Le1f

Roughly two decades on, Khalif Diouf – better known as Le1f – has referenced the movement by calling his debut album Riot Boi. There are several readings that one can make into the ostensible co-opting of the counterculture by gender-flipping it and using it for the title of his album; a primary one being a reflection of the intersectionality that lies within the visibility of women in punk and the visibility of LGBT people like Le1f in hip hop. Diouf, however, assures that there is a clearer-cut reasoning behind the title.

“I think it’s more a commentary on how little things have truly changed in the past 20 years, more than anything,” the New York rapper says. “Some of the key things I talk about on this album I feel have been following me around for so long – there are songs on this album that are over a year old, and they’re just as topical now as they were when I was writing them. This isn’t a good thing by any stretch of the imagination – people are still dying for really unfair reasons. As long as there are these phobias and this discrimination prevalent in our society, people can relate to the music that reflects on that. It’s as true then as it is now, regardless of who is making it and what kind of music it is.”

Riot Boi is an assured, resonant debut album any way one cuts it. Filled with bold, booming production and a versatility in both flow and stylistic approach that refuses to let a single dull moment rear its head, it’s also notable for Diouf’s fearless takedown of matters such as authoritative violence, queer rights and the continued oppression of people of colour. According to Diouf himself, a lot of what made it onto Riot Boi has been a long time coming.

“These were issues that I felt were important enough to make songs about,” he says. “A lot of them just felt timely, because a lot of these issues are still prevalent. There’s still a lot of tension about police brutality and trans issues. These are things that I’ve always wanted to engage with using my music – there’s a song on the record called ‘Taxi’, which I’ve been wanting to explore thematically for a really long time. Before I’d even made [2012 debut mixtape] Dark York, I had this list of ideas. A lot of the political ones on the list I just didn’t do at the time. I felt like I didn’t know how to properly express what was on my mind. I didn’t know how to talk about it. I think this album became very therapeutic for me – I felt like I was finally able to make sense of what I was doing.”

There are several key collaborators who make themselves known throughout the tracklisting of Riot Boi, from longtime contributor Junglepussy to PC Music affiliate Sophie. Perhaps the most notable, however, is Devonté Hynes, the producer, singer and multi-instrumentalist behind such projects as Blood Orange and Lightspeed Champion, as well as a songwriter for the likes of Solange, Kylie Minogue and Sky Ferreira. Hynes produced and featured on ‘Change’, the song that closes out Riot Boi, and his work left a very clear impression in the Le1f camp.

“Dev is absolutely amazing,” enthuses Diouf. “He’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. For someone who’s so prolific and almost a pop star in his own right, he’s such a good friend to musicians and people in his community. I didn’t even really know him that well when he sent me the beat for ‘Change’, but I remember it had him doing what was basically a scat track over the top of it. He’s such a wealth of ideas, and the more I worked with him and explored what was possible, the more I came to count him as a friend.”

Hynes also served as a bandleader and bassist when Diouf made his network television debut last year, performing breakthrough single ‘Wut’ with a live band on the Late Show With David Letterman. “His arrangement was genius!” adds Diouf. “He was the mastermind behind the entire thing.”

Diouf will return to Australia at the end of January, and he’s looking forward to the trip. “Oh my God, I can’t wait,” he says breathlessly. “I miss it so much! Some of my best shows have been in Sydney and Melbourne, so I’m very ready to come back and party with you guys. It’s been far too long!”

It’s mentioned that Le1f’s arrival in Australia comes at a particularly busy time as far as touring is concerned – for instance, the night of his Sydney show, Joanna Newsom is also playing earlier at the Opera House. “Oh my God, really?” laughs Diouf. “I love her! She should come party too!”

[Le1f photo by Eric Johnson]