Recruiting the talents of some of New Orleans’ most legendary artist & musicians, producer/rapper Lyrics Born is proud to announce the upcoming release of his eighth album, Real People, set to drop in early 2015 via his newly formed Mobile Home Recordings label. Recorded entirely in The Big Easy by Galactic’s Robert Mercurio and Ben Ellman, the album follows the ethos Lyrics Born has maintained for his 20+ year career: continually looking to do things that neither he nor anyone else has done yet. The combination of his distinct voice, wide-ranging musicality, and sonic unpredictability has earned him respect from his peers and critics alike and endorsements from EA Sports games and Coca-Cola commercials, as well as inclusion in several motion picture soundtracks and television shows. Today, Lyrics Born is releasing a mixtape to promote the upcoming album, entitled, The Lyrics Born Variety Show Season Six, which is available for purchase now.

“New Orleans is the one true music town in American, maybe in the world,” states Bay Area-based Lyrics Born. “As an artist and a person, I identify with the culture, the sensibilities, the lifestyle, and the people. After releasing the ’80s electro funk feel of As U Were and the crazy eclectic ultra-lyrical Latyrx The Second Album, I wanted to do something really soulful, organic, earthy, and with an honest, unpretentious funk feel. That’s basically New Orleans.” The album’s strong cast of NOLA guest artists include Trombone Shorty, Ivan Neville, Galactic, Corey Henry, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The album also includes guest stars Corey Glover (Living Colour), David Shaw (The Revivalists), Billy Martin (Medeski, Martin & Wood), and more.

True to form Lyrics Born balances his trademark mix of clever, good-time party Hip-Hop with a strong dose of New Orleans flavored funk. Real People is perhaps Lyrics Born’s most honest body of work about himself and his take on the human race. LB shares personal experiences such as emigrating from Japan as a kid, fatherhood, the direction society has turned in post-great-recession America, while also celebrating adulthood and looking forward to the joys (and pains) of growing. As he explains it, “I talk a lot of foolish shit and cuss my ass off and explore my darker side on certain songs. Hopefully we get a good cross-section of ourselves to explore on this album.”

From the forthcoming release, The Second Album, dropping worldwide 11/05/13. Produced by tUnE-yArDs

Legendary Bay Area hip-hop duo Latyrx recently announced that their first album in 16 years, titled The Second Album, will be released November 5th. Brooklyn Vegan has just premiered the lead single from the album, “Exclamation Point,” produced by and featuring jazz rapper Forrest Day. Known for their experimental and adventurous approach to sonic landscapes and lyrical content, Latyrx’s members Lateef the Truth Speaker and Lyrics Born were at the forefront of an underground Bay Area hip-hop movement of the late 1990s alongside the likes of DJ Shadow and Blackalicious, and fans have eagerly waited nearly two decades for new material.

On their upcoming album, which features a laundry list of guest talent that includes members of Tune Yards, Anticon, Living Colour, The Decemberists, and Blackalicious to name a few, “Exclamation Point” is perhaps one of the most accessible and commercial friendly tracks. Relying on a stomping drum beat, a simple piano chord progression and fluttering synths as Forrest Day sing/raps a laid back and catchy hook, the song instantly recalls Latyrx’s signature alternative hip-hop sensibilities and feels like the duo has picked up just where they left off, never missing a beat.

Latyrx have been garnering a lot of attention lately after performing at Hiero Day 2013 in front of 11,700 attendees and getting airplay from Aaron AxelsEn, music director of Live 105 and responsible for breaking Radiohead, Foster the People, Green Day, Coldplay, and The Killers. The duo is currently touring to promote the new album, with several stops along the West Coast.

Lateef and Lyrics Born will come together once again as Latyrx for the release of The Second Album, a follow-up to their ground-breaking, critically acclaimed 1997 Solesides debut, The Album. The project is due November 6th, check out the cover art and tracklist, as well as the first video, “Gorgeous Spirits (Aye, Let’s Go!)”.

