Listen Up: Star, “Down to Earth”

In its purest, most potent form, hip hop can be a catalyst for social change.

I can’t blame you if that sentence made you roll your eyes. When lazy, brainless albums like this are heralded as elite works of the industry, it’s hard to take the craft seriously.

While established artists are content churning out drivel, there are hungry, young artists who are using their music to inspire listeners.

Need some direction? Look to Star.

Born Raymond DeAndre Ervin, the Birmingham, Ala., native just dropped his latest project, Down to Earth, last week.

“The name Star was not selected to illuminate myself,” he says on his website. “The name Star was selected because God illuminates himself through me, which causes me to be a light or to shine.”

“I’m extremely tired of celebrities being the stars or role models for the younger generation. How are they “Stars” if they blend in perfectly with a dark world? We are the Stars, we are the role models!”

The title track of Down to Earth illuminates that point. It urges the listener to lead instead of follow. Clinging to your faith is much stronger than grasping at fleeting celebrity fads. Star is happy to fill you in below.

Meaningful music is out there. Sometimes you just have to look beyond the usual suspects on the radio. And maybe, in time, Star will be able to infiltrate the airwaves. Hip hop needs a new guiding light.

For more on Star, visit his website, follow him on Twitter @Star_Enlitement and check out his Facebook page.

Looking to share your music with the masses? Send a track with a short description about yourself to soulinstereoblog@gmail.com or hit me up on Twitter @etbowser. If we like what we hear we’ll feature you in an upcoming post.