Leikeli47 (or Leikeli) is an American rapper signed to

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

. In 2018, she released her second full-length album, ''Acrylic.'' She is known for concealing her face with a

bandana A kerchief (from the Old French ''couvrechief'', "cover head"), also known as a bandana, bandanna, or "Wild Rag" (in cowboy culture), is a triangular or square piece of cloth tied around the head, face or neck for protective or decorative purpos ...

or balaclava at all performances and professional appearances.

Early life

Leikeli47 was raised in both

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

and

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, primarily in the

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

neighborhoods of Brownsville and Bedford–Stuyvesant. She described herself as having been a shy child who was interested in becoming a rapper from a young age. She cites

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

and

N.E.R.D. N.E.R.D. (stylized as N⋆E⋆R⋆D and N.E.R.D, a backronym of No-one Ever Really Dies) is an American hip hop and rock band, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1999. Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo were signed by Teddy Riley to Virgin Reco ...

as some of her favorite performers.

Career

Prior to being signed to RCA Records, Leikeli released a mixtape in 2010 titled ''LK-47''. This was followed by a string of releases including the sequel mixtape ''LK-47 Pt. II'' in 2014 and a self-titled EP in 2015, ''Leikeli47''. In 2015, Leikeli's song "Fuck the Summer Up" was included on

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

's inaugural

Tidal Tidal is the adjectival form of tide. Tidal may also refer to: * ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple * Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim * TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music * Tidal (servic ...

self titled playlist. Leikeli's first full-length debut, ''Wash & Set'', was released on September 8, 2017. It was received positively by critics. '' Afropunk.com'' wrote, "the album showcases Leikeli47’s distinctively hard-hitting yet playful lyricism, genre-bending musicianship, and enigmatic character." Darryl Robertson wrote for ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down productio ...

'', "the dynamic, and featureless, effort is loaded with creativity, vigor and the power of her own feminism. It's evident that Leikeli is aiming to break rules and push boundaries hip-hop." ''Acrylic'' was released on November 15, 2018. The title was inspired by her mixture of southern, Caribbean, and city roots. The first single on the album, "Girl Blunt", was featured on the third season of '' Insecure'' and on the first season of ''The Wilds''. The album received positive critical reviews. Jenn Pelly wrote at Pitchfork.com: "Her flow is always gripping, her details novelistic: An aunt sells candy from a windowpane, an extension cord snakes across a hallway, and the lights flicker in an E train tunnel." Dhruva Balram wrote for ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'', "At times, and especially on ‘Iron Mike’, Leikeli47 sounds like the best of M.I.A,

Cardi B Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar Cephus (, ; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper and songwriter. She first gained popularity as an influencer on Vine and Instagram. From 2015 to early 2017, she appeared as ...

and

Kamaiyah Kamaiyah Jamesha Johnson (born March 13, 1992) is an American rapper and singer from Oakland, California. Her debut mixtape, ''A Good Night in the Ghetto'', was released in 2016 to critical acclaim. In 2017, Kamaiyah was named as one of the ten ...

rolled into one." ''Acrylic'' was named one of

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

's 50 Best Albums of 2018, as well as other lists including ''

Paper Magazine ''Paper'' (also known as ''Paper Mag'') is a New York City-based independent magazine focusing on fashion, popular culture, nightlife, music, art, and film. Initially produced monthly, the magazine eventually became a quarterly publication, and a ...

'', ''Esquire'', and ''Forbes''. ''Acrylic'' is the second part of a planned music trilogy that Leikeli has developed, called the "Beauty Series"''. She stated that the next installment to the "Beauty Series" will be called ''Shape Up''. About the theme of beauty salons, she told ''

The Fader ''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes. It is o ...

'', "They're safe havens for all of us — all women, but especially the African-American community. I wanted to create a body of work that spoke to not looking like what you actually are going through." She has stated that she seeks to normalize Black beauty standards, such as decorated fingernails. Leikeli performed with

Pharrell Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he ...

during his I Am Other set at 2017's Complexcon, as well as Natalie Portman's Boston Calling set in 2018, held at Portman's alma mater

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. Her first headlined tour began in March 2019.

Persona

Leikeli is known for being private and has not released her legal name or performed without her face covered. In June 2019, she told ''Cultured Magazine'', “Being black, we gotta learn how to wear a mask early." According to an interview with ''

'', she conceals her face because "I feel like the ''Dark Knight'', or one of those superheroes, or Superman… the mask, it represents freedom. I'm free with it on."

Discography

Studio albums

Sources: *''Wash & Set'' (2017) *''Acrylic'' (2018) *''Shape Up'' (2022)

EPs

*''Leikeli47'' (2015) *''Pick A Color'' - ''Acrylic'' (2018) *''Design'' - ''Acrylic'' (2018)

Mixtapes

*''LK-47'' (2010 ''First'' / 2012 ''Final'') *''The Flower Shop As Told by Brett Elway'' (2013) *''LK-47 Pt. II'' (2014) *''LK-47 Pt. III'' (2015)

References

External links

*
Leikeli47
on AllMusic {{DEFAULTSORT:Leikeli47 Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Rappers from New York City 21st-century American rappers American women rappers African-American women rappers 21st-century American women musicians RCA Records artists Masked musicians Rappers from Virginia 21st-century women rappers