01 Arrival [prod. by Jel of Anticon]
02 It’s Time [feat. Zion I, prod. by Amp Live]
03 Reload [prod. by Jel of Anticon]
04 Exclamation Point [feat. Forrest Day, prod. by Forrest Day]
05 Deliberate Jibberish [prod. by tUnE-yArDs]
06 Close Your Eyes [feat. Busdriver, prod. by Antonionian]
07 Nebula’s Eye [feat. 1-O.A.K. & Joyo Velarde, prod. by G-Koop & O-Man]
08 The Power of Rumor (Leonard Is Lost) [prod. by Adam Theis and Lyrics Born]
09 Watershed Moment [feat. The Gift of Gab of Blackalicious, prod. by tUnE-yArDs]
10 Sometimes Why? [prod. by Chris Funk of The Decemberists]
11 Every Man For Himself [feat. Joyo Velarde, prod. by Future People]
12 Electric Chair [feat. Corey Glover of Living Colour, prod. by Kaveh Rastegar & Jeremy Ruzumna]
13 Gorgeous Spirits (Aye, Let’s Go!) [prod. by The Bangerz]

Solesides/Quannum emcee Lyrics Born visits Berkley’s Amoeba Records to show off what’s in his bag.
]]> http://www.hiphopsite.com/2011/10/02/lyrics-born-in-amoebas-whats-in-my-bag/feed/ 0 http://www.hiphopsite.com/2011/06/02/lyrics-born-coulda-shoulda-woulda-video/ http://www.hiphopsite.com/2011/06/02/lyrics-born-coulda-shoulda-woulda-video/#comments Thu, 02 Jun 2011 11:47:12 +0000 http://www.hiphopsite.com/?p=34834

From LB’s As You Were LP:

At long last we bring you the official video for Lyrics Born’s ‘Coulda Woulda Shoulda’ featuring Sam Sparro. Director Yoram Benz handled all the post-production graphics as well, adding a slick alter-ego to Lyrics Born’s repertoire.
]]> http://www.hiphopsite.com/2011/06/02/lyrics-born-coulda-shoulda-woulda-video/feed/ 0 http://www.hiphopsite.com/2011/02/02/lyrics-born-lies-x-3-trackademics-remix/ http://www.hiphopsite.com/2011/02/02/lyrics-born-lies-x-3-trackademics-remix/#comments Wed, 02 Feb 2011 13:28:04 +0000 http://www.hiphopsite.com/?p=29804

Trackademics teams with VTech Headphones to remix LB’s latest single from As You Were.

LISTEN: Lyrics Born – “Lies X 3 (Trackademics Remix)”

Lyrics Born – “Lies X 3 (Trackademics Remix)”

The Bay area’s Lyrics Born has dwelled in the underground as part of the early 00’s group Latyrx and made a name for himself as a staple in the bay with solo endeavors such as Later That Day. But his latest outing finds him moving way left of the music he is known for, which may send fans for a jolt.

As U Were dives headfirst into a more experimental funk sound rather than a crate digging hip hop vibe. While it may be assumed that the departure could spell trouble for a listener, that’s not the case here. LB does a commendable job with this project that is more noteworthy for its production than its lyrical content.

Simply put, As U Were is an album built from the 1970s foundation of Parliament, grew up during the 80’s pop synth era and then warped into the new millennium. Songs such as “Coulda Woulda Shoulda” bleed an Earth, Wind and Fire vibe with its plush instrumentation and blazing horns. Elsewhere, songs like “Pushed Aside/Pulled Apart” possess a Cameo “Word Up” vibe while “I Wanna B W/U” features haunting synths reminiscent of Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me.”

The album loses steam near the end of the funky ride. Songs like “Something Better” lack the sonic punch of earlier songs while “(What Happened 2 Our) Love Affair” finds LB trapped in 80’s cheesy territory as the song sounds like a Fine Young Cannibals throwaway.

Lyrically, the album still contains the kind of introspection Lyrics Born has been known for on songs such as “I’ve Lost Myself,” which is tinged with notorious self doubt. While those sentiments are still appreciated, they are not enough to make the album great. As U Were wades in waters that border more towards the radio viable rather than being an indie rap hero which may rub listeners the wrong way. Especially when you consider the album’s running theme of not being cut from the same pop cloth as today’s radio friendly hits.

All in all, As U Were is an interesting departure for Lyrics Born. While fun and different, at times it borders on cheesy and tends to get its message a little diluted thanks to its noticeably pop direction. It’s still worth a listen, just as long as you don’t take it too seriously.

Throughout his career, LB has pioneered a unique version of funk rap, using tongue-twisting rhyme patterns and over the top, often giddy production. The mood on Everywhere at Once is similar to the euphoric works of his past, which might be attributed to the warm Cali breeze he endures year round. Lucky bastard.

