PrestonWest

The first time THEillUZiON's Salomon Faye beamed through the threshold of Cypher League's Dojo in Bed Stuy, it became manifestly apparent that the guy standing in front of me was an alchemist -- no, not the sort that could turn a hunk of lead into silver or gold by some passive act of sorcery, but the type that could inevitably turn a book of rhymes into a platinum record.

As I've gotten to know Salo, however, I've realized that his alchemical quest is about much more than status and the metallic luster emblematic of wealth (the "Fool's Gold" he and his collaborator Enasni Leber ostensibly refer to in their debut music video). Salomon doesn't feel the need to posture in chains in order to shine, because his natural confidence and polished verses radiate just as brightly without them, as they do in the Dakota Blue Harper directed video for "Alchemy", the first single, produced byBlack Mack, off Salomon's solo project, Book of Salomon Faye. 

"And I don’t just talk shit; I walk this. Being present is a God’s gift, I represent the light in the darkness. Which one of you is a starving artist, forced to sleep on a couch or a carpet? Me. Which one of you recognized your hardships as piece of the price to Godship? Me." 

Unlike other rappers who lord their (feigned) wealth over others without it, Salomon rises above that. Because materialism isn't what matters to him. Instead, he sees himself as a custodian of knowledge, a role that he believes is reaffirmed by the inscription on the Wisdom sculpture at Rockefeller Center, which reads:

"WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE SHALL BE THE STABILITY OF THY TIMES"

Whether he's meditating on the Cypher League roof, holding it down in Harlem, or commanding an audience at Apostrophe alongside his collaborators Enasni Leber,Vader the Villin, and Alan South in THEILLUZION, Salomon consistently exhibits a degree of mental discipline that surpasses that of most young emcees, and most people in general. Rising above the negativity and greed that consumes most of mankind, Salo is grateful for the gifts he's already been blessed with: a forceful presence, a powerful mind, and a positive message. After all, isn't that what hip hop was founded on anyways -- making something out of nothing, using the resources you've already got in order to make something special? There's the real gold.