Lelo.
Akhil Sesh via publicist.
The Opener is The FADER’s short-form profile series of casual conversations with exciting new artists.
Lelo knows confidence is more than half the battle. So it’s no surprise the Detroit rapper sounds cool and collected no matter if he’s rapping over Sade or trading bars with sosocamo. He’s seen his profile rise far outside his hometown over the past year, thanks to his long-gestating debut album New Detroit and a bevy of excellent loosies. In a couple months he’ll perform at Rolling Loud, and if January single “Dice Roll” is any indicator, fans can expect another undeniable song or two before Lelo hits the stage in Orlando.
Read Next: Lelo’s finish line is constantly evolving
When we talked last summer, Lelo explained to me how his meticulous recording process stems from his experience in art school. “I had a painting instructor who was really big on teaching people how to become an artist," he said. "It's not all rainbows. You going to make a million things you hate, you going to make things you love.” Above all else, you can hear Lelo’s love for hip-hop on every song: no matter how effortless his raps come across, his nimble bars and unpredictable wordplay inevitably reveal his intense determination as a lyricist.
The FADER caught up with Lelo to talk about fans misunderstanding lyrics, his favorite tattoos, and the first album he bought for his CD collection.
What’s the coolest thing to do in your hometown?
Go see a DJ set. Anywhere with a DJ. Not necessarily a club, but somewhere that’s set up with turntables and a DJ board.
Tell us about the first album you bought and why.
I was panhandling and sweeping albums off my grandad and pops at first, and my mom too! We used to have the bootleg CD holder that had a bunch of burnt songs on there.
At the barbershops in the hood, there was a man that would come thru with bootleg movies and music. He sold them for the cheap while you get your haircut.
I think the first album I ever bought myself was a Skrillex album – the one with “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprite” on it.
What was the last movie you watched, and give a short review.
Kung-Fu Hustle. Some really fly shit.
When you’re not making music, how do you spend your free time?
Just random shit. Driving around, seeing family, and I’m super into coffee so I’m always going out to get coffee. The museum and art down here is fire too, so I’ll be where the art is at.
Explain a lyric of yours that people misunderstand.
Bruh, it's a million of them. When I said “ I just need a 10” on “Paris,” they started asking me if I was talking about a perc but that was so backwards to me. The whole song I’m obviously talking about women.
What’s a song you’d want to cover and why?
There’s a lot! I definitely would wanna cover some Michael Franks.
On some real fly shit, if I could do an old Kem song like “Share My Life,” that would be fire. I’d have to do singing lessons though so I don’t embarrass myself.
Tell us about your favorite tattoo.
My favorite tattoos are “Forever In a Day” and “New Detroit” that I have on me. “New Detroit” is self-explanatory. “Forever In a Day” –– for one, it’s a saying and another way to say “forever,” always moving and always going. It’s also a Big K.R.I.T. song (“4evaNaDay”) and I used to ride around in the car with my dad to it, so that one’s a big deal to me.
Best advice you’ve gotten
It's cliché, but “you can’t lose!” As soon as you start moving like you can’t lose, you get more confident, start feeling flier, taking more chances. It’s all about the mindset.
Worst advice you’ve gotten
I hate that term “jack of all trades, master of none.” That's the dumbest shit I ever heard in my life. Imagine telling somebody like Jamie Foxx that you can’t master different trades at once.
We got people out here who have won a Grammy, Oscar, Emmy and Tony award. There are 27 people with the EGOT status including Viola Davis. Imagine somebody said that to Viola Davis! That shit make me mad as hell.
What’s the ideal level of fame and why?
I can’t describe it as a level but I can describe it as a person: Keanu Reeves. That’s the perfect level of fame. Realistically, he’s on the red carpet, can do whatever he wants, has millions of dollars from the movies, people listen when he speaks, but also he can be driving around on a motorcycle, sitting down at the coffee shop. That’s the ideal level of fame to me.
Describe the best concert you’ve attended.
Keith Sweat came to Detroit, that was fly! It was me, Dub, some other friends and a bunch of TT’s in the crowd. That was fly.
What’s the last thing you wrote in your notes app?
I can’t even tell you cause it’s just all disjointed in there. I write shit down in there but forget what it means or what I was talking about by the time I go back to it.
