A luminary of the Cincy hip-hop, R&B, and poetry scene, Siri Imani is a lot of things simultaneously. A multifaceted and prolific songwriter, poet, and emcee. A collaborator and partner to many in the Cincy scene. A mentor and someone to look up to not just for those just getting started, but those looking to push themselves and their craft even further. Passionate and honest on stage, on record, in life, Imani is a beacon and a singularity - someone who gets better the more she’s immersed and surrounded by the art she’s creating and encouraging others to make.
This summer saw the release of Imani’s newest full-length, Soft Life, an album that plays like a genuinely moving blend of Janelle Monae’s Dirty Computer and Solange’s A Seat at the Table, though strained through the sieve of Imani’s particular cadence, production style, and collaborations. Her combination of melodically intense lyricism, impeccable song structure, and design, inspired features - honestly, it’s hard to pinpoint any one thing that feels out of place or incorrect in the context of the story she’s telling.
Poetic discussions between her and longtime friend and collaborator Jess Lamb offer quietly emotional interludes through Soft Life’s runtime, each building on the last, each complimenting the movements of the album itself. Where “Center Of It All” and “Sunrises & Silhouettes” are more layered and contemplative - lyrically dense, but sonically airy, “Glitch” propels the next two-thirds of the album into more adventurous territory. Watery beats over Imani’s restrained and concise flow give way to more 90s-inspired R&B stylings on “FOCUS.” even if the minimalist approach to the instrumentation feels rather modern.
“It Belongs To You,” which features Monty C. Benjamin and Aunty Jojo feels like The Roots meets Lauryn Hill, and between Imani’s commanding delivery and Monty C. Benjamin more than holding his own, the track is an absolute highlight on an album that’s chock full of them.
“The Hideaway,” featuring DB3Three, and “I Deserve,” with Pink Siifu, Turich Benjy, Swooty Mac, and Riah Bella both play as slightly quieter entries, but offer a really interesting division going into the back half of the album. Soft Life isn’t necessarily chameleonic but it certainly doesn’t hew to any one aesthetic and frankly, that sort of gentle denial of comfort for the sake of artistic clarity (not integrity, as I don’t think that’s what this is about) is refreshing as hell.
“Finding You” is the last track listed as having a feature, this time with TJG, and is a subtle club banger that’s over and done with before you know it. “Soft Life” is just Imani showing off, and friends, I’m here for it. Its pure, unbridled flow gives way to a novel way to handle gang vocals and offers yet another surprise on an album that does nothing but surprise all the way through. Album closer “I’m Home” is a mix of the well-balanced production, Imani’s melodic delivery, and the spoken word interludes that are the hallmarks of the album, and a fitting way to bring it all together in a symbolically harmonious way. From start to finish, Imani knows where this album is going - and no matter how many times I’ve listened, it still manages to surprise the hell out of me.
I’ve stopped and started this review more times than I can count. Not because I didn’t want to write about the album, but because I was legitimately concerned I wouldn’t be able to do it the way I wanted, in a way that felt like it would do the album justice, or give it the flowers it deserves.
Soft Life is poetry and song, lyrical prowess, and the knowledge to know when to let others offer their talents. It’s subtle and surprising, dense yet somehow light. That’s not to say it’s a confection, something to be consumed, enjoyed, then forgotten or replaced. Soft Life is a lot of things, just like Imani. And it’s absolutely vital that you pay attention.
