Yesterday Alanis Morissette announced that she secretly married rapper Mario Treadway. But who is "Souleye"? Let's meet the man who stole Alanis' heart with his "unparalleled ability to freestyle and slay his sweaty and hungry audiences."
To recap, Alanis, 36, was first spotted with Souleye, 30, in November 2009 while shopping in Santa Monica. Yesterday People reported that they "tied the knot in an intimate ceremony with family present at their Los Angeles home on May 22." Later Alanis confirmed the news on Twitter and Facebook, writing, "Hi guys! So happy to share with you that my man Souleye and I got married. We're very excited to embark on this journey with each other....sending love...connect soon xo - Alanis" As you may recall, on May 18 respected gynecologist Perez Hilton reported that Alanis is pregnant based on the flowy dress she wore to the Prince of Persia premiere, but she has yet to comment on the state of her uterus.
So who is Souleye? According to his ByRegion profile:
He was given the name Souleye on a vision quest at the age of 21. Born in Old Sturbridge Village, Massachusetts to a Native American father and an Italian Mother, he grew up listening to hip hop and was influenced early on by rappers such as Talib Kweli and Tupac.
The Ottawa Citizen, Alanis' hometown newspaper, reports that after leaving Massachusetts, Souleye worked at a Whole Foods in Boca Raton, Florida. He recounted the tale of how a "spirit guide" renamed him to a newspaper in 2005 saying, "He approached me while I was in a trance state... He covered my ears and said 'Souleye.' Then I woke up ... I'm on a spiritual path with my music."
According to the bio on his Facebook page:
SOULEYE (born Mario Treadway)'s career formally started after he won a spot on Jam Cruise in 2005, a contest put on by Relix magazine... [He has] performed at festivals Coachella, Burning Man, Ultra Music Festival, South By Southwest, Symbiosis, Harmony and Shambhala as well as numerous others across America, Canada, Europe and Australia.
SOULEYE's freestyling prowess has earned him rave reviews and a rabid following who look to him for his ability to use his wordplay in ways heretofore never heard.... With over 500 shows under his belt, he continues to hone his unparalleled ability to freestyle and slay his sweaty and hungry audiences, who look to him for guidance, inspiration and profound entertainment. SOULEYE was clearly born to write rhymes and perform.
What about his music gets audiences so "sweaty and hungry"? The bio continues:
... His style combines his silky vocal tonality, and subject matters that speak to the everyman who needs an injection of bravery, unapologetic poetic and picturesque specificity about life as a young man in the 21st century, all drizzled in his unique voice over bad ass beats.
For those in need of an "injection of bravery," you can check out his music and photos on MySpace.
Or listen to him freestyling on YouTube:
You can also draw inspiration from his blog, which contains musings like this excerpt from a 2008 entry:
Early wake up, allowed for me to see the mystical clouds arise off of the pond out side. It was so beautiful I took a moment to ponder the magic. There was a peculiar sound that I noticed a tapping on the window reminiscent to the Edger Allen Poe story Raven. I am feeling great extremely excited to seize the day. Unfold the origami earth to see what lies within.
Recently, he's only been posting poetry and lyrics on his blog. Really, this excerpt from a poem he wrote in January tells you everything you need to know about him:
You can share my ideas, do you understand that through my eye's
I reflect you, you do yes, that is so great to know.
So therefore have them,, here they are yours now.
Clarity Is creating that home for us.
Both feet in, washing the bottom of your hard working heels.
So sweet, never before this day have I felt this rush.
Beyond tender affection the passionate romantic desire.
Beyond the sexual attraction and that elicits deep interests.
The enthusiasm, the affectionate word, mercy grace charity,
For all of humanity, we worship the adoration.
Kindness, outside my window thousands of feet about the ground.
What does it mean? Who knows? The important thing is that he treats Alanis right, and those are definitely the words of a gentle soul, not a cold-hearted bastard like Uncle Joey.
Alanis Morissette & Mario Treadway Send You Love [Just Jared]
Alanis Morissette Marries In Intimate Ceremony At Home [People]
Alanis Morissette [Facebook]
Souleye Profile [ByRegion]
Morissette Finds Her Soul-Mate [Ottawa Citizen]
Souleye Info [Facebook]
Souleye Freestyle [YouTube]
Souleye's Myspace" />