Lyrics Born in Portland

Lyrics Born is a Japanese American rapper and producer born in Tokyo and closely associated with the San Francisco Bay Area hip-hop scene. He first became known as half of Latyrx with Lateef the Truthspeaker and as a member of the Quannum collective, then established a solo catalogue led by the album Later That Day... and tracks including “Callin’ Out” and “I Changed My Mind.” The 2006 album Overnite Encore: Lyrics Born Live! documented his concert repertoire after the release of his solo debut. He has performed his rhythm-driven rap material with a live band, and vocalist Joyo Velarde has been a recurring collaborator at Lyrics Born shows.