For a time, Tenelle Winmore, one half of hip-hop duo Souls of Liberty, thought he was done with music.
The north St. Louis rapper was burned out after difficult experiences in Chicago and became disillusioned with the music industry. He stepped away from recording altogether while his longtime collaborators — childhood friend Ryan “Big Esco” Brown and music producer and cousin Chris “Klevah!” Shaw — kept on.
With the convincing of Shaw and Brown, Winmore returned to the studio. United by a long-standing desire to inspire the next generation through music, the group poured its energy into a new album, “20,000 Hours Vol. 2: The Devil’s Defeat,” which came out in April.
The release explores themes of adulthood, fatherhood, responsibility and survival in a city that has shaped all three artists.
“We just keep elevating,” Brown said. “We keep mastering the mastery of it.”
But the album has roots stretching back nearly a decade.
Brown and Winmore originally began working on “The Devil’s Defeat” about eight years ago while living in Chicago and exploring the city’s music scene, separated from Shaw and St. Louis. The project was eventually paused as the group focused on newer material during the pandemic, which became 2023’s “20,000 Hours Vol. 1: Return of the Gods.”
Still, the three never stopped believing in their older songs.
“We had a vault of music that we still loved, that was still really good,” Brown said. “One day this year I was like, ‘All right, let’s put it out. It’s time.’”
Souls of Liberty brings more than two decades of shared history to their music. Having known each other for most of their lives, Brown and Winmore began making music as students at Metro High School years before their 2014 debut album. Shaw, Winmore’s older cousin, eventually joined as a mentor and collaborator.
The producer initially needed convincing before fully buying into their potential.
“Once I finally got my big cousin to realize we were good, I believe he started taking us seriously,” Winmore said. “We had to make Chris a fan.”
Charlotte Keene
/
St. Louis Public Radio
Life experience is impossible to separate from the group’s musical identity. Growing up in north St. Louis, they faced economic hardship and generational instability that they’re still working to overcome. Shaw said many of the challenges now associated with the north side existed when they were growing up, too.
Those realities became even more visible to outsiders after recent disasters, including the May 16 tornado, and the ongoing struggles facing parts of north St. Louis.
Many of the group’s earlier recordings also captured a period when they were learning how to navigate life as young Black men searching for direction.
The album’s title and themes emphasize the idea that those struggles are not permanent.
“The devil is something that you can defeat in one day,” Brown said. “When you say words like ‘the devil’ or ‘gods,’ it feels infinite. But you can only start by today.”
That perspective carries into the album artwork. Both volumes feature childhood family photographs. The latest includes a young Shaw and Winmore sitting with their grandfather, who helped raise them.
They emphasize that carrying on their family’s legacy is important, and that ethos appears throughout the group’s music. Winmore and Brown are less concerned with fame than with creating something lasting for future generations of Black St. Louisans.
“It’s easy to be caught up in what other people think of you, but we are the culture, we are the taste makers, so we just have to kind of have faith that the truth about our abilities will outlive whatever’s popular now,” Winmore said. “For us, the best part is family, the best part is legacy, culture, and doing something for our next generations that wasn’t done for us, so we can sustain and grow.”
To learn more about the work behind Souls of Liberty’s and Shaw’s music, listen to “St. Louis on the Air” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or click the play button below.
Souls of Liberty and Shaw discuss their new album on “St. Louis on the Air”
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Layla Halilbasic is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
