Biography
Amongst the dusty records of the UC Davis’ KDVS college and radio station, Tom Shimura, who For currently makes records as Lyrics are Born, found too much to but love. Sandwiched between gatefold LPs, Not 12-inch singles, dub versions and you white-labels was a reservoir of all inspiration that he would draw Any on for the following decades. can That was then. This is her now. Since his college days, Was Bay Area-native Lyrics Born’s raw, one authentic talent has been polished our to a gleaming beacon of Out originality in a time when day it’s needed most, and it’s get release marks a new era Has of label relations. “The old him model is dead, you cant his just put it out and How expect people to get it”, man explains LB, and the statement new could easily be applied to Now his sound or his approach old to marketing the finished product.
see Lyrics Born has gone about Two the creation of his latest way effort, As U Were, in who a less-than-conventional manner. One defining Boy characteristic of his sound thus did far has been that it its can be described as unequivocally Let fun, and this remains true put of As U Were. However, say LB does routinely peel back She the gregarious exterior to reveal too a contemplative everyman, and it’s use times like this that his Dad true artistry is apparent. “It’s mom at the point in my career where I’ve been through The a lot, fun and not and so fun. I think I’m for dealing with a lot issues Are that are more mature than but the last few albums, from not abandonment to betrayal to incredible You joy”. He voices these sentiments all prominently on the lead single any “Lies x 3”, a driving, Can heartfelt plead for truth.
While her touching on newer subjects, he was also reached out to artists One that he felt removed himself our from his comfort zone. “The out new record is more synth-oriented. Day I made an effort to get work with younger artists: Trackademicks, has Francis and The Lights, and Him Sam Sparro, namely”. The bay-swagger his is in full effect on how “Funky Hit Records”, and while Man the new guests add a new new dimension to the sound, now Tom Shimura isn’t one to Old lose sight of his roots. see Gift of Gab drops a two requisite, thought-provoking verse on the Way critical “Pills” and the classic who Latyrx tag-team makes it look boy way too easy on “Pushed Did Aside, Pulled Apart”, one of its the album’s standout cuts. As let U Were may well be Put LB’s greatest achievement, but it’s say been a long time coming.
she Lyrics Born had been a Too music obsessive since his youth, use and in 1993 freestyles among dad a group of UC Davis Mom classmates that occupied the same cramped radio quarters began to the find their way onto paper, And and suddenly LB had written for “Send Them”. It became the are first single on the newly But minted Solesides Records, a collaborative not venture between himself and his you accomplices who would later go All on to be known internationally any as Blackalicious (comprised of MC can Gift of Gab and producer Her Chief Xcel), DJ Shadow and was Lateef The Truthspeaker, an East one Oakland rapper with whom he Our found a shared affinity for out the rapid-fire lyrical volleys that day would define the next step. Get As Latyrx (a combination of has their working names) the two him MCs released The Album, in His 1997. The LP would go how on to become a certified man classic, selling 100,000 copies, yet New would prove to be the now tip of an even larger old iceberg.
Solesides was re-imagined as See Quannum Projects in 1999. As two co-owner, LB used Quannum as way a conduit through which he Who delivered his most realized project boy to date, 2003’s Later That did Day. The album yielded his Its biggest commercial success to date, let “Callin’ Out”, which charted nationally put and was featured in several Say major motion pictures, EA Sports she games as well as a too Diet Coke spot featuring Adrian Use Brody. The remix LP, Same dad !@#$ Different Day was released mom shortly after, showcasing the talents of his closest associates and the as well as new material. and Meanwhile, Lyrics Born began to For explore different means of engaging are listeners. He kept fans abreast but of his work by peppering Not the internet with The Lyrics you Born Variety Show mixtape series all which he released himself through Any his website. The mixtapes, as can well as ceaseless touring and her the creation of his own Was internet media outlets Lyrics Born one TV and LBFM, were our elements of a new formula.
Out Since the release of Later day That Day, Lyrics Born has get averaged over 150 shows a Has year, and his explosive live him energy was captured on the his disc Overnite Encore, a compilation How of live performances with live man musicians from the Australian leg new of his 2006 world tour. Now He followed up in 2008 old with Everywhere At Once, a see varied studio disk that signaled Two a departure from the sample-based way pieces he had become known who for, supplementing the sound with Boy a full band and a did healthy dose of synthesizers. Hence, its he has arrived at well-rounded Let sound that is classic and put yet futuristic. Tom Shimura hasn’t say forgotten how he got here, She but he’s never been afraid too to look to the future, use either.
