H2O Soul

From Hyde Park Herald July 16 2008. By Daschell M. Phillips

Alternative hip-hop group H2O Soul is scheduled to perform at the PHLI Block Party in Harper Court on July 26. PHLI, which is a backwards acronym for "I Love Hyde Park," is an urban apparel and shoe store located at 5410 S. Harper Court.

"The event is all about the store--people can come in and check out our merchandise," said Gideon Rice, store manager at PHLI. "There will be graffiti painters, open mic for rappers as well as professional entertainers. In the past we've had artist like Keith Murray, Rhymfest and Kanye West and there will be food so we want people to come out dance, eat and shop.

In addition to performing, H2O Soul wil also spread the word to the community about living "green." "We are past help," said Sunn Child, one-third of the group."The earth is not going to continue to take all of our abuse."

The group, whose members reside in Bronzeville, has decided to decrease their carbon footprint by implementing a "green" marketing initiative. To kick off their commitment to conservation the group has decided they will no longer sell CDs. "Just like we went from records to tapes and tapes to CDs, getting music through digital downloads is the next transition," said MPLI, whose name means More Positively Less Ignorance. "We are not afraid to shed CDs first."

According to the Recording Industry Association of America's 2007 consumer profile report, CD sales dipped from 85.6 percent to about 821.6 percent and digital download sales rose from 6.7 percent to 11.2 percent between 2006 and 2007. Industry reports such as this one give the group confidence that they are trailblazers on an inevitable path.

H2O Soul met during their undergraduate years at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill. and formed an on-campus student organization called the Hip-Hop Organization or H2O in 2003 before officially forming their group a few years later. The group has decided to sell their music by digital download to conserve plastic and other materials that are used to create and store CDs and lower the cost to consumers. The group will sell download cards that are made out of recycled materials and allow their fans to download H2O Soul' music from the Internet. "For most people it's been a long time since they've bought a CD," said MPLI. "If they recently bought one it's been a long time before that and there are only certain entertainers that will make people get in their cars and go to the store to buy a CD."

H2O Soul's marketing materials such as flyers, hats and t-shirts will also be made out of environmentally friendly materials. The group is also creating a Web site that will have a section dedicated to "green" ideas and facts. The group is also looking for socially responsible vendors to help them launch their "green" initiative. "We are definitely open to endorsements and sponsorships to help us get the word out," said Clever. "We love giving back to the earth."

H2O Soul's downloadable music is currently available on iTunes and Amazon.com, and download cards are available at any H2O event or performance. The PHLI Block party will be held from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. in Harper Court. - Hyde Park Herald

H2O Soul is a hip hop/rock hybrid trio outta Chicago and they lead off this new music post with a fresh track called "Burn". The trio is made up of Cleva, MPLI, and Sunchild and each perform a verse over the backing of a full rock band that defines the sound of their album, Class Is In. The end result is somethin' that fans of BOTH hip hop and rock would appreciate as H2O Soul is reminiscent of similar hybrid groups like The Roots and The Fugees. H2O Soul is just another example of how much fresh and unique talent is comin' outta Chicago, further illustrating the city's diverse music scene. And BT-Dub, was that a Judy Winslow (Family Matters, c'mon!) reference in the 3rd verse? Yeah, you're gonna wanna check this one out people. - Chicago Now

July 22, 2010
H2O Soul revitalizes Chicago’s Thirst for Thought provoking Hip Hop with a feature in the Chicago Tribune’s Red Eye

“Music is in need of some therapy, H2o Souls music brings peace of mind to those searching for a mental journey.”

Chicago, Illinois, Thursday July 22nd, 2010 : Kyra Kyles of the Chicago Red Eye and Chicago Now hosted a musical competition recently that featured H2o Souls underground hit ‘One Two’. Mpli of the group described the song as a track that “revisited I Used to Love Her by Common where One and Two represents different viewpoints. By highlighting how our style and hip hop are at a disagreement, the group talks about the dichotomy about feelings with a certain wave length in comparison to the current status of hip hop. “

When asked how the group embarked on the competition it was revealed that group member Cleva saw a tweet about the contest and felt that it was a great opportunity that the band should participate in. The song One Two was chosen based upon research of previous competitions represented earlier during the duration of the challenge. By reaching into the catalog to focus on a song that deserves the exposure that this musical battle.

Upcoming events for the group:

NIU- Reunion Showcase entitled as the “School of Thought” which is being organized by Q Billah and will feature esteemed acts that developed during the educational arena of the institution.

H2o Soul is currently developing a Word of Mouth tour that promotes the evolution of the music industry as it embraces the green movement. “We are currently looking for other acts of high moral and talent that believe in supporting the cause. We have not solidified sponsorship for this TOUR” mentioned group member Sunnceasar.

You can catch H2o Soul kicking off the new Phinal Thursdays at Red Kiva brought to you by Phli on behalf of Chicago’s own Dave Jeff.

Past Accomplishments

Opening act for The Roots, Kanye West and Performed with Naledge of Kids in the Hall

Signed to Amp records devised by Columbia College and served as the 1st hip hop act within ten years to diversify the artist roaster.

Mentored by Slim Kid Trey from the Pharsyde.

