Solitary Ant – “Dinner Plates” / “Behind”

Solitary Ant – “Dinner Plates” / “Behind” – Singles Review

“My name must taste real good, it’s all in your mouth.”  #Comegrabaplateyall

It’s been a minute or two!  The last time Solitary Ant appeared on these pages of ours it was way the hell back in like, what, 2018?  Maybe 2019 when we featured his music on the SBS Podcast…you get the point, it has been a WHILE…but it’s always good to hear talented artists resurface and come on back to us after so long.  It ain’t like he hasn’t been keeping busy – Solitary Ant has released singles like “Late Night” in 2020 and his Never Really Left EPs – that’s right, plural – last year.  Dude’s been doin’ what he does and hasn’t skipped a beat.  To be honest with ya, I could care less if anyone out there ends up on our pages more than once in a lifetime, as long as they’re still out there doin’ what they were meant to do.  Solitary Ant has kept his skills sharp, his passion up, and his music out there – that’s all I’d ever want out of any of you out there that have appeared on this site, though it’s always nice to welcome back the fam when they return.  So right on brother-man…however you got back here, we’re glad to have ya.

“Dinner Plates” is a stellar single to start up his surge through 2023 – this is a genuinely versatile track for sure.  Giving you a nod to the past here in the present, if you’ve been riding with the man and have been listening to him from day one – you’ll notice the echo of a sample that’s familiar set in the distance as “Dinner Plates” begins and know that its origins trace all the way back to his debut record Til The Time Comes.  Dude’s still got the moves today though – and he’s still swinging punches in just about every direction.  I’m fairly confident he’s only comin’ atcha if you’ve been foolish enough to go after the man…but rest assured, he’ll put ya in the verbal equivalent of the figure-four leg lock if need be.  Solitary Ant might not be the guy to START BEEF, but rest assured homies, he’ll finish it.  He’s grabbin’ “Dinner Plates” and makin’ sure he’s eatin’ y’all…so unless you want that to be your LUNCH, chances are you best just stick to your own business and let this dude continue to handle his own like the boss he IS.  I really enjoyed the switch in this single…somewhere are the 2:45 mark, Solitary Ant flips the script and shifts into a slower gear.  I was already enjoying the track as it was, but this was the kind of move that gets noticed – and ultimately, I think that counts for a ton when it comes to this particular track.  While I don’t know that there was one particular hook in “Dinner Plates” that is memorable enough in that single-worthy sense of the definition – the song & experience itself is.  You remember personalities like Solitary Ant has, and the confidence he’s put into the mic is more than commendable.  I also felt like he did a supreme job on the background details and made “Dinner Plates” the kind of track that you want to repeat, because you’re more than likely to hear something new in it every time you put it back on.  The main hook of the chorus works well enough…but all-in-all, I’d say it’s pretty much on par with what we hear in the verses…so at the end of the day, the quality stays consistent, but I don’t know there’s a whole lot that necessarily raises the stakes beyond what we initially hear from him.  To me, it’s that transition around the 2:45-ish mark that was probably the most key aspect of this single in terms of what will get the people paying their full attention…it’s like Solitary Ant slows time and space down for a moment, and creates a unique finale that allows for his wild personality to shine through even brighter.

Who says sampling is a vital part of Hip-Hop?  Are there a set of rules that I’m missing?  I’ll tell you what’s vital – OWNING YA SHIT & OWNING YA MOMENT…beyond that, there’s really nothing else that matters.  “Behind” is the only track on Solitary Ant’s last record, Never Really Left 2, that was completely produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered all DIY – and you know something?  It’s fuckin’ fantastic y’all!  It might only be about ninety seconds long, but for what it’s worth my brother, I’ll probably remember “Behind” even more than I’ll remember “Dinner Plates” as the years go by.  There’s something to be said for doin’ everything on your own y’all…and I’d highly advise you take a page out of Solitary Ant’s playbook here.  The machine of the industry would certainly WANT you to believe that someone’s sample is gonna be what leads you to victory and success in this business of makin’ music, especially as a Hip-Hop artist, don’t get it twisted – I hear where you’re coming from.  All I’m sayin’ is have a listen to “Behind” and you’ll know that there is definitely more than one method and approach that’ll work out.  For real y’all – I want a whole lot more of what Solitary Ant has got started here…and ninety seconds ain’t gonna be enough!  When the only complaint a critic can make is that a song is TOO SHORT, you’re in GREAT SHAPE.  “Behind” is essentially bulletproof if you ask me, and it’s a great glimpse into what Solitary Ant is capable of both in front of the mic and behind it as well.  Samples are great & all…and they can be a supreme shortcut to faster production, sure – but when YOU put the work into what your passions are, you come out with stellar results like you’ll hear the man achieve on his finale cut from Never Really Left 2.  Plus…and I mean, you’d have to ask Solitary Ant for his official opinion on this – but bro…ain’t it more rewarding when you get feedback on the excellence you’ve created when you know you’re solely responsible for every second of this entertainment we’re enjoying?  I bet it is!  Dude proves he don’t need anything else but his own instincts, talent, and a bit of extra time to make an impact on ya – I like both tracks for sure, but I gotta give it up to “Behind” for the win.  Solitary Ant shows ya what he’s capable of when he puts his mind to it and the conviction behind his words…and if he wants to know what the real blueprint to his pathway forward is, I’d tell him it sounds exactly like “Behind” does.

Find out more about Solitary Ant through his page at Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/solitary_ant

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