24-year old Slendo is an emerging Hip-hop artist and rapper from Chattanooga, TN. He has been engaged in the production elements of his artistry as well as beat making for the past seven years and taking his talents to the microphone for three.
Heavily influenced by artists and sounds from the past and present, Slendo can often be heard utilizing his inspiration from staple creatives like Bob Marley, Jay-Z, Kanye West, to newer rappers like Lil Uzi Vert, Juice Wrld, Future, Young Thug, and more. With a number of singles and project releases that have been out for the past two years, Slendo can be heard using music as a form of expression and escape from personal struggles and world issues.
Giving his fan base a taste of his flourishing skill set, Slendo is fresh off the release of his second solo album, 'All Roads Lead to Hollywood.' Taking listeners through his trials, tribulations, and highs on his long road to success in the music industry, aka his journey to Hollywood, Slendo can be heard collaborating with producers Mercurial, BamBam, WeCallEmDre, and MarcoFlowlo to deliver the desired sound the eleven-track album deserves.
Kicking off the project with the introductory single “Road 2 Hollywood,” Slendo can be heard exercising his techniques over ominous instrumentation that features beguiling Trap-inspired drums to set the punchy tone of 'All Roads Lead to Hollywood.' Expressing the various obstacles he encounters on the road to Hollywood, the lyrical dexterity radiated by Slendo breaks the scale of wordplay. The pop-culture references, especially regarding Lebron James, have us immediately hooked on the various sides of Slendo we’ll be introduced to on this project as he raps with a hunger in his voice, ready to be launched to newfound dimensions of the genre.
As we take the tempo down and immerse ourselves in a more melodic escape of Slendo’s lyrical soundscapes, “Sunken Ave,” has us swaying to an almost dark and ethereal atmosphere locked into the musical components heard. As Slendo writes this open letter to his audience, each word brought to the surface reflects how he balanced all the ache, disturbance, and dramatics in his life before making it to Hollywood. ‘I get high as hell, ‘cause I don't like lows,’ is the lyrical motif that has us deep in our thoughts as Slendo speaks about numbing the pain with vices. Racking in a medley of thoughts, the emotive expressions allow us to feel for him as an individual separate from the music.
“Who to Blame?” is the third song featured on 'All Roads Lead to Hollywood,' and it follows
suit after “Sunken Ave.” With the vocal performance falling into a more blatant delivery that is structured with textured distortion through the copious layers in the record, Slendo is clearly searching for answers for the culprit of his consequences in “Who to Blame?.” Allowing himself to get intimate with the words he shares in his rich exploration of retorts, Slendo shares the vulnerable spectrum of his artistry that makes us relate to him as a human being at the end of the day.
As we begin to enter a more vibrant and upbeat countenance of heavy-hitting energy, “Scarred (Razr Sharp),” actually plays off of the outro in “Who to Blame?” as the seamless execution allows us to commit to the energetic essence of this track that much more. Dipping into the narrative of betrayal, dishonesty, and being scarred by those around him on his road to success, Slendo passionately raps about keeping his eye on the prize with a razor-sharp focus. Pouring everything he has left in him into this single track, we hear the versatility thriving as the impact leaves us with a message we can all relate to.
The only song with a feature sits at number five on the tracklist, and that song is “Rancho Cucamonga.” Buoyant instrumentation nods to a futuristic universe that still relies heavily on the bass, however, the contrast of mid-high to high-frequency elements gives this record a certain stand-out feel. Enlisting the talents of LilBrian1K, you can expect to be captivated by the unmatched dynamism these two artists emit in this song. Swimming in the sea of new wave Hip-hop, we’re ready to plunge into that optimistic vibrations as this dynamic duo tackles the beat in a chronicle of living it up and having a good time in Hollywood.
As we fade off the high of “Rancho Cucamonga,” we enter another dark realm of mid-tempo instrumentation that pulls us into the sounds of “Venice.” Laidback with spellbinding descants yet remaining unmatched in swagger, you can’t help but pick up on the West Coast embodiment that lies in the aura of “Venice.” As Slendo raps about his desires to escape to Hollywood for superstardom, listeners can transport themselves to the spirit of bolstering comfort that reigns from the beachy vibrations produced in this record.