The lead single “I Like It, I Love It” picks up where “Callin Out” left off, employing a massive bass line and Cali-bounce percussion. P Funk-inspired synths are sprinkled throughout, setting a familiar foundation for LB to channel his inner-Bootsy. Does he keep sequined knee-high boots in the vocal booth for tracks like this?

“Cakewalk” maintains the high-energy on Everywhere at Once. The machine gun 808 bass and hand claps have been used hundreds of times in hip hop, but LB’s revival of the Bay Area party-funk sound breathes new life into the formula. The instrumental could get passed for a classic Eugene Blackwell gem, but Trackademiks take the production credit on this one.

Sometimes LB’s funkiness is too carefree, like on “Top Shelf” which combines an acoustic guitar riff with a two-step dancehall riddim. This kind of genre crossbreeding should be reserved for Santana albums that appeal to middle-aged soccer moms who don’t know any better.

“Do U Buy It” is another example of genre-splicing gone wrong. LB attempts to tackle social grievances, a noble cause indeed, but the 80s new wave influence of hand claps, electric guitar and synths, makes it impossible to take him seriously, let alone concentrate on the compelling lyrics. This could be handy for DJ’s though, if you are stuck trying to transition from Devo to King Tee.

“Rules Were Made To Be Broken” maintains the Quannum funk-hop trademark, and LB slithers throughout the beat at varying speeds. “Is It the Skin I’m In” is tailor made for cruising the boulevard with the windows down, while possibly blowing something in the wind.

Everywhere At Once is Lyrics Born’s most introspective record thus far, and he continues to raise the bar in the funky hip hop sub-genre. The absence of cameos from label-mates Lateef and Gift of Gab is upsetting, but LB proves he can rock solo on 18 tracks. Fans of the Quannum label will be pleased with LB’s growth, and plenty of these tracks could upgrade that summertime mixtape you’re working on. – Chris Seeger

HHS: You just returned from Australia, how was that?

Lyrics Born: It was great.

HHS: What is the hip hop scene like there in comparison to here?

LB: Ahh man, it’s great. You know, they love hip hop over there, it’s unbelievable, I can’t really describe it to you, you know. I mean over there hip hop groups, whether you’re played on the radio or not it doesn’t matter. Well put it like this, my songs get played on the radio over there. “Callin’ Out” went to number one on commercial radio in the Bay, but it was number one in the whole country of Australia out there. It’s just a different scene.

HHS: How does it feel to be back in the Bay?

LB: Yea, it feels good you know, but I’m leaving again tomorrow I mean because I got this album coming out on April 26th. I mean I’m on the roll, grinding constantly, you know? I mean, shit, I’m booked clear through September.

HHS: I just moved from the Bay to LA, so I got a lot of love for the Bay. What influence do you think the Bay had on your style or sound?

LB: As you know from being in the Bay, it’s just it’s a real diverse place, you know what I mean? And it’s always been that way. And I think that’s why the musical tradition is so rich, you know, it’s varied. You know It’s not like that in New York or Los Angeles where you got the whole entertainment business is in those two cities. Where in the Bay Area, you don’t  really have that, you have, if you wanna make records in the bay area, you gotta make your own you know. You got to be part of an independent label you kinda have to be resourceful, you know? And I think for that reason we have a lot more freedom. I think for that reason the music that we make is real varied. You got E-40 on the one hand, Too Short is from the bay, then you got Digital Underground, you know Hieroglyphics, Lyrics Born, Qbert, you know what I mean? And we all sound different. And we only live 10-15 minutes from each other. So you know that’s the whole thing, that’s the way the Bay is. And I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that when we were coming up, because there wasn’t a local industry and there weren’t a lot of records coming out of the Bay area in the early and late 90′s we got equal does of hip hop from all over the country. So we never were like ‘Oh nah we only listen to New York, or nah we only listen to LA, or we only listen to Houston or Miami.’ It came from all over, you know, we soaked it all up.

HHS: So you are basically saying that the Bay gave you an avenue to be creative.

LB:Yea, I mean, it’s less set in it’s own ways, you know what I mean? …Because it’s hard to really say ‘Oh that’s the Bay Area sound.’ You know It’s really hard to say that and I think that what that does is it allows the artist a lot of room to kinda define their own styles.

HHS: Speaking of definitions, hip hop is less of a definition anymore, and more of a seed in which other forms of itself are grown from. As an example, Abstract Rude calls his form “hip hop soul.” Do you call your sound something different or do you just categorize it under the broad umbrella of hip hop?

