Latyrx sounds like a high-speed collision between two of the most creative minds in hip-hop history. The music is defined by its 'simultaneous' delivery, where Lateef the Truthspeaker and Lyrics Born often rap different verses at the exact same time over a single beat. It creates a dizzying, stereophonic experience that demands your full attention to decode the layers of wordplay and rhythm.
What makes them truly distinctive is their roots in the Solesides/Quannum collective, which prioritized sonic experimentation over commercial viability. Their tracks are built on a foundation of deep, dusty funk and jazz samples, but the vocal arrangements are closer to avant-garde jazz or classical counterpoint than traditional verse-chorus rap. It is music that feels both physically groovy and mentally exhausting in the best way possible.
Start with 'The Album' from 1997. It is the definitive document of their chemistry, featuring the title track 'Latyrx' which serves as the perfect introduction to their signature overlapping style. It is a landmark of the 90s underground that still feels futuristic today.
Latyrx ( la-TI-riks) is an American alternative hip-hop duo consisting of Lateef the Truthspeaker and Lyrics Born. The duo originates from the Solesides collective at the University of California, Davis.
Shares abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop, funk (subgenres); sample based, layered dense, analog warmth (production style)
Shares abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop, funk (subgenres); urban night, basement show, focused work (atmosphere)
Shares urban night, basement show, focused work (atmosphere); abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop (subgenres)
Shares abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop (subgenres); sample based, layered dense, analog warmth (production style)
Shares abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop, funk (subgenres); playful, energetic, confident (moods)
Shares playful, energetic, confident (moods); abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop (subgenres)
Shares urban night, basement show, focused work (atmosphere); sample based, analog warmth, lo fi (production style)
Shares sample based, layered dense, analog warmth (production style); abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop (subgenres)
Shares abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop (subgenres); urban night, basement show, focused work (atmosphere)
Shares abstract hip-hop, conscious hip-hop, funk (subgenres); sample based, layered dense, analog warmth (production style)
Shares conscious hip-hop, turntables, abstract hip-hop, nasal (subgenre)
Shares conscious hip-hop, turntables, funk, abstract hip-hop (subgenre)
Cassette uses generative AI to enrich its catalog. How we use AI →