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Laila! Brings DIY Flavor to R&B On Her Debut LP
The 18-year-old Brooklyn artist talks about her self-produced debut album, her admiration for ‘90s female R&B, and her favorite song by her father, Yasiin Bey, formerly Mos Def.
On the 17-track LP is an acoustic Miseducation-like introduction (“Talent Show”), a spacey groove where the cherub 18-year-old raps that she’s “cute in the face” and makes “hard beats” (“Want 2”), and a gentle-yet-firm goodbye to a romantic interest that isn’t on her level (“We’re So Over!”). Currently, Laila!’s comfortable with her production style and namedrops SZA, Tyler, the Creator, Frank Ocean, Brent Faiyaz, and Steve Lacy as dream collaborators. calls “a fun moment in culture.” But among Laila!’s beat-making heroes are producers grounded in sonic futurities, like Missy Elliott, J Dilla, Budgie, and underground virtuoso ICYTWAT.
Or read this on BET.com