LB:I think that hip hop is so diverse now that you can say your music is hip hop and it could pretty much be anything, you know what I mean? Just like you said, I mean it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what hip hop is. It’s more like it’s a feeling, or an attitude, then it is a style of music anymore. It’s difficult.

HHS: So talking about your lyrics a little bit, your lyrics just don’t rhyme but you use assonance as a tool. How did you get into doing that?

LB: I just need the freedom to say what I need to say, you know what I mean and I can’t be bound by, you know, old standards. I really got to be able to do my thing. Thank you for picking up on that by the way. I really got to be able to nail it when I’m talking about something, you know what I mean, so I got to use whatever techniques are available.

HHS: Some of your songs are about real life, whereas some of your songs are fables, about minotaurs and riding around on catamarans. Where is the inspiration coming from?

LB: I try to get it from everywhere, you know. I try to live as much life as I can, you know. It’s difficult sometimes. you know the career and the job are so demanding but I try to live as much life as I can and I try to explore as much as I can.

HHS: Speaking of life, what has happened in your life since the release of LTD and the upcoming release of Same Shit?

LB: What’s happened in my life? I mean it’s just crazy. You know you don’t really have head space anymore for a lot things that you used to, you know? And It’s like suddenly your career has taken over your entire life, you know, which is good, that’s a choice on my behalf. I made a choice that if i was gonna do this for a living  I was gonna go all out and try and take it as far as I could, you know. And when you do that, you give up a lot, you know what I mean, of your free time.

And I could say  you know what? Nah, I’m not gonna tour for seven months out of the year, I’m not gonna tour at all…But that’s the choice that I made…

HHS: But it can’t be too bad because you are engaged to Joyo Velarde who is your vocalist, and she gets to tour with you right? So at least you get to tour with a loved one.

LB: That definitely makes it a lot easier, you know. I got guys in my band that are leaving girlfriends and wives and children behind and stuff like that. And I see what they go through, and I don’t have to go through that.

HHS: The remixes from the songs from LTD seem to have more of a baseline, more bump, is that due to the fact that you outsourced for production or is that a representation of a shift in your taste?

LB: I think that’s just my own taste, you know what i mean? I’m into grooves, I like grooves. All kinds of music, but you know I have a soft spot for good grooves. So any kind of groove you know is gonna be centered around a bump space, you know the rhythm. So I think it’s just personal taste.

HHS: The most surprising thing on the ablum, for me at least, was the collaborations that you did on two of the songs. First, on the Pack Up Remix you had Evidence and KRS-One on the same track. How did you hook up with them and then decide to put them on the same track?

LB: You know I’ve known Ev for years. I’ve known Evidence for a long time. And the original Pack Up was probably the most straight ahead hip hop song on my whole album, you know what I mean? So I figured if I was gonna do a remix of this song, I’m gonna go all out and just make it real hop hop. And you know, KRS-One has been, you know, a huge inspiration for me over the years, especially coming up as a young rapper, know what I mean? And I mean, when you think hip hop these days, you equate hip hop with KRS-One, you know what I mean?. And at the same time you know, you take a look around and you say okay, in that style, who’s carrying the torch now? And it’s not really hard to see Dilated Peoples image pop up into your mind when you see that. So you add that along with Jumbo, the Garbageman of Lifesavas, and if you know Jumbo he’s the exact same way. The guy is truly a physical embodiment of hip hop. You know, you put all those ingredients together, I mean, I knew I couldn’t lose. It was sick. That’s one of my favorite collaborations on the album.

HHS: Going back for a sec, you mentioned growing up. When you were growing up how did you decide to be an emcee? Or was it something that naturally happened?

