Vision Board

by Lyrics Born

Overview

Lyrics Born's second album of 2022 is much shorter than Mobile Homies: Season 1, a collaboration-rich set drawn from his Instagram Live chat series and podcast, yet it's undeniably focused. The nine-song, half-hour set contains the sort of feel-good hip-hop he's been doing for much of his solo career, heavy on live instrumentation and grooves inspired by D.C. go-go, New Orleans funk, and neo-soul. The rapper flexes his advanced technical abilities on this release, resulting in some of his most experimental flows since his mind-bending early work as part of the duo Latyrx. "Diamond Door" features a spirited chorus by New Orleans-based soul singer Princess Shaw, eponymous star of a thought-provoking documentary chronicling her viral YouTube success. He salutes his own biggest fan on multiple songs, particularly "I'm the Best Rapper in the World," which features some exceptionally tricky rhyme schemes. "My Favorite Ghost (Phantom Pains)" is the album's biggest mood shift, as LB laments the end of a long-term relationship and the departure of his best friend. In this context, much of the album feels like a self-therapy session, particularly "Who's the Best? (Dear Young LB)," a pep talk in which the emcee reminds himself that he's unique and capable of doing anything. He acknowledges his self-care and weight loss regimen on the boisterous "Go Ape Shit," and continues beating his own drum on the album's final song, "Greatness On Repeat (Go Me!)," in which he brags, "They said I couldn't do it, I did it in my sleep." Lyrics Born is brimming with self-confidence and determination, and his sheer playfulness and showmanship is leagues away from most contemporary hip-hop. ~ Paul Simpson

Product Details

Release Date:	12/09/2022
Label:	Mobile Home Recordings
UPC:	0798576216399

Tracks

1. Diamond Door
2. I'm the Best Rapper in the World
3. Choosy Choosy
4. My Favorite Ghost (Phantom Pains)
5. Bang Bang Bang
6. Who's the Best? (Dear Young LB)
7. Go Ape Shit
8. Alligator Boots
9. Greatness on Repeat (Go Me!)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Lyrics Born   Primary Artist,Vocals
Stanton Moore   Drums
Andrew Block   Guitar,Synthesizer
Lateef the Truth Speaker   Vocals (Background)
Ben Ellman   Saxophone
David Shaw   Bass
D-Sharp   Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Robert Mercurio   Bass,Organ,Guitar,Vocals,Percussion,Synthesizer,Fender Rhodes,Vocals (Background)
Cut Chemist   Scratching,Featured Artist
Adam Theis   Trombone
Rich Armstrong   Trumpet
The Count   Vocals (Background)
Carly Meyers   Choir/Chorus
Adam Gertner   Synthesizer
Nigel Hall   Choir/Chorus,Featured Artist
Anjelika Joseph   Choir/Chorus,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Ldeez   Choir/Chorus,Featured Artist
Princess Shaw   Choir/Chorus,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Yunoka Berry   Choir/Chorus,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Stephen Kelly   Fender Rhodes
Matthew Jackfert   Glockenspiel

Technical Credits

Lyrics Born   Producer,Liner Notes,Executive Producer
Trackademicks   Engineer
Robert Mercurio   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Drum Programming
Adam Theis   Engineer
Rich Armstrong   Engineer
Tom Shimura   Composer
The Count   Mixing,Mastering
Jim Greer   Composer,Drum Programming
Carly Meyers   Composer
Block   Composer
Adam Gertner   Composer
Mike Tallman   Cover Art
Nick Andre   Engineer
Stephen Kelly   Composer
Mark Chua   Photography
Paolo Bello   Composer