(S)ound (O)f (S)omething (O)ut (O)f (N)othing

Meet the Man, Know the Artist, Call him KING… So Soon

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SoSoon is an emcee and songwriter dedicated to utilizing the medium of hip-hop to create an indelible cultural experience for his listeners. His stage name is an acronym that harkens to the conditions under which hip-hop music was created: the Sound Of Something Out Of Nothing.

SoSoon’s creative philosophy, “The Nieuw New Yorke,” seeks to fill the gap between the two extremes at which most emcees direct their focus: the realities and perils of living in a state of poverty, and a life of excessive wealth. The multifaceted artist conceptualized this new way of thinking after noticing a decline in not only the presence New York presents in the mainstream, but a lack of innovation amongst New York artists. Not only is SoSoon a product of hip-hop culture and its birthplace, having studied Africana and Latino Studies at CUNY Hunter College, he has a thorough understanding of both the art form, its origins, and the history of Africans in America.

Compelled by his college studies and a genuine desire to give back to the community that shaped him, SoSoon became a member of the Blackout Arts Collective, a cultural non-profit that utilized art as a vehicle for social justice. In 2003, he performed at Rikers Island as part of the Lyrics on Lockdown tour, which became a turning point in his artistry. As he became a known staple in the underground hip-hop scene and New York City’s spoken word circuit, he was eventually compelled to extend his reach beyond the stage to engage young people as a teaching artist. In 2011, SoSoon was hired as the coordinator for Find Your Passions, an arts based after-school program at Harlem Village Academies that provides middle school students the opportunity to explore their creativity through writing, dance, acting, and visual art. Since then, he has volunteered to facilitate writing and performance workshops with middle and high school students in after-school programs in Queens, Harlem and the Bronx.

In 2010, SoSoon released his first independent album, The Bandwagon: Director’s Cut. The 12 track journey through New York City is filled with a mixture of Soon’s personal stories and the often overlooked lives of working class New Yorkers. He was a finalist in the Battle of the Boroughs: Queens in 2011, and the show’s only solo hip-hop act. SoSoon was featured on the album On the Move: Sounds Inspired by Mumia Abu-Jamaal, alongside Public Enemy, Abiodun Oyewole of the Last Poets, Living Colour, Maya Azucena, Immortal Technique, and Hasan Salaam.

In 2011, SoSoon hosted a 12-week residency at Gizzi’s Café in Greenwich Village, providing an environment that explored his own offerings in nuanced detail, taking questions from the audience regarding artistic process, and curating an eclectic mix of featured performers. His guests included live bands, emcees, vocalists, musicians, and poets. During this same time period, he became the co-host of The Urban View, a weekly internet-based talk show that covers politics, entertainment gossip every Tuesday from 7-9pm on www.urbanmediatv.com.

Throughout his twelve-year career, SoSoon has performed at some of New York City’s most popular venues, including SOB’s, Public Assembly, Southpaw, Santos Party House, the Nuyorican Poets Café, Bowery Poetry Club, the Rebel Diaz Arts Collective, Afrikan Poetry Theatre, and Sapphire Lounge. Aside from gracing multiple stages in the NYC Metro area, he has also performed in Vermont, Connecticut and the District of Columbia, and has opened for artists including M.O.P., Dead Prez, Saigon, Bazaar Royale and Game Rebellion. His witty lyricism, storytelling capabilities and stage presence has caught the attention of media outlets such as The Source, SOHH.com and Legends Radio.

Currently, SoSoon is teaching a self developed curriculum called #SampleSundays. Initially developed as a means of self education of the use of sampling in Hip-Hop music, SoSoon ultimately realized that he could use the knowledge to:

1. Help students understand how our interaction with and consumption of music has changed primarily because of advances in technology.

2. To gain a better understanding of the history of Hip-Hop music and its role in the overall culture.

3. To understand the role of sampling as a tool to create production.

4. To understand why the idea of sampling shows an unfathomable level of innovation and ingenuity, contrary to popular belief.

5. To be able to identify different types of samples.

6. To study other genres of music that have influenced Hip-Hop.

7. To bridge the generational gap and find common ground in the musical styles, thus ending the vicious cycle of older generations chastising younger generations for their music choices.

Through his art, SoSoon seeks to entertain, educate, and chart a course through the diversity of experiences that comprise urban life, peeling away the glamour of both the ghetto and celebrity life to uncover what it is really like to live in New York.