Ever since joining the Internet in 2014, Steve Lacy has been pioneering classic R&B. He has worked on many impressive projects both inside the band (consisting of Syd Tha Kyd, Matthew Martians, Patrick Paige II, Steve Lacy, Christopher Allan Smith, and Jameel Bruner) and independently.

Lacy’s interest in playing the guitar was spurred by his favorite game, Guitar Hero, and while attending church when he was seven years old. After meeting Jameel Bruner in the high school jazz band, he joined the Internet as their guitarist while still a teenager. After the band announced that members would be producing individually, Lacy dropped EP Steve Lacy’s Demo in 2017. Besides producing his own music, he also produced songs for other notable artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Vampire Weekend. Following Steve Lacy’s Demo, Lacy also dropped the albums Apollo XXI in 2019, The Lo-Fis in 2020, and Gemini Rights in 2022.

Lacy’s list accomplishments just keep growing, from collabing with Tyler, The Creator in 2018 to having his single “Bad Habit” become a popular TikTok audio to eventually winning a Grammy in 2023 when Gemini Rights was named Best Progressive R&B Album.

All of Lacy’s works harness the basics of his musical identity – strong guitar backtracks, with funky overlaying audios and the essential vibe of classic R&B. However, through incorporating hints of some different genres (rap, pop, rock), Lacy harnesses the alternative part of alternative R&B while simultaneously making history in afrofuturism.

Apollo XXI more closely resembles classic R&B, as there are some underlying pop/techno elements emulating those of the Jackson 5 and Earth, Wind & Fire. Songs in this album start out with a playful guitar intro with some techno tracks overlaid and a solid drumbeat as the bass. Vocals are not overpowering, and work with the music to create a fun, chill vibe. Aside from R&B, Apollo XXI also pays tribute to traditional jazz and disco with the respective elements embedded on the soundtrack.

The Lo-Fis is basically what it sounds like, R&B with lofi backtracks, making for a more relaxed and heavily instrumental album. These songs provide a nice transition between Lacy’s more classic R&B to his moodier later tracks. The Lo-Fis features less vocals than Apollo XXI, however the songs still harness the strong bass drums and funky overlays of his previous album. This album is perfect for doing homework, with just the right balance of background speech and muted noise.

Gemini Rights was a breakthrough for Lacy, and an opportunity for him to showcase how far he has come in the R&B genre. These songs continue to show off Lacy’s guitar skills, but they also feature the moody guitar of classic jazz. A lot of these songs also feature more unique percussion, such as maracas or rain shaker-sounding instruments. The vocals are more clear than The Lo-Fis and harness some of the powerful energy found in Apollo XXI. This album is a culmination of Lacy’s previous two albums – harnessing the creativity and unique instrumentation of The Lo-Fis while also incorporating the elements of classic R&B and techno pop found in Apollo XXI.

My Top Ten:

1. Dark Red (Steve Lacy’s Demos)
2. 911 / Mr.Lonely w/ Tyler, The Creator and Frank Ocean
3. Bad Habit (Gemini Rights)
4. Jars of It (The Lo-Fis)
5. Uuuu (The Lo-Fis)
6. Sunshine feat. Foushee (Gemini Rights)
7. C U Girl
8. Amber (Gemini Rights)
9. Only If (Apollo XXI)
10. Guide (Apollo XXI)

For fans of Dominic Fike, Frank Ocean, Tyler, The Creator, PinkPanteress, and Hotel Ugly.