Interview by: Martin Bauman Detroit's
Clear Soul Forces (from left: L.A.Z., Ilajide, Noveliss and E-Fav) are one of the most exciting groups in hip-hop right now, capturing the same essence that made groups like A Tribe Called Quest and Slum Village special, while at the same time creating their own unique sound. Following a late-night chance studio encounter with Royce Da 5'9" back in 2009 - a meeting during which he suggested the four become a group - the Clear Soul Forces emerged and have steadily improved, progressing from their initial
Clear Soul Radio mixtape to the
Departure EP, and finally their debut LP
Detroit Revolution(s). The Come Up Show caught up with the group last week as they prepared for the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, and we had the chance to speak on a range of topics, from
Detroit Revolution(s), to coming together as a group, to drawing comparisons with Slum Village and other groups. Throughout, the members were genuine, insightful, and oftentimes funny.
Hit the skip to read the full interview.
I'm very excited about this collaboration here: Clear Soul Forces and Kooley High have teamed up for a joint EP, and they've released the first single titled "Freq Freq". If you haven't taken in Clear Soul Forces yet, seriously, do yourself a favour and pick up their Detroit Revolution(s) album. For more on the Detroit hip-hop group, read our interview with them. As for Kooley High, we have an interview with Rapsody coming soon - although she doesn't appear on this track. Stream/download "Freq Freq" below. 
In celebration of their video for 
Not too long ago, 
Detroit's Clear Soul Forces (consisting of L.A.Z, Ilajide, E-Fav & Noveliss) just dropped the visuals for "Stick 'Em", one of my favourite tracks off their solid