Starting in the late ‘90’s as an integral factor within the Bay Area [Northern California] collective(s) Solesides / Quannum Projects, consisting of DJ Shadow, Blackalicious, Lifesavas and Latyrx, of which he was one half of alongside Lateef the Truthspeaker, Lyrics Born’s notable career now spans well over three decades.
As the first Asian-American solo rapper to perform at Lollapalooza, Coachella and release a greatest hits record, among other barrier breaking accomplishments, LB returns with his sixteenth, and final - yeah, you read that right; his swan song if you will - LP, Goodbye, Sticky Rice [Mobile Home Recordings].
Lyrics Born, who was born in Tokyo and raised in Berkeley, CA, has since branched out from music to television / film; appearing in Boots Riley’s 2018 ‘Sorry to Bother You’ and starring alongside Ali Wong, Daniel Park and Keanu Reeves in Netflix’s ‘Always Be My Maybe,’ as well as launching his own cooking series, ‘Dinner in Place,’ on YouTube.
First things first, let’s hop into these first two entries; "Take It 2 Far" and “What Dreams Are Made Of” — Tell me about these two tracks; how did they come to fruition?
I was super inspired by ‘80’s Funk and R&B my entire life, especially during the pandemic as it kept my mood and spirits up. I knew that I wanted to make a full-on going away party album with Goodbye, Sticky Rice, fueled by these inspirational notes. I probably threw 10 or 20 song references at producer TEAK the BEATSmith, and he turned these around in short order. At that point, I just got to work, and captured the spirit of the moment. Once Snoop Dogg reposted "Take It 2 Far," we were off to the races, and here we are 3mil views later.
Of course "Take It 2 Far" and “What Dreams Are Made Of” come courtesy of your (what’s being referred to as your final) album, Goodbye, Sticky Rice — Conceptually, what does this title represent both to and for you?
Goodbye, Sticky Rice is my 16th album. I love this album so much, I have given so much to my music career, and now I want to pursue other opportunities that have been calling me. My cooking show 'Dinner In Place' season five is on the horizon, as well as some other film and TV projects that I’m working on, so I need to give myself the opportunity to show up in the best way possible. When you have a music career like mine, it’s all consuming, because the quality control and attention to detail is so high. I’m so focused on innovation and growth, it occupies your entire bandwidth. I knew I couldn’t do it all at a level that I would be happy with if my attention was split in too many different directions.
How then does Goodbye, Sticky Rice either differ and / or compare to previous LYRICS BORN efforts?
I would say Goodbye, Sticky Rice is an addition to a body of work spanning over three decades. I really want people to say, "Wow, that guy was very committed to living in his purpose and his truth, and went where the spirit led him, regardless of what was happening on the periphery, or any background noise."
Now last year (August 11th 2023 to be exact) also marked the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop — What exactly does that mean to and for you?
Hip Hop has given me so much. It gave me direction and illuminated a sense of purpose for me in my life. The music and culture has given me everything in terms of inspiration, identity, and perspective, to the point where it’s woven into the very fabric of who I am. What’s beautiful about Hip Hop, is that I know I’m not the only one that feels this way. It’s affected the world in a way that no other genre has, and is embedded in global culture forever.
To quote the late, great The Notorious B.I.G., “You never thought that Hip Hop would take it this far!” — Was this something that you ever could’ve imagined?
I just know what the music and culture meant and means to me, and the people around me. As a kid growing up, listening and living Hip Hop, the absolute truth was in the present, and I never thought about the effect it would have 50 years later. I’m so proud of how far we’ve come, the power that Hip Hop has, and that I’ve been able to play some small part in that legacy.
What are some of your fondest, most stand-out moments / memories during your lengthy tenure in this thing called Hip Hop?
I think the privilege and pleasure of having been afforded such a long career contributing to the music and culture I love, and also adding on in a way where I was able to show people new direction, new faces, and new voices that could further represent the music and movement. I’m very proud of that.
That said, what all else are your future plans and / or goals throughout the remainder of 2024 and beyond?
Goodbye, Sticky Rice drops October 25th and I will be on tour for the rest of the year on the 'Goodbye, Sticky Rice' Tour. Beyond that I will be prepping for ‘Dinner In Place’ season five, as well as continuing on a world tour next year.
Switching gears here, what exactly do you want people to get from your music?
I want people to feel motivated to move. Move you to dance, move you to think, move you to feel, and move you to take action. If my music motivates you to do these things, I have done my job.
If you could collaborate with any one artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?
James Brown. I just want to be a part of and witness his process. He’s probably my number one inspiration at the end of the day.
If you could play any venue in the world, which one would you choose and why?
I have not played Red Rocks yet, but I will soon. I can’t wait to do my stadium tour either.
On a more serious note, are you happy with the current state of Hip Hop?
I am happy with the state of Hip Hop. It will always grow and change, it will always morph and cross-pollinate, and it will always thrive. As long as those things happen, I’m happy.
What do you feel has and will continue to be the key to your longevity?
Firstly, faith in God. I’m very committed to who I am, and assuming a positive outcome from the action of being myself. I’m very committed to staying creative, exploring new ideas, and whatever I have to do to remain in that flow state. I also attribute my resourcefulness and resilience to my success, and continually finding a way to create successful avenues and outlets for ideas. I believe I also have been able to maintain longevity because I have a very open attitude towards evolution. That means embracing new methods, new ideas, and new people. No one will ever be able to accuse me of being stuck in the past. Whether it’s past attitudes, past looks, styles, tastes, methods, or practices. I don’t look like, sound like, or move like any other Artist, and that hasn’t always been the easiest road, but it has ensured that I always have a lane. I also believe a strong commitment to teamwork, and working well with, and within groups has helped move the agenda forward and sustain itself. This is a highly underrated skill that nobody can succeed without.
Do you have any other outside / additional (future) aspirations, maybe even completely away from entertainment?
Of course, but as those ideas are always in development, I will unveil them when they are ready for the world.
What’s an average day like for you?
To be honest, I don’t have an average day. In general, however, it involves dedicating a good chunk of the day to be creative. Sometimes that looks like me writing my ass off, rapping or talking to myself, or sometimes doing nothing at all, and just spending time being present in my surroundings, and allowing ideas to come to me. I try to spend as much time with family as I can, because I want to be as present as I can with our unit. Also, I have a ton of conversations every day with other creatives in a variety of realms and mediums in an effort to conceptualize and hatch new ideas, and then see them through successfully.
Please discuss how you interact with and respond to fans...
At this point most of my interaction is via social media. I respond to almost all comments on Instagram and TikTok, and also of course, I find myself chopping it up with fans on the street. I can't tell you how many sessions, rehearsals, or meetings I've been late for because I got stopped somewhere and was suddenly engaged in a super deep convo with a fan. LOL.
What is your favorite part about this line of work? Your least favorite? And, why?
My favorite part about this line of work is that I feel as though I’m living my purpose. That’s the beginning and the end of it. My least favorite part is that the lack of privacy can be taxing. It’s an unfortunate byproduct of the game.
What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Have faith, plan, and always trust your gut.
Looking ahead, say five or maybe even ten years from now, where do you see yourself?
God willing, I will be healthy, and do the exact same thing I’m doing now, which is pursuing my dreams and living a life of purposeful creativity.
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