While looking for new artists in the South Florida scene, there's a huge amount of talent to search through. The scene is saturated with different looks, genres, ages, and styles, but today we're focussing on the rappers.
Our local artist today might be under the radar right now, but she's coming up quicker and quicker as time goes on, and if you aren't hip to her right now, it's time to remember the name.
LYRIC THE BLACKSHEEP.
Lyric's music is hard to box into one type of style. It's an interesting blend of old school style bars and rhyme schemes, mixed with the new school melodies and trap beats.
She sings, raps, and uses a lot of "spacey" type of beats to really bring in an interesting vibe to every song she releases.
Gross Media spoke with Lyric virtually while in quarantine to get a closer look into who she is as an artist, and why she does what she does.
-What does your name mean?
-Lyric is basically because I've been writing music for as long as I can remember. Black sheep is because in a world full of rappers, a lot of people are out here making music. I feel my sound stands out and people will see my sound is different. Lately I peep a lot of people mimicking what others do to stand out and calling it different. I’m me.
That couldn't be more accurate to her sound. It's not a familiar sound. Her melodies are catchy and the flows are unique to her. The authenticity in the music speaks volumes.
-Why do you make music and when did you start?
-I’ve been writing music for as long as I can remember. Its been around me all my life. I have family members that use to make music themselves but never really took it serious. I didn’t start taking it serious until recently because I was more focused on coming up financially. Regardless I was always writing and knew I would start putting my stuff out there one day. I use it to express all the shit I hold inside and to help other let go also.
Her pain is true to her. Nowadays, anyone can become a rapper. There's different stories true to each individual artist. Lyric didn't always have the luxury of going to local shows and pushing her music out to the world. Instead, she's spent years in and out of jail.
-(if comfortable with it) Speak about your past time locked up and how that’s influenced the person and artist you are today.
-I’ve been in and out the system since I was 15. At that age, I was taken into custody for a fire arm charge & was facing being direct filed . After that I found myself going in there back to back even after I turned 18. All I could do was write, think, and plan. I got caught up and I was fighting at 15 for a home invade. After going through that i made a decision to just put my all into this music because thats the only thing I know besides that reckless shit. If I don’t put my all in this I know I’ll be back in there leaving my family to hurt out here again.
-Being a member of LGBTQ+, how has that influenced you as a person and artist?
-My sexuality doesn’t define my music. Like I tell people what I’ve been through in my music, my trials and tribulations as a person. I just happen to be a girl that gets pussy and I love that shit.
Lyric is an artist from South Florida, and has started to become heavily involved in the West Palm Beach scene. Doing shows at popular Palm Beach venues like DreamHouse, and Sugar Plumb. She's also collaborated with many local artists out here including Famm Dumez, Roxy777, Stevie Hollows, and the late Tommy6Figures, to name a few.
-The South Florida music scene and how thats influenced you.
-One thing about being from Florida, feel me, low key sky’s the limit with this music shit. Fuck a genre like all other states, feel me, hyped up and all that. But most states don’t have the sound we have. We don’t limit ourselves down here . I’ve got to work with and meet so many different artists with different sounds I don't limit myself.
-The underground community out here with all the shows and events, why is that so important to keep?
-Everything starts at home. There is so much talent out here and so many people deserve to be heard. I like to work with the people in my community because I want to see us all prosper. We have too much talent out here and it needs to be noticed. Sometimes we worry so much about being seen that we don’t see each other.
In a current state of social media and music in general, it's easy to get lost in the desire for popularity and 'Clout'. It's refreshing to see an artist who doesn't care or write about those things.
- Any projects/singles coming up?
- I have multiple projects I’ve been working on. The first one I will put out will be my Ep Saturn I Landed. I’ve already released a song from it called VS The World.
-Your ultimate goals as an artist and what message you want to convey in your music
-I just want people to hear me, hear my message, hear what the fuck I’m saying. That's all I want from this. Through my music I will show it’s ok to be yourself, love yourself, whatever dreams you have go after it, let loose in this fucked up ass world.
You can follow Lyric on Instagram @lyric_the_blacksheep & find her music on Soundcloud under Lyric The Blacksheep https://soundcloud.com/virtuosolyric
Be yourself. Love yourself.
Artist Spotlight VOL.4
-Gross Media