The third artist we take a look at on our Underrated series is the Brooklyn, New York artist and producer Eli Sostre.
Growing up in the Marcy Projects in Brooklyn, Eli Sostre began producing on the digital audio workstation FL Studio at the age of 14. At first, Sostre was producing for other artists before transitioning into a recording artist. He dropped the flamboyant single “With the Homies” in September 2014, however it was his debut EP Still Up All Night which was released two years later in 2016 that caught peoples attention and generated a crazy buzz online. Still Up All Night is considered an underground classic by many fans, the project introduced listeners to Sostre’s hypnotic rap-sung vocal abilities over murky self-produced beats as well as production by his best friend and frequent collaborator SORIANO.
In July 2017, Sostre released another project titled Sleep Is For The Weak — an exceptional mixtape that showcased Sostre’s improvement as a writer and singer, making him one of the most exciting R&B artists coming out of New York City. Touching on the themes of love, heartbreak and representing his city, Sostre held it down solo (no guest appearances from other artists) and remained consistent throughout Sleep Is For The Weak.
Why is he underrated?
There’s no doubt Eli Sostre is one of the most respected emerging artists around — he exudes that New York confidence, and effortlessly combines Hip-Hop and R&B to create music made for late night drives. Although Sostre believes in his own ability as an artist and producer, he does show some vulnerability in his music — songs such as “Same Pain”, “Let You Go” and “Saving Face” are probably his most impressive records to date, thanks to their emotionally-driven content and effective moody sonics which instantly connects with listeners.
It’s surprising and somewhat puzzling to know that Sostre is still an independent artist despite his superior talent as an artist and producer, and a growing loyal fanbase. While other artists in his lane such as Bryson Tiller, 6LACK and THEY. have both been signed and attained some mainstream success, Sostre is not too far behind as he continues to develop into one of the most sought-after artists around. His upcoming album EROS (named after his son) may just be his breakthrough.
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