How Paid In Full (Felippe & Mickey So-Low) dropped the ball, that they can pick up
It is never a cool thing to tell artists what to do, when and where. The American producer/rapper Dr. Dre on his 2015 album he raps on Deep Water “Would you look over Picasso’s shoulder and tell him about his brush strokes?” This is a clear attitude that an artist who believes they are great needn’t to be told what, how sometimes of things.
I met Paid In Full in 2015, months after their release of Ntinda Boy a single that was powerful in its fusion of reggae, afro roots, rnb and hip hop. A sound so unique and defining. I interviewed Mickey SoLow and Felippe on the NuveyLive Podcast. Sn1. They spoke with a lot of confidence and a mind that shows they have a wave they are bringing forth.
I had listened to Paid In Full the first time from February 2015 till the point I interviewed them – around July of 2015. It was a beautiful thing for me. It was a new initiative as a fan, supporter and passionate person within the culture. PIF is among the first interviews I scored then for the Podcast. I liked their music!
Before requesting to interview them; I had listened to SNMS and Mister Deejay commented on the possibility of them (PIF) becoming a force to reckon with – not exact word but as my memory serves me it was in that light.
RnHop?
Felippe added the RnB to the duo and Mickey SoLow , the raps and when I asked them about their style they defined their sound as RnHop. Call it the Bars and Melody approach. They were an amazing duo with a unique sound at least ever since Unique-GNL, Tempra Omona-GNL Zamba collabs. I am sure anyone who listened to them as duo felt a certain aura that needed room for longevity. Did you listen to the cameo-ish delivery on Redefinition which ideally marked the end of PIF as we might guess.
The PIF Catologue is available via Reverbnation with tracks like Contagious, Just A Beat (personal favourite) and many others.
How did PIF drop the ball?
Ntinda Boy was a hit-ready and perfect track to push vigorously for it had both the radio feel and yet still satisfying the street listeners. I am not a fan of the radio, but the love for Ntinda Boy was powerful. For most of us, it was that track that drew our attention.
Ntinda Movement – NTM started happening and there was Mickey SoLow spending most of his time with rappers. I am told NTM is bigger than Pryce Teeba, HABO, Mickey So-Low or even Bemba. 2015 saw the NTM Cypher with the likes of Sliq Teq (who was for a long time a production muscle for PIF and NTM for a while), Mis Fit and the quite mor popular NTM artists now.
NTM, ideally silenced the possibility of PIF future projects.
Mickey So-Low spent the whole of 20sixteen redefining himself while tagging along as an instrumental NTM artist. Felippe was pushed to the background, he ceased to be active and the Duo that I interviewed at Valley Curve that I personally had high hopes for, ceased to make the buzz. A lost opportunity! i thought to my self.
Flash forward to Last Breed, and things happen for a reason story.
Before last breed dropped, Mickey had not done any tracks with Felipe ever since 2015’s Redefinition. He had dropped New Day, Pray and other contributions to NTM.
Last Breed drops the same day Kendrick Lamar’s highly anticipated DAMN. album drops. I am lost between streaming the two. I get an exclusive link to Last Breed and boy i am impressed by the cover art, the EP and its content. Mickey So-Low was a proving a point that he was and is the Last Breed for UG’s rap scene. I traced the R for RnB and I only found that Mickey SoLow was only putting the R in rap.
My heart jubilated when I listened to Gone a track about unrequited love while listening to the back ups thinking it was Felippe and man it was Abaasar. (Have you listened to Abaasar-Pryce Teeba collaborations?) – that is when I knew my desires weren’t as I imagined the artists share.
But would you look over Mickey SoLow’s writing pad and tell him about his brush strokes?
He managed to redefine himself and maintain the Hop in RnHop as he continuously always referenced(s) PIF in tracks with NTM and as a solo act.
Lately, i listened to 143 by So-Low and i got nostalgic. I started thinking, of the PIF i knew and how Mickey has manged to show individual growth and no fear to experiment. When you listen to Love The Trap, HABO sings on his EP and it is beautiful. Did HABO inspire Mickey? Did Mickey get inspiration from Felippe?
On Nvuga Kampala RemixNvuga Kampala Remix, Mickey showed signs of singing, on Another he was sleazy with the hook and with no doubt it led us to 143.
The career of PIF that i started following in 2014 as I am writing this, is proof of artists dropping the ball whether intentionally or not. This isn’t a blame write-up, it is an observatory one.
Mickey So-Low has persisted with his career, and the one time Best Eastern Artist of the defunct PAM awards – Felippe had reinvented himself to make one half of the Rnb and Hip Hop duo, how is it he took to the shadows while his brother in artistry still holds the banner?
The artistic journey is a process and it is important to recognise and listen to indicators that are positive because they might be a pivot to your career.
Felippe and Mickey So-Low it might not be too late to reinvent and bring back that Paid in Full!
If PIF has more paper than picfare, be fair fill the papers with lyrics and your artistic flair!
This is what Mickey SoLo had to say in response to this piece:
It’s all good, Paid in Full isn’t a duo and has never been, Felipe left kla for Soroti in 2015 briefly returned to kla in 2016 and just came back this month, incase you were wondering why he hasn’t been on my recent projects, I founded Paid In Full, Felipe was affiliated to PiF we’ve never been a duo
Paid In Full started way back in my high school, that’s where everything started
I still run paid in Full and it’s moving on well
And when we asked what PIF is he said:
It’s a Label
I’m venturing into fashion soon as well
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