SOLO

mcitysolo Khalyil Rouse Bakel now known as "Solo" was born November 25th, 1984 in Montreal's Jewish General Hospital. His parents were young when they married and due to his father's street base clientele he was not at home. Solo mentioned “even though he wasn't around we're still cool". Solo with his two siblings got involved in a lot of things that taught them about street life and the effect it would have upon them. His mother dedicated her life to God in August of 1987. Her knowledge of God helped Solo to have a firm foundation in knowing who he is and what controls his life.His mother moved the family to Pierrefonds, a community on the west side of Montreal. That was where young Solo started to discover his stomping grounds. As a single mother working, she did the very best she could to support her kids. As a result, Solo and his two siblings depended on each other for survival, and that meant by any means necessary. Solo says "the last thing my mother wanted was for us to end up like my pops, doing and getting involved in things that he used to do." After a few arrests, complaints from neighbors and local store owners, Solo’s mother quickly realized the pattern that was developing and moved the family to a town called Pincourt. Pincourt, being a place isolated from the urban scene there were very few colored families and he was sent to a predominantly white school, Solo even refers to those days in his song (Come too Far) when he says, "All white school getting teased for his color". By the early the age (11yrs) he knew that he was talented, In Pincourt he took the time to develop his craft. Back then he would listen to the music his older brother and sister would listen to, which ranged from New Edition to Wu Tang. He adds "the advantage of going to an predominantly white school is that I have a broader understanding of different perspectives.”Solo was fifteen years old when he had his first battle. Defeating the then popular rapper and receiving the positive energy from the crowd gave Solo the confidence he needed to go on. Solo says "being in Pincourt so long gave me an opportunity to understand the lyrical side of Rap, which was to my advantage when I started battling." Battles are no longer his style, “I've already established myself as a Rapper and I have nothing to prove to anyone, but I will do what I have to do to defend myself if someone wants to test me lyrically." He says confidently.Rivalry led to Solo being shot at, at close range and a few minor confrontations. Solo explains "the bigger your name gets, more people will want to test you." Legal issues continue to hassle Solo but he stays positive and focuses and mastering his craft and helping his community. Solo and Tru Kings Records have embarked on a high school tour that allows them to educate adolescent on the negative influences in music and encourages them to stay positive and focused on their goals. When asked what he plans on doing different in rap he simply explains " I just plan on bringing back the reality of things, too many people are trying to put out a {Black Album} before they put out a {Reasonable Doubt}." Proud to be born and raised in Montreal Canada, Solo is determined to change the way Canadian urban artist are viewed by the rest of the world. To date Solo has released 4 CDs, has appear on TV twice and has been mentioned in News papers countless times. By working hard at his craft and constant networking Solo has a personal fan base of over 15 000 people and is now one of the leading entertainers in Montreal with his eyes set on the World.