Deshawn Visionz Brings The Westcoast Vibe On ‘Soulstice’

Words by Naima Sutton @naimasutton

If you love hip-hop and being a “I saw them back when it was intimate venues” kinda person Deshawn Visionz should definitely be on your list of ones to watch. Hailing from Sacramento, California. Deshawn Visionz has only been on the scene for a short amount of time. Since 2018 to be exact. On the heels of his noteworthy single ‘Time’, as well as the powerful visuals he presented in his ‘Eden’ video, comes Visionz’ first full body of work. In the form of ‘Soulstice’.

The origins of ‘Soulstice’ has been drawn from the Winter Solstice - the longest night of the year, where the dark days of the past beckon in the brighter days ahead. Visionz called it “ A huge therapy session for me.” A journey I’m glad was undertaken. ‘Soulstice’ paints the story of a young man pushing through a tide of challenges to seek out his creative purpose. Illustrated quite literally in ‘Keep Pushing’. His melodic lyricism and storytelling work their way through so strongly throughout this album that it’s no wonder he cites Isaiah Rashad and Mick Jenkins as influences.

I started trying to pick out tracks to showcase Visionz’ range and capability as a musician but with each song that passed, I was drawn even more into his landscape of warm vibes with just the right amount of bounce. Eventually, I realised I can’t talk about every track on the album, as much as I wish I could. So let me pick out two of my personal favourites:

‘Perception’ - This had my baby sister singing ‘everybody wants to be a star’ into the sink as she was doing the dishes and LaRussell was the perfect rapper for Visionz to feature against the percussive beat. If you haven’t had a chance to check out LaRussell’s Breakfast Club freestyle make sure you do.

‘Bird’s Eye View’ - I can’t drive but my god this song makes me wish I could, just to cruise down the streets of South London at sunset as the mellow waves of Visionz’ reflections wash over me.

As a longtime lover of the Westcoast sound, I can hear where Visionz has come from and knowing how early days it is for his career I’m eager to see what next steps are in the works.

LISTEN TO ‘SOULSTICE’ BELOW