Albert Lunn, 6/12/Santana’s EP contains 6 tracks and runs about 21 minutes long and drops in May. No longer with is previous group, The Salvador Santana Band, he has been working on solo albums since 2008. That being said, this EP seems to be saying that now is his time. Before, he was younger and studying the craft of music, but now he is turning the page, he is ready to really rise up.

The EP opens with its title track. Between Santana’s verses of overcoming adversity and the powerful chorus that reassures us that some way we will make it through, “Rise Up” becomes a song of inspiration. The song features a nice beat, like most raps, but also includes a piano that adds a sense of calm to the song. The next song, “It’s On,” starts with a lone guitar, which seems to have replaced the piano, then quickly moves to a faster pace to sets the mood for the song’s message: let the haters hate. Although it is not my favorite message, it seems to be one that every rapper needs to make. Next up is “Gimme Your Best” which features a bumping beat and call and response vocals from the same women on the other tracks. It’s a shame she goes unnamed because she brings a lot to the EP. The song is about partying and the flirtations of two individuals. Out of the final three songs, I would like to mention track five, “Ain’t Enough.” I single it out for its instrumentals, which includes guitar, keyboard, piano, horns, and drums. The vocals are not the focus of the track, at least from my perspective, as they are repetitive, talk about fighting or “throwing down,” and include a line about writing this for the haters which was already covered in “It’s On.”

With rich soulful female vocals like we hear in “Into the Light,” rhythmic 16 bar rhymes like in “Rise Up,” and the gloomy overtones of “Mi Tesoro” (My Treasure) Santana’s influences become clear as day. He draws elements from rhythm and blues, hip-hop, pop, and soul to create his music. It is not so much that he incorporates all into each song, the closest he came to that was “Ain’t Enough,” but more that each song on the EP has a different influence. If I were to pick an overarching genre, it would be Hip-Hop, but I think technically he is modern R & B. I favor his Hip-Hop tendencies to the others, but I see potential in “Ain’t Enough.” Do you have a favorite track?

Favorite Track: “Rise Up,” “Into The Light,” “Ain’t Enough”