Meet local rapper Ivy Sole, stream her new East EP

Penn graduate and Charlotte, NC transplant Ivy Sole is setting her musical roots firmly in Philadelphia with the release of her East EP, a sophomore follow-up to last year’s Eden full-length debut. The rapper / songwriter has an explosive but completely cool sound that seamlessly blends classic tones with contemporary production and sampling, peppering orchestral accents, archival audio clips, and shout outs to memories of growing up throughout the six track album.

Sole’s style is also anchored by a really poetic approach to lyrics. A passage in “Deep” that just keeps pulling you back in begins “I think I’m in love with the rain / that’s falling and falling and failing to bring / all this life that it promised the life I was promised / I’m crying for solace and crying for you….” This very novelesque imagery follows the understated cinematic soulfulness of the title track, which subtly centers on an super smooth piano line beneath a grittier mix of electronic samples and name drops Ella Fitzgerald (always a good move).

East includes production by Kam DeLa and Moods; listen to the EP below and check out a new video for Eden standout “Dream Girl.” Stay tuned for some local show dates.