Toronto-based queer alt-hip hop artist, Lex Leosis, shares the latest single and outlaw anthem, “Wanted,” along with a video. The new release is from her EP, Terracotta, which will be dropping just in time for peak summer vibes on July, 9, 2021. The now Tiktok rap battle champ is showing off her signature attitude in the “Wanted” video with her lioness hair and long, bright nails.
On the new video, Leosis says, “The Wanted video is the perfect pairing to my record. I was so excited to create a video that was as high-energy as the song! I had so much fun on set, and I’m excited to share this one with the world.” On the song itself, she says, “While in lockdown, I had been watching so many classic movies…Thelma and Louise, Heist, Catch Me If You Can. I wanted to make a song that felt like a getaway moment. Instead of making a track for a specific movie, I envisioned that this track WAS a movie. I went into this full-on vision of my best friend (Keysha Freshh) and I on the run.”
The latest track follows the debut single from the new project, the sunny, tropical-beat infused, “Won’t Wait,” which showcased a breezy, bouncy beat under Leosis’ vulnerable lyrics and she yearns for real talk and love, but not at the expense of self-worth. “Won’t Wait” and “Wanted” were produced by Rainer Blanchaer (Drake, The Weeknd, French Montana, The 1975), who is an executive producer on the EP. Having met through Leosis’ roommate, Blanchaer became a pandemic pal, and one of the only people she’s seen consistently seeing during lockdown. They’ve used their time making music together in Leosis’ bedroom studio and the result is Terracotta.
Leosis also admits, “The EP definitely had a muse. Someone I really love and has consistently inspired me. This EP details all the feelings I’ve had about them, and consequently, about myself over the last year.” A dedication to the softness that quarantine created in her, a part of herself she didn’t have time to look at before. She also had time to dig through her grandfather’s old jazz records that she loved as a kid. When he passed in 2009, the records were given to her but had been dusty until Covid made her slow down. The piano, saxophones and live drums on those records inspired the live elements on the new EP and Leosis says, “He had this foresight to leave those to me. We used to sit in his car outside our house and just listen to Jazz and I loved music as a kid.”
Between her quality time with Rainer, her grandfather’s records and her time to be with herself, she found a way to channel summer’s warmth, growth and freedom into 6 tracks. Stay tuned for more before the EP is out on July 9, 2021.
About Lex Leosis
Known for her dynamic flows, aggressive stage presence and elaborate story-telling, Lex Leosis is a name you will soon remember. With a unique gravely vocal delivery, acrobatic flows, and a mastery of her instrumentation, Lex breathes life into Hip-Hop and mesmerizes with her rapping abilities. Setting herself uniquely apart by holding space for various causes and using her platform to support other women and non-binary artists and creatives, Lex is not afraid to give props where it’s due.
Born in the west end of Toronto, Lex Leosis has dedicated her life to her music and artistry. Juggling her hiphop career, a plant-forward cooking website and catering company, and holding down multiple jobs, Lex prides herself on hard work, discipline and survival, traits she picked up from her mother. It gave Lex the energy to perfect her craft, grow her career and exchange stories with artists from all over the world. Lex is loud, opinionated, constantly fighting for what she believes in and hungry to make something of the Leosis name. She’s got an attack in her flow, juxtaposed with a finesse in her lyricism and a hunger in her vocal tone. Her family gave her traditions, Toronto shaped her, and California helped form her sound.
Keep your eyes on this rising star as she continues to blaze her own trail in hip hop.