The lead single to be released off of 'All Roads Lead to Hollywood,' remains in the unforgettable melodies of “100 Roundz.” Although slower in tempo with a beat that plays upon lush guitar ruffs and timely percussion, that doesn’t mean that this track doesn’t go hard. Mesmerizing with the tonal distinction that Slendo uses to articulate his carefully crafted verses, we get taken into a hook that is near impossible to get off your mind. Capturing the ultimate hit with the signature trademarks used to craft such a bop, we suggest listening to this track with the windows down as you hit the freeway.
Approaching the mystery that is weaved into the cognizant resonance of “Lately,” we are exposed to Slendo looking back at his life from a shifted perspective than the one that was offered up earlier in 'All Roads Lead to Hollywood.' Gripping onto the emotion he holds with himself, you hear the emotive hues of Slendo peek through each word powerfully executed. Flowing his outlook to themes of positivity backed an illuminating essence, Slendo hints towards wanting to grow from what no longer serves him, so he can make room for what does.
“Side Feelings,” is a striking combination of distorted piano keys accompanying reverberated guitar riffs for an all-out ballad that delves into the multiple problems Slendo has encountered with women throughout his lifetime. Learning how to put a reserve on the feelings in him that arise, we hear the implementation of an intimate performance pressed with melodic timbres that are matched with perfectly timed delay throws. Filling the spatial ratios of this piece, Slendo gets up close and personal with his vocal talents as he dominates the superlative narrative of love and loss through adoration.
Communicating the journey of his life through a perspective lens, “Broke N*gga Dreams,” depicts a vivid showcase of just how far Slendo has made it through his own perseverance. Though reflecting on his success the lyrics reflect the continuous expedition it takes to get to the top and with a set of goals and ambitions as large as Slendo, we have no doubt that he will conquer all to get there. Doing so in a manner that echoes his virtuoso with an effervescent framework to structure the themes heard, we feel a sense of full-circle accomplishment as we near the end of 'All Roads Lead to Hollywood.'
Taking us to the final song on this album, the suitably titled “Outro,” unravels each of Slendo’s talents in a triumphant way that establishes his name. Heavy on his lyrical dexterity as he sweeps cadences under the rug, this final puzzle piece of a song acts as a thank you to his bourgeoning tale. Rich in experience and the lessons learned through his voyage thus far, Slendo confesses the lengths he’ll go to elevate. Thriving on his road to success, we feel the extent that we know Slendo as an artist and individual speaks wonders.
Hello Slendo, thank you for joining us at BuzzMusic, and congratulations on the release of 'All Roads Lead to Hollywood.' We love the various perspectives you deliver through the eleven tracks featured! Could you please take us into the creative process that brought this piece to life?
Thank you! Really I've always been fascinated with the West Coast and Hollywood life/vibe/atmosphere whatever you wanna call it, honestly for as long as I can remember. So, with this album, I really wanted to kinda put together a soundtrack for what I think Hollywood sounds like if that makes sense. Out of the eleven songs offered up, do you have a specific one that resonates with you more than the others at this point in time of your life?
It's probably a tie between Who To Blame?, and Side Feelings right now just because of the personal aspect to both of those songs. Those tracks find me in a vulnerable state that I feel like the listener isn't really used to hearing me in and that's what makes them so special.
What was it like working with Mercurial, BamBam, and WeCallEmDre along with yourself on the production elements of this album?
Man, it was an awesome experience! This was something I'd never done before considering I make my own beats...so to have an album where I only produced one track on it was so dope. Each producer really brought their own unique style and sound and it all came together so beautifully.
What has been the proudest moment in your artistic career to date?
Hmmm, tough question. I think my proudest moment so far is just releasing this album! I put so much time and effort into this shit and to see it doing well and people receiving it and actually rocking with it, it makes me hella proud.
If your audience could take anything away from 'All Roads Lead to Hollywood,' what would you want it to be?
Literally the title man, All Roads Lead To Hollywood, no matter what road you take no matter how long, how far, how rough, if you stay focused on the ultimate goal you'll get to your dreams (mine happen to be Hollywood). I want this album to show people that I'm serious about this and that I'm here to stay for a long time!