Harn SOLO

Back with an intergalactic theme, Denver based MC Harn SOLO returns with "Another Galaxy". Teaming up with four talented producers Prospek (showcasing shades of the El-P sound), Billy Topps, DJ Yamin (who gets extra props for the scratches) and Fig 8. Harn transports the listener into an alternative "Solar System".


Normally with multiple producers, a release runs the risk of being disjointed but "Galaxy" avoids that pitfall. Still bearing marks of a Southern style flow from his time in NOLA, Solo reflects more maturity and confidence (as he says, "failure is not an option" on highlight "Talk Show") with sophisticated word play. 420 lovers with love the references sprinkled throughout as Mary Jane clearly inspires.

Dropped perfectly as the weather warms, there are several joints like "The Product", "No Mercy" and "Ozone" (which has a Run the Jewels feel) that beg for the "bump and roll down windown" treatment. Solo interestingly ends the album on a throwback tip with "Running Wild". If Harn's goal was to reflect growth and push himself "even further", mission accomplished. - Music Emissions

Also known as Michael Harney, this 28-year-old white hip hop artist is making a name for himself in the New Orleans music industry. Solo says he chose the stage name Harn Solo not to be linked with the Stars Wars movie, but rather to identify his musical creativity and presence as being “one and only.”

Solo loves the New Orleans hip hop music scene, describing it as a “diverse gumbo pot, consisting of many different styles and incorporating solo artists, group artists, white artists, black artists, female artists, gangster rappers, and underground rappers.”

The musician also is passionate about the New Orleans community and its people, a love distinctly illustrated in his lyrics and the local images that are depicted in his music videos. Clearly, he seems to have found his soul in the Crescent City.

Solo was drawn to the city 8 ½ years ago, after living in Arizona, Colorado and California, because of an interest in working in the tourism industry. Without formal training in singing, songwriting, or music education, he also decided to pursue his dream of becoming a music recording artist by emulating other hip hop artists whom he admired.

He began rapping at age 20, which is considered late in the game by music industry standards. Solo currently manages his own music career while working as a waiter at Mr. B’s Restaurant in the French Quarter. Not only does he enjoy singing freestyle rap and performing on stage and in online music videos, but he also enjoys connecting with visitors and locals.

Today, Solo frequently appears at venues in the New Orleans area and is set to release his fifth independent album, Reaching Higher, featuring a hyper-charged electronic soundtrack. The album will also feature appearances by other New Orleans hip hop artists.

Solo reports that he has drawn strength and garnered a great deal of support by participating in local social and professional networks that share his love of hip-hop music and the city.

He works with many other local hip-hop artists, too, whom he refers to as his “crew.” Resources such as WeArePSP Studios, Inner Recess, Traffic Boutique, and Ollie on Freret Street Skate Shop are some of the sponsors that help promote Solo’s live shows and online music, as well as distribute his graphic stickers and tee-shirts. In turn, Solo mentors younger hip-hop artists in New Orleans, as a way of giving back to the community.

“I am inspired most by the passion within the New Orleans music scene and the positivity out there,” says Solo, who adds that he is not motivated by “national cats or any people that are big headliners around the world.”

“The people around me are my inspiration. I have a nice community of artists here, so it’s really the people in my life who have inspired me, not someone that I see on TV.” - Nola.com (New Orleans Paper)

A true wordsmith, Harn SOLO’s lyrical acumen has been heralded on the pages of The Greener Side of Hip Hop for almost two years now and this is where he has been dubbed the “Fearless Leader of the Star Wars Lyrical Dojo”. With his often picturesque and colorful lyrics Harn SOLO is not one to back down from his stake as a veteran emcee in this hip hop game – a quality that is often expressed in his lyrics and one that I actually admire. Harn SOLO, The Greener Side of Hip Hop salutes you as today’s #eMceeCrushMonday!! - The Greener Side of Hip Hop

Harn SOLO dropped this as his recent single and now we get the video treatment for it. “Nobody Else” sees Harn training and in the gym while also recording the track in his studio. The video serves as a reminder that nobody is going to do anything for you and that to get what you want, you have to go out and get it on your own. Check out his latest video after the break and look for Another Galaxy later this year. - Joe Hova's Mindframe

Today the music community is constantly growing as young musicians and producers enter the scene every day. However, people tend to forget about the people who have been in the industry for a while; the people that go to work everyday making music and pursuing their dreams; the people that get slept on. These people definitely deserve some attention and love, and I’m here to help you discover these talented artists.

These two guys have been rapping for close to a combined 40 years and have not let up their quality of music. Today I present you with Harn SOLO and Caliobzvr and their upcoming collaborative EP, The Experiment.

Solo is from Phoenix, Arizona and has been creating music for about ten years now. Caliobzvr on the other hand, grew up in Los Angeles, California and has been rapping since 1985. They first crossed paths about five years ago in New Orleans through mutual producer, Pro Prospek, and started making music together - the product is quite unique.

In an IXclusive interview with Solo and Caliobzvr, they told me that they look up to musicians who are “super lyrical” – whose “content was something an every day man could relate with.” That’s something that they strive for and definitely produce with their music. They are technical and dark with their productions. They combine clever lyrics with unique production. They have been compared to Swollen Members (Prevail & Madchild) and Bad Meets Evil (Eminem & Royce Da 5’9).

Their upcoming EP is exactly what it is – an experiment. Different types of flow and lyrics are used; the beats are like something you’ve never heard of before – futuristic and progressive. There are motivational songs like “The Rap Race” and “Wasted Talent” as Solo and Caliobzvr encourage each other, as well as the listener, to be successful and pursue the artistic dreams one may have. Their single, “The Rap Race” was featured in our #HipHopShuffle a few weeks back.

