Hot off the heels of Mobile Homies Season 1 which was a bombastic collection of tracks that was written like an album but played like a mixtape, Vision Board is a focused affair that found him stretching his creativity farther and challenging himself to write in a way he’s never written before. Recorded primarily in New Orleans and produced by Rob Mercurio of Galactic (who also produced 2015’s Real People and 2018’s Quite a Life), it posited him in a new environment that helped his creative juices flow even more fluidly.
As the first Asian-American solo rapper to perform at Lollapalooza and Coachella and to release a greatest hits record, Lyrics Born has broken through countless barriers to cement his storied and illustrious career. Having been part of the Quannum Projects collective of Hip Hop artists from the San Francisco Bay Area that spawned such lyrical luminaries as Blackalicious, Lateef the Truthspeaker, Lifesavas, DJ Shadow, among many others, Lyrics Born established himself firmly among the upper echelon of indie Hip Hop artists. He has also expanded his empire into film, including roles in Boots Riley’s critically-acclaimed Sorry To Bother You and the aforementioned Netflix film Always Be My Maybe starring comedian Ali Wong, Randall Park, and Keanu Reeves. With a new album, a new physical presence, and a new outlook on life, Lyrics Born isn’t planning on slowing down any time soon. In fact, he’s ready to take on the music world in a way he’s never done before. “I’m always challenging myself, and this is the person I always imagined myself becoming and being, even if it wasn’t obvious,” he smiles. “I feel better than I ever have on so many levels, and I love being able to express myself physically and artistically in ways that I have never been able to before.
Watch the video for Alligator Boots: