If it wasn’t clear enough from the video for his last single, “Boom,” it’s worth explicitly noting how little concern Le1f seems to have for what the rap establishment thinks about him or his music. He freely chooses which hip hop conventions to appropriate or obliterate, and he commits 100% either way. For all of the focus on his novelty as a gay rapper, the reality is that his uniqueness goes far beyond that.
The video for “Sup” encapsulates Le1f’s taste for pushing hip hop to new extremes in a way that seems utterly instinctive. He doesn’t just rap in the woods; he raps in the woods while alternating between rocking a white mesh t-shirt and camo waders. There’s probably not another human on this earth that could make the same claim. He dances on neoclassical ruins left inexplicably in the middle of a forest as he makes his way towards a teleportation beam. That’s right — there’s sci-fi involved too. But “Sup” is about more than being bizarre for its own sake. The song highlights Le1f as a strong MC with legitimate chops as a rapper, his lyrics exuding his confident sexuality while somehow also incorporating references to forest fires, Earl Grey tea, and Johnny Appleseed.
Le1f is fracturing the traditional image of the rapper, which puts his previous beef with Lord Jamar in context. It’s easy to see why the old guard of hip hop feels threatened, because Le1f is changing the game and seriously owning it. Good luck stopping him. Watch below.
Hey EP is out now on Terrible Records/XL Recordings.
