Local hip-hop act Solillaquists of Sound had their album release party for their new record “The 4th Wall: Part 2” at The Social in downtown Orlando on Saturday.The new album completes The Listeners Trilogy, which consists of their last two albums, As If We Never Existed (2006) and No More Heroes (2008) and their newest two part release The 4th Wall.

The group having only formed in 2002, quickly became Orlando’s premier hip-hop group, winning Orlando Weekly’s best hip-hop act nine years in a row. With their innovative mastermind behind the electronic drum machines Glen ‘Divinci’ Valencia Jr., the legendary MC Asaan ’Swamburger’ Brooks, Alexandrah Sarton on vocals, and Tonya Combs as the poet, they obliterated the scene and reshaped what the Orlando music scene was all about.

This new release was rumored to be the end of Solillaquists of Sound, but that night, we learned that it was only the beginning of something new.

The Solillaquists have always had a special connection with their fan base, so they wanted to make sure this ending to an era was something to be
remembered.

Divinci stood alone on stage, wearing a black velvet cape and hood. After a few moment of silence, he starts to play a beat on his MPC and immediately creates a beat everyone in the packed room could groove to. After a few bars, he is joined on stage by two matching Pacific Islander war drummers who play along to his beat. The crowd goes wild with excitement. Then the three remaining Solillaquists, along with two more back-up singers, adorned with cape and hood, all enter the stage just as the beat drops. This intense moment of music and entertainment set the stage for the amazing set to come.

Song after song, they performed impeccably, mixing in the new release with old favorites that the crowd all knew and sang along to. Obviously having a time of their life, the group showed how much effort and work they put into their music while at the same time can absolutely love what they do.

Songs were interrupted by Divinci’s incredible solo breaks where he played up to three MPCs at the same time, and even incorporated playing with his nose or even his feet. At one point the group’s connection with the fans reached its climax when Swam burger jumped off the stage into the pit to rap and dance with the people that brought him to where he was now.

After their last song each member took a moment to thank their fans for their love and support. And finally, Divinci took the microphone and said his thank you to everyone that supported them. Emotions filled the room when he choked up discussing how “the Solillaquists that we know now are done…forever.”

However the night was ended on an uplifting note when he stated that the group will be entering a new era known as “SoS Afterlife” and will be more in touch with the fans and would be releasing a new album every four months.

The Solillaquists were supported by local acts who are commonly associated with the group. Producer and DJ Beef Wellington opened up, followed by DJ/MC duo, turntable master DJ SPS and Latina rapper E-Turn. Well known artist and close friend of Swamburger, Blueprint also took the stage performing his unique niche of hip-hop. Wielding a mini-Keytar, he rocked out a solo in the middle of his set.