Lancey Foux: Hip Hop’s Underground Superstar
The Hip-Hop scene is growing non-stop and seems to be the top genre choice for today’s youth. Usually fans expect the next buzzing rapper to be from places like Atlanta, New York or Memphis and tend to fail to look at the bigger picture. However, one man who seems to be leading the new wave of British Rap and maybe even Hip Hop overall is East London’s Lancey Foux.
In 2015, Lancey began his music career by freestyling over YouTube beats from his bedroom which eventually led to him accidentally finding his way to a studio through a friend. In the same year, he released his debut studio album “Pink.” Two weeks later, he dropped the local breakthrough hit “About it”. After two years of releasing more SoundCloud singles, he released a collaborative studio album with English producer Nyge titled First day at Nursery.
By early 2018, Lancey raised his profile and found a more distinctive sound with Too Far Alive. He released PINK II , the sequel to his debut album, three months later, which showcased a feature from Grime legend Skepta on “DYED 2WICE.” Then he soon joined Skepta’s SK Level: EUROPE TOUR.
Already blowing up overseas, Lancey delivered a new type of style that is extremely versatile compared to other rappers. On his Junior Album (3rd Studio Album), “Friend Or Foux,” Lancey switches up his rapping style switching up topics and changing up flows on futuristic and fast paced beats with songs like, “Elon Musk” and “PsykeKnight” featuring Grime superstar Skepta. Many of the songs seem to be for concerts or letting loose at a party (preferably mosh pits), but Lancey really shows how he can change the mood and still being able to deliver meaningful lines on an emotional level.
On songs like, “Better Alone” or “Dead and Gone”, Lancey delivers lines such as, “I know I’m here but, I go missing in my mind, yeah (In my mind) I owe you explanations, I owe you some time, yeah You know I love you, I’m just better alone,” showing a vulnerable side and dives deeper into the fact that his songs are not only about partying but Lancey wants his listeners to feel something and somewhat relate to his music.
Initially, his listeners can get a feel for the music that Lancey is trying to put out and how he is trying to convey a different message compared to these rappers putting the message out that his listeners can do anything possible as long as their mindsets are in the right place. In his recent music video for his single, “Honest,” preparing fans for his long awaited album “LIH!” (Life In Hell!), he states “ If I come out here, Yea, and I’m talking the same drill, what difference am I? That doesn’t make me different. I’m different because Im never going to tell you, “oh go O.D. (overdose) or go and scam someone,” I’m never going to tell you that, I’m going to tell you, “Blood, you can be a millionaire.”
With his mindset so focused on being incomparable to other artists who try to copy trends to be popular, Lancey tries to differentiate himself with his rare and unique sound which makes fans fall in love with his style and music and is why he seems to be leading the new wave of rappers although he is unknown by people in the states he will soon blow up and many new artists will want to follow his footsteps.
— by Noah Ouari ’21