To schedule interviews and or performance segments please contact Jessica LaShawn
Publicist Jessica LaShawn
Email: J.LaShawn@gmail.com
Mobile: 773-220-9708 - Hip Hop Press

Thursday, 20 September 2007
H2O Soul


H2O was formed in 2003 by 6 students who attended Northern Illinois University.
“The purpose was to bring order to the scattered Hip Hop talent existing on NIU's campus for the goal of cultivating creative energy for entertainment and educational initiatives” - H2O Soul Originally called H2O - Hip Hop Organization, the remaining three founders; Clever, MPLI and SunChild later changed the name to H2O Soul to differentiate themselves
“The new name has since taken on new meaning as H2O and Soul are synonymous in a sense, water is the soul of the earth” - H2O Soul
Describing their sound as Hip Hop Soul, H2O get a lot of their inspiration not just from Hip Hop and R&B, but also surprisingly, Rock, Classical and Soul
“Our music tastes are all over the place, it makes for an interesting end product” - H2O Soul
When asked what made them so unique H2O Soul replied:
“Our 3 personalities, our chemistry together on record, on stage, and with our band. Our message gets processed every time through three points-of-view. You're bound to agree with one of us. Even if you don't you have to respect us, because we are true musicians”
H2O are bringing back ‘good music’ and through their creativity they are well on their way to achieving their goal of a Grammy nomination by 2009
“We are part of a movement to raise the bar. The past few years, many sub par acts have made it through the gate, we want to make them think twice about their career choice as well as inspire young and fresh minds to continue to make great music” H2O Soul
H2O Souls debut album 'Essential' is available now on iTunes.

For more info on H2O Soul go to:

www.h2osoul.com/
www.myspace.com/pureh2omusic
www.sonicbids.com/h2osoul
www.redlineconnexion.net/

Posted by FU at 18:02 0 comments

Labels: Bands, H2O Soul, Rappers - Fabulous and Undiscovered (www.f-u-baby.blogspot.com)

H2O SOUL:THE MOST NECESSARY ELEMENT IN HIP-HOP
By Chad Woodson
H.A.S. Magazine
Photographed by Zakiya Johnson, exclusively for H.A.S.

Nas says it’s dead; Lil Wayne has changed his name to hip-hop and Kanye West is the self-proclaimed Savior of hip-hop. Whether hip-hop is dead or if Lil Wayne and Kanye can save it is debatable. However, one thing we can all agree on is that hip-hop is most definitely in a state of emergency.

Everywhere you look there are traces of hip-hop whether it’s a McDonald’s commercial, a Chevy ad, or just a new emcee on the scene. Even with all the attention, hip-hop can’t shake its negative image. So what’s missing? What’s missing is the element of story telling and actually having something say over an ill-ass track. Luckily, the trio of Clever, MPLI and SunChild, who make up the much needed hip-hop group H2O Soul, answered that and other questions as we politicked in their Chicago studio.

From the moment I met them, it was apparent that H2O Soul was eager to introduce themselves to the world of hip-hop at large, defend the misconception of Chicago artists and keep reppin’ Chi-city to the fullest.

It’s no secret that often times Chicago gets labeled, “the city of hella haters” and that many of its artists get seen as being disloyal to the city when they venture outside of Chicago to find success in the music industry. Clever, the lady of the trio, explains that, “It’s so hard for Chicago artists to get into the music industry and to be successful.” She laughs but is serious when she says, “It’s like we need a green card just to get in the industry. So support the artists.”

MPLI, pronounced imply, which is an acronym for More Positivity Less Ignorance, says the blame cannot be solely on the artists; the audience has to share the responsibility. A “perfect example is when we performed a few times at the Spoken Word Cafe in Chicago. The promoters were telling us that the people really loved us, but when we performed there, we didn’t necessarily feel the love...Chicago has mastered the art of ice grillin!” Common and the Da Brat have most noticeably received bad wraps in the past for not representing Chicago, but MPLI points out, “if you listen to their music you can’t escape Chicago.” They all agree that the cold shoulder is not always the case and SunChild admits, “We get a lot of love and people respect our music. It’s kind of like gospel singers on Apollo. You can’t really boo somebody that’s singing gospel, you can only respect it. And people respect our music.”

Of course I had to ask the inevitable question regarding the current state of hip-hop when SunChild spoke out. “I don’t want to say it’s going to a good place but I think that hip-hop –I won’t say needs to be in it’s place-- but it does need a balance. You can’t have one side without the other.” Nods from all around in full agreement.

I know that you may or may not know H2O Soul, but their music is a must hear. They speak on topics that are often ignored and do it in such a way that you are still entertained and can enjoy the music. As Cleva explained, it can be hard for artists in Chicago to get into the music industry, so you have to work hard. Often times you have to do everything yourself, which means production, distribution, booking and everything else that goes along with it. Their hard work has paid off and they have even opened for artists such as the Roots.

This is just the beginning for H2O Soul so naturally I wanted to know what was in their future. Sun blurts, “Grammy’s,” while MPLI sees more because, “they gonna have to make up a new award for us "cause we trying to go past the Grammy’s. We got goals and ambitions that keep changing!”

Listen to H2O Soul and purchase the album at: www.myspace.com/pureh2omusic - H.A.S. Magazine