Seattle Weekly:
On Sol’s debut album, the University of Washington sophomore (double-majoring in American ethnic studies and communications) raps more like a tenured professor. Politics, racial identity, the state of hip-hop, and literature, plus aggressive battle raps, all crop up in varying degrees on The Ride, which feels like an adult piece of work. It’s clear at times that having a knack for words comes easy to Sol—the mixed-race son of a Haitian mother and a Russian-Jewish father. Over sandwiches at Flowers Bar & Restaurant in the U District, Sol explains that he started writing the album at 18 and finished just before his 20th birthday. Executive-produced by himself, Isaac Meek, and Captain Midnite, and recorded at Meek’s Undercaste studio, the disc’s title refers to the journey Sol took during its recording, as well as to the voyage he leads listeners on through the album’s 16 tracks.