Steve Lacy Continues His Breakout Year with “4real”

The Internet’s streak of solo-project domination in 2017 continues. An L.A.-based R&B/funk brainchild of Odd Future affiliates Syd (tha Kyd) and Matt Martians, the five-member band broke out with their 2015 release Ego Death, but this year, they've turned their respective focuses onto side projects. Syd led the pack with her February album, Fin, and just quietly released another EP, Always Never Home, earlier this month. For his part, Martians released a totally bonkers debut solo album, The Drum Chord Theory, earlier this year.

But the Internet member with the biggest breakout year is unquestionably 19-year-old guitarist Steve Lacy. His first solo release, the Steve Lacy’s Demo EP, was brief but promising, and since then he's been exponentially increasing his stock with a series of high profile guest appearances. He produced the song “Pride” from Kendrick Lamar’s superb DAMN (and apparently did so starting with a demo made on his  iPhone over the course of an airplane ride), and then appeared on “911/Mr. Lonely” from Tyler, the Creator’s critically acclaimed Flower Boy, playing guitar and singing alongside Frank Ocean. Oh yeah, he also contributed to Syd and Matt Martians’ solo projects. 

Now it's time for Lacy to get back to his solo career, as he's shared his first new release since his EP today. “4real” may be short, but what it lacks in runtime it makes up for with an unorthodox sound and unique transitions.

Lacy hasn't yet announced a follow-up to Steve Lacy’s Demo, nor has The Internet for Ego Death, but based on the whole group’s prolific 2017, expect to hear from them again sooner rather than later.