long, hard and winding one, as in deciding to gain credibility at each and every necessary stop, now she’s finally reached the finish, armed and prepared with all of the necessary co-signs she needs to be a top artist.
Solano’s a rapper and DJ. Well, she isn’t *JUST* a rapper, and she isn’t *JUST* a DJ. She’s rapped at Miami’s Winter Music Conference, Lyricist Lounge, Rock The Bells and MySpace Music Shows. She’s opened for Ghostface Killah, Rakim, The Clipse and Sean Kingston. As well, she’s toured with one of the most underrated producers in hip hop, Chuck Inglish of the Cool Kids, and most recently was none other than Wiz Khalifa’s DJ on the “Deal Or No Deal Tour” performing and DJing for 60 sold out nationwide dates. Solano’s just not a pretty girl with a bundle of talent. She’s a developing artist with a plethora of gifts that show her prepared to have a long, consistent and certainly successful career.
The cause of all of this hubub? Her debut single, “That’s Not It.” It’s the highlight of her set, and with on point and cute lyrics, the minimalist track still packs an old school “suckas need bodyguards” punch, and is a throwback to the days of Roxanne Shante. Philadelphia independent filmmaker Va$htie directed the new video for “That’s Not It,” and like most Brooklynite clips, features a ton of people you already know, or if you want to get an underground cool pass, probably should. After all of the success has built to a roar from the underground, Jasmine Solano has arrived, and she’s clearly getting comfortable and staying around for awhile.
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