LB: When I first came to California, you know I lived in Utah till I was 4 or 5 years old, and when I came to California it was like total culture shock, you now what I mean? And I’m out here at school, and I’m on the playground and I just hear all these little kids in kindergarten, like my age at the time, going ‘Hip Hop hippy to the hip, the hip hip, the hop.’ You know and I was like ‘Whoa! what the fuck is this?!’ You know what I mean? I was in a trance. One kid would start it off and the other kid would chime in like a couple bars later ‘chicken tastes like wood.’ You know and all that kinda shit and your just like whoa what is this? And it was like totally new, something I never heard before….So technically Rappers Delight was the first hip-hop song  that I ever heard. But you know, I knew all the lyrics to the song you know, months before i actually heard the record…The way that i got initiated was just hearing kids sing it on the schoolyard. But not even hearing the record, I hadn’t even heard the record yet. And then when I heard the record I could see what it was all about. It was just totally new. And I thought, well shit if I can sing this from just hearing other kids sing it and not even hearing the record, I don’t have to take trumpet lessons, I don’t have to be classically trained on the piano. For me it was  just something kinda I took to like a fish to water. And as time went on, as the music developed, I developed along with it, you know? And shit, something just came over me, you now what I mean. I just heard it and I was like shit this is something I can do. And do well. so that’s where that came from. But with all honesty I mean I always knew I was gonna be a performer. You know I knew even from a very early age I knew that my life’s work was gonna be dedicated to art and performing.

HHS: How did you know that?

LB: I just knew it. I just know it…The same way I know that I’m a man.

HHS: Ok, back to the collaborations. The other song that was surprising was the Callin Out Remix where you featured E-40 and Casual. And they are both well known Bay area emcee’s but definitely distinctly different from one another. You even said in your track ‘you thought we’d never make a track together.’ So how did that come together?

LB: Well that’s the whole point. The whole point of doing a remix is doing things that you wouldn’t normally do. Or you wouldn’t think to do you know, on the original version. The remix is where you say to yourself   ‘OK I had my say,’ you know ‘now lets do something a little unexpected here,’ u know what I mean? That’s what the remix is for. I mean I wanna be able to tell people I did a remix with XYZ and have people to be shocked. And it’s difficult for people to do that today with all the collaborations, you know what I mean? And I think for me, coming form the genre that people think that I’m coming from, you know what I mean? When all I ever looked as it as was a musician trying to hook up with other good musicians and other creative people. You know I don’t look at E-40 any differently then the way I look at what I’m doing.  So you know, Casual i’ve known for years, you know what I mean?  But E-40 was definitely, he’s a icon in the Bay area. But even more so then that I think he’s a genius. He’s incredibly talented. You can’t tell me another person who’s as  prolific, or instantly identifiable, and instantly distinguishable, and uncommonly characteristic as him, you know what I mean? So, that’s it.

HHS: In the track,  I’m Just Raw, you talk about being better then others. But the hook is sort of a play of an SNL skit. So some of it seems serious, and some seems to be a joke, can you explain the message you’rr trying to get across?

LB: I’m just having fun, it is a joke. All that comes from being in high school and we use to cat, people call it charging the dozens, your mama jokes. That’s all that comes from. We used to do that shit all lunch period. That’s all that song comes from. That was an art in itself and it still is you know. And it’s just like rapping your trying to get a response from the people around you, you’re trying to be creative, and you’re trying to win, and that’s all that is.

HHS: In I Can’t Wait for Your Love, your very open about your relationship with Joyo. Most artists stray away from mentioning their relationships, why are you different about that topic?

LB: I think because it’s not just my relationship, I mean I think so rarely,  I think we don’t celebrate relationships that actually work, you know? You got plenty of songs out there, you know, talking about how bad there man is or how bad there woman is. Which is fine, you know what I mean, there is definitely a place for all that. But you know, I think it’s important that we have a balance. You don’t want a person out there to get the impression that it’s hopeless, it’s not… Shit, I could write a hundred sons like that, you know. That song just wrote itself,  I mean, you know.

HHS: Later That Day was critically acclaimed, people will probably want to know why mess with a good thing? Why should someone purchase Same Shit if they already copped LTD?

LB: It’s 10 songs ,and 5 new ones, 10 remixes and 5 new ones. And even for the remixes, I mean, we either did new music, new vocals, or both. The Pack Up Remix doesn’t sound anything like the old one, you know for instance. And you know it was something that I just wanted to do as continued growth for myself, you know what I mean? It’s fun to listen to. I really, you know, went the distance on it… I didn’t want to make just another shitty remix album out on the shelves, you know what I mean? I really made sure to focus and made sure that you would get something out of it different then you would out of the album album. It’s not as conceptual, it’s not as heady as the album is, you know what I mean? You know,  I’m not trying to make a conceptual statement other then just let it go.  I just hope it holds peoples attention, you know? And they walk away from it like ‘Damn!’ You know? There are still places we can go with this music…and there is still more to be built from it.