Harn Solo and Caliobzvr represent a different side of the music industry that don’t get written about or talked about enough. In a time when it seems like so many people are trying to get famous, Solo and Caliobzvr focus on lyrics and the actual music, rather than radio play and fame. They enjoy the writing process and the relaxing feeling that music brings them; they get satisfaction when other people and musicians enjoy their music; they genuinely love music and have been working hard at it for a very long time and that’s something I think everyone can respect. - IX Daily

Harn Solo is a New Orleans emcee that is well traveled. his new album “Journey To The Sky” was released early 2013, and is sample-free with live instrumentation from New Orleans musicians – Pro Prospek and Coco Dank. He was kind enough to take some time to discuss what hip hop means to him. Follow him on twitter @HarnSolo and you can catch some vids after the jump as well.

“I’m a hip-hop fan that grew up in the “Golden Era” of rap. So to quote Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest, “Hip-Hop is a way of life”.

I’ve dedicated the past few years of my life to hip-hop, working hard to become a full-time touring musician. So every day I wake up I’m thinking, “How can my hip-hop / interview skills get me to the next level?”

I’ve been highly successful performing underground shows in the Southcoast region in Texas, Louisiana and Georgia. Since moving from the West my music style has improved dramatically. Attending live shows, performing at showcases and radio interviews (WTUL x KLSU x 790AM Houston – Sports Rapp Live) have all shaped my hip-hop character – Harn SOLO.

Staying true to myself and individuality, I chose a name that would represent my unique artistic expression – SOLO. My real name is Michael Harney. So growing up all my friends called me, “Harn”. I also figured there was a familiar play on the Star Wars character, which can be found in the imagery of my spaced out raps.

Hip-Hop expresses my positive energy, with an alternative perspective gained from my travels around the world. I grew up in Phoenix, AZ attending shows from West coast acts like Hieroglyphics and Living Legends on regular basis. I also went to college at Colorado State University and hit a number of performances with Atmosphere, Sage Francis, Eyedea and Talib Kweli that were influential to me becoming a hip-hop artist.

My first album, “Solo 101? was recorded in Vancouver, Canada with producer Stylust Beats. I met him in San Diego while checking out a Living Legends show, and we made plans to later record by debut project over school break.

I’ve since created eight albums over eight years, traveling from Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, Texas, Georgia, The Netherlands and United Kingdom.

Hip-hop has guided me on spiritual journey, giving me confidence that I have the ability to become a full-time musician and make a living off my passion.

Helping to validate my hip-hop cause, Louisiana music source Offbeat Magazine reviewed my latest album – Journey To The Sky, saying “Harn Solo is a rapper first, and his penchant for speedy bars at a head-rattling pace at unexpected times makes every verse on his (inter)stellar album an enthralling listen”.” – Harn Solo - Da What Is Hip-Hop?

With his producers Crescent Kingz and Prospek, the articulate, intellectual New Orleans artist Harn Solo delivers tunes like the jazzy reggae-infused "Louis Armstrong" that are chockful of great samples and witty word play - perfect for the college rap / intellectual fan. This is hooky, perfectionist, smart, somewhat nerdy, even mathematical hip-hop that likes to play with treble/bass dynamics, as in "The Future". While the artist has a tendency to stick to a formula from song to song, his tracks possess moments of stunning work. - Music Connection

Harn SOLO, hip-hop artist from New Orleans, was a guest on the March 18, 2013 episode of Underground Sounds. He spoke about his music, collaborations and upcoming shows. - Interview by Matt Bruce - 91.1 KLSU FM

Lyriqs Da Lyraciss has teamed up with fellow New Orleans native Harn SOLO to release this collaboration album The Grind. The 12 track project from the up & coming duo of SOLO & Lyriqs features guest appearances by Lyrikill & Jakie Skellz with the majority of production handled by Prospek. - Kevin Nottingham

Hip-hop’s fascination with outer space has been well documented to the point where rapper aliens have become a worn-out trope. MCs really have to go the extra creative mile to avoid the space-voyaging clichés. That’s where Harn Solo comes in. Journey to the Sky is more than just bloated space raps. Solo constructs an album that brings the moon’s surface right down to Frenchmen Street—one sonic foot in a fresh pair of Nikes and another in NASA space boots.

Solo’s dual citizenship is apparent on the aptly titled “Star Status,” where he shifts from a cruising flow to a double-time delivery fast enough to keep up with the Millennium Falcon. His calling card is his patented unmistakable low growl, a voice that guides the album’s narrative. Solo has an uncanny ability to ride the beat with his melodies, as evident on tracks such as “Time Machine.” The hook sticks in your head and refuses to leave. Actually, the highlights of Journey to the Sky come from the addictive melodies that beg for you to hit rewind.

But let’s not get it twisted: Harn Solo is a rapper first, and his penchant for speedy bars at a head-rattling pace at unexpected times makes every verse on his (inter)stellar album an enthralling listen. - OffBeat Magazine

This is up and coming rapper Harn Solo. An energetic and entertaining rapper with a unique rapping style. His artistically produced beats are sure to keep you interested as well. Harn Solo is definitely in a category of his own. He has a total of 10 songs on the album. However, there are four tracks (So Cold, A-plus, Iron Lion, Jesus Piece, Wild Style, Star Gazing) that are not playable on the air. Two of best songs off the album are Perfect Picture & A-Plus. This New Orleans rapper has truly found his niche in hip-hop and hopefully continues on with it. Similar artists are: Phonte, The Foreign Exchange, Clipse ?uestlove and The Roots. - KAMP Student Radio