18 year-old Steve Lacy showcases raw talent to be developed

2017 marked the year that The Internet, one of the most interesting young groups in modern hip-hop, allowed itself to disassemble somewhat, as several of its members began to focus on releasing solo work. While this could have been disappointing news in the wake of the group’s most recent and best work, 2015’s Ego Death, the individual releases have been welcome and entrancing, no doubt providing the band members the individual growth necessary to reach new heights on their next release. The past February marked the release of Syd’s wonderfully charming Fin, Matt Martians’ psychedelic and jazzy The Drum Chord Theory, and Steve Lacy’s Steve Lacy’s Demo. While these were all strong pieces of work in their own right, Demo shines, not necessarily as the best piece of art (with Fin’s cohesiveness and honesty giving strong contention) but as a showcase of some of the rawest talent in modern music.

It’s clear the youthful Lacy has many more peaks to climb to

The release, made almost entirely on an iPhone and consisting of a mere 13 minutes of music, is not perfect. But it has a depth and a maturity that is startling when considering it entirely the lone work of the 18-year-old Lacy. While some of the tracks feel underdeveloped, needing more room to fully breathe, all of them are infused with a soul and vigour that immediately grasps the listener. The clear standout is ‘Dark Red’, with its enchanting confluence of overlapping bass-lines and drum beats acting as a perfect backdrop to Lacy’s heartbroken crooning. Indeed, each of the tracks seems to display at least one aspect of Lacy’s considerable talent, and upon the demo’s completion we have an understanding of the sheer range of said talents. His vocals, his percussion, his bass-lines, and his guitar work are all deeply impressive, and it’s obvious how integral he is to The Internet’s sound and success.

With his career beginning at such a high point, it’s clear the youthful Lacy has many more peaks to climb to, something which has not gone unnoticed in the industry. This year he produced the track ‘Pride’ for Kendrick Lamar’s Damn, one of the best songs on one of the best albums of the year. As Lacy’s profile begins to rise we can only hope that he continues to use his artistry to best of his potential.