As an artist who rides through tough times and comes out the other side a better man, Li’Kev has emerged as not only one of hip-hops most notable rising stars, but also a beacon of inspiration for others. Taken from his third studio album ‘BOLO’, ‘Word Around Town’ is a track packed with 808-heavy grooves and catchy lyricism that tells listeners the story of his fast-paced lifestyle.
Although the track was released independently as part of the ‘BOLO’ album in April 2021, Li’Kev now finds himself proudly signed to Outlet Entertainment. Produced by Elliot Dugas, the track was one of the standouts of the album and is part of a body of work that showcased the sheer diversity of his talents.
Since the release, Li’Kev has gone on to release his fourth album, ‘Crossroads’ in June, with his impressive mix of hip hop-infused melody and aggression reaching over 100,000 streams on Spotify after its first week of release.
From a form of therapy that he’s used to get himself through tough times, to a beacon of opportunity that now offers the possibility to create change, the music of Louisiana-based hip-hop specialist Li’Kev has a fair few stories to tell. Now proudly signed to Outlet Entertainment, he’s intent on forging a career at the top of the rap game.
Simply attempting to define the eclectic style of Li’Kev in a matter of sentences would be an injustice to the diversity that his talents know. From beats such as ‘Cruising’, which draw similarities to that iconic 90s West-Coast sound, the 808-heavy grooves abundant in tracks such as ‘Word Around Town’, to the more lyrically raw and emotively honest songs such as ‘Moving On, the only way to truly appreciate the array of sounds he has conquered is to experience his discography for yourself.
Citing heavy influence from artists such as Kevin Gates, NBA Youngboy, Rod Wave and Roddy Rich, Li’Kev has carved out his own sound that juxtaposes melody and aggression, an ethos that can be discovered in tracks like ‘Zone’ and ‘Feeling Good’. Regularly touching on the theme of achieving your goals even when the world is against you, his music covers the spectrum of emotion — from happiness to pain, struggle, motivation, triumph, and everything in between.
Originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Li’Kev found himself growing up in a rough neighborhood. Although he made the best of a bad situation throughout, his life changed for the better when he moved to Prairieville and turned over a new leaf. While growing up was never plain sailing, adversity inevitably shaped Li’Kev to be the man he is today, as well as heavily inspiring his music and his personal pursuit for greatness.
Although he’s only been making music for four years, Li’Kev has impressively released as many albums. ‘Respect’ (2020), ‘Against The World’ (2021), BOLO (2021), and Crossroads (2021) — the latter two have gone on to truly showcase the undeniable talent and ice-cold flow that has set him apart from the other emerging hip-hop artists of the past few years.
With his recent ventures in music maturing himself as a human being and his music simultaneously, Li’Kev has his sights set on big things. He hopes to one day start his own imprint, where he can take the brightest stars of the future and pass the knowledge he’s obtained back upon them.
Website • Instagram • Apple Music • Spotify • YouTube
