The blackSoil project is Rahlo, and Rahlo is the blackSoil project. He debuted to the known world for most people through his appearance on the classic Mars ILL's album Raw Material . He became a part of the ReServed Records camp after his memorable appearance on “Love's Not” from Raw Material and released his Ulterior Motive EP . Rahlo is back, teaming up with DJ Level, and released his first full length album entitled The Calm Before the Storm.

What is the science behind “Blacksoil Project”?

In my mind the rich, black dirt found in farming communities and other agrarian cultures reflects fertility, provision, bountifulness, and reliance upon the Creator. Part of my mission and who I am as an artist is to use my music to try and  break up the hard, compacted crust that this society breeds around the hearts and minds of hip hop music lovers everywhere, and help transform it into black, fertile soil that can readily receive and properly respond to the seeds of truth.

Having said that, I'm the first one to admit that my life is most definitely a work in progress—a project, if you will. Being a black man, I am a blackSoil project.

How did Blacksoil Project come about? You were one of the founding members of both the Dead Poet Society with Dj Dust and Mars Ill , what made you go solo?

Going solo wasn't something that I'd planned or wanted to do really. The long and short of it is that Dust and his wife wanted to move from Indianapolis to Atlanta , and I was at a point in my life where, for the sake of my family, I couldn't do it. So, they went on to Atlanta and I stayed here in Indy.

How did you hook up with Dj Dust?

We both played basketball in college, and the team I played for at the time was scrimmaging his team, and a cat on my team who knew dust basically introduced us. We didn't even know each other that well, but started doing some shows together, and dead poet society and mars ill was the result.

What albums are in your discography?

Basses Loaded, factsarebackwards, Raw Material, Ulterior Motive, and The Calm before the Storm. I've also been on a few compilations.

What is the logic behind the title of your latest release "The Calm Before The Storm"?

Before DJ Level and I hooked up for this album, I'd already done a lot of production and writing for what was gonna be my second indie release. But when he and I hooked up, the potential of his stuff was so ill that I basically tossed a lot of what I'd been doing production wise to work on a record with him. I called it the Calm before the Storm because I thought that while this album would be good, it would literally be the calm before the torrential onslaught that would characterize subsequent releases from us!

What will listeners hear on “The Calm Before The Storm”?

A lot of thinking, talking, meditation, reading, and rewriting went into this album, so lyrically you'll hear a lot of really personal stuff on it. You'll hear some pain, and the lessons learned from it. I think I can correctly say that this is the most open in terms of revealing my innermost thoughts and feelings on certain things.

Musically, level did most of the production—I ended up producing three songs and he hooked up the other 11. He's a creative dude, and reminds me a lot of dust—not in style necessarily, but in his ear. A lot of his influences are cats like Dj Shadow, El-P, Rjd2, and Quantic, so his production is usually pretty thick and musical, if that makes sense.

What do you feel is your favorite track off the album?

It's hard to say, because so much of both our hearts and souls are in each song. Aight, the I.R.O.C. remix done by my man neoverse from Baltimore is definitely one of my favorites. The song that's gotten the most response in terms of people either emailing me or saying something to me at shows is "ebb & flow," a song I wrote about my father, who passed on unexpectedly a month after I finished school. That's probably one of my favorites too.

How did you come about getting signed to ReServed Records?

The owner Tony P. and I knew each other from doing shows together over the years before he formed the label (he's also a dj and producer). He's a hard worker and a good dude, and I'm excited to be working with him to get this album out there!

What would the ultimate reward for you be?

Man, I'm not trying to sound all holy or anything, but I can with all honesty say that the ultimate reward for me would be to stand before the Creator one day and know that He was pleased by what I did with the gifts and resources that He sent my way during my time on this planet.

What can we look forward to in the near future?

Level and I are hard at work on an instrumental album. Should be out by the end of the year I think! It's shaping up quite nicely too dog!

I'm also finishing up an EP that's a collaborative effort between myself and Ryan Officer—a very dope artist originally from Indy, but now living in Chicago ! That one will be very, very nice!

Any last words?

Dude, I appreciate the interview! Just wanna say shalom to my wife and fam, Level, dust, manChizzy, Ryan Officer, united states of mind, ray's boom boom room, the silver surfer, Conan, Stan Lee, j3, Ritalynda, Freak, Rob H, the good folks at country kitchen, and vegan's everywhere!

Interviewer- Caleb Kinney (Hip Hop For The Soul)