      Like Later That Day, Same Shit Different Day gives listeners a taste of the many styles and sounds of the multi-talented Lyrics Born. He is easiest to grasp when catering to the masses on posse cut remixes of “Pack Up” (feat. Evidence and KRS-One) and “Callin’ Out” (feat. E-40 and Casual), both doses of raw hip-hop which feature the five emcees competing for the spotlight. The same can be said on underground party movers like the new Jumbo remix of “Hello”, and the Morcheeba reinterpretation of “Stop Complaining”. But mainstream folk will most enjoy LB as he pours his heart out on either remix of the classic “I Changed My Mind”, as well as it’s follow-up “Shake It Off (Bad Dreams Part 2)”, where LB sings the blues with equal passion. 

     But Lyrics Born most interesting moments come when attacking with unorthodox styles. Eminem would be jealous if he heard Young Einstien’s remix of “Do That There”, where Born delivers three incredible, comprehensive entirely rhyming verses, with the third verse taking the cake. “I’m Just Raw” is another lyrical exercise, where LB delivers an array of humorous caps (despite the questionable SNL inspired hook). 

    But Same Shit, Different Day does hit a snag or two, as the album moves into mellower territory on the pair of Joyo Velarde crooned tracks with both “Over You” and “I Can’t Wait For Your Love”. While neither track is bad, there are plenty of other good examples of Lyrics Born in good form throughout the rest of the album. 

    Still, while Same Shit Different Day presents a bevy of different styles from the emcee, that’s also part of it’s problem. Those dreading monotony, fear not, but on the same token, S.S.D.D. feels like it’s all over the place. However, in its defense, it should, for it is a remix album, not a true sophomore release. Die hard fans will enjoy it, newbies will find a few things to appreciate on it, but it make take a new full-length of fresh new material to please everybody. 

Later that Day is an excursion into the everyman’s day, with sidebars into the surreal landscape of some bugged out lyrics, all against a backdrop of tracks that are (at times) as comparable to a Roots or an early Tribe album as they are to an old Commodores album.  Through it all, Lyrics Born’s one of a kind gruff and grumble voice guides the listener through his soul-filled, stream-of-consciousness poetry, inflicting his perspectives with funk-drenched cadences. With darts of alliteration and rapid-fire, double-up style rhymes, LB hits some amazing points in his vocal deliveries while always managing to slip in clever jewels of wisdom through the use of his wordplay. His rhymes are sometimes playful, sometimes silly, sometimes sloppy, but always really goddamn funky. The first track; “Bad Dreams” is an anthem of the everyday that is driven by a solid rock beat with some deep, deep bass and a hook that sticks in your head like peanut butter does to the roof of your mouth. It’s chunky. “Callin’ Out” is guaranteed to get them asses shakin’ out on the dancefloor with its thump-and-grind rhythm, as is the almost live-sounding, disco-bastardized:  “Do That There” which enlists the formidable work of Cut Chemist from Jurassic 5. “Pack Up” is about the only track that comes anywhere near “regular” hip hop, both in sound and in lyrics.  Some straight boom-bap drums lay the foundation for a rock guitar loop as LB takes aim at the surplus of neophyte rappers who just don’t have the skills to bring it. As the hook states; “some things is scared, I don’t play with my stage or my audience.”  “Last Trumpet” teams up Born and his old counterpart Lateef for some vintage, Latyrx-style tag team fusion and it is one of the highlights of the record. It’s a hectic, raucous song that takes its energy and builds and builds itself to inevitable explosion. Both spit so many intricate, socially conscious lines that they’ll have you rewinding like HG Welles just to figure out what the hell they are saying. Towards the end of the album, Lyrics Born veers off into territories unknown with some real trippin’ joints that are perfect for that end-of-the-blunt; swill of the 40 haze that should settle in just as you reach “Love Me So Bad” (which features the ethereal vocals of Joyo Velarde of “Balcony Beach” fame). From there on the shit gets weird.

Most of the production duties are handled very capably by LB himself and are perfectly crafted to fit his organic style. The tracks range from grainy, elctro-funkrock to schizophrenic dancehall rhythms to stuff that is just plain indescribable. Lyrics Born is not afraid to go really “out there” with both his beats and his rhymes, and his bravery is rewarded with an album’s worth of dynamic, soulful music that is perfectly complemented by his abstract lines.  Later That Day is not your typical hip hop (nor is it for the typical hip hop listener), but it manages to capture that gray middle ground between bangin’ and experimental (which is the scariest term in all of hip hop) perfectly.