Leikeli47, a great faceless rap promise

Leikeli47 is a rapper and producer who is visually known for her constant use of a bandana or balaclava to hide her face, as a mask. Her most recent album, “Shape Up”, released in 2022, was possibly one of the ones I listened to the most during that year and the next.

Her eclecticism and her ability to fuse genres such as R&B, hip hop, electronica and techno have kept me on tenterhooks ever since. Hoping that during these two and a half years she is experiencing a good creative moment that will allow us to hear something new from her soon.

As I was saying, Leikeli47 started her career in the hip hop world by maintaining a mysterious identity, always wearing a mask in public. Her goal is to have the attention focused on her music rather than her appearance. Before releasing her studio albums, she caught the attention of the public and critics with several mixtapes and singles that showcased her talent in production, writing, and flow.

Her ability to switch between fast and slow beats, and to integrate elements of ballroom culture and electronic dance music (EDM), sets her apart from other artists in the hip hop scene. In fact, although I have mentioned that she has not released anything new since 2022, the truth is that she has, but much closer to these last two musical styles and without including vocal parts.

“Wash & Set” (2017) and “Acrylic” (2018), the beginnings of Leikeli47

Leikeli47 first gained attention in the music scene with the release of her first two albums: “Wash & Set” (2017) and “Acrylic” (2018). These works marked the beginning of her trilogy focused on themes of beauty and self-expression. From the beginning, Leikeli47 has always displayed a dynamic and stimulating style.

“Wash & Set” (2017)

“Wash & Set” is Leikeli47’s debut album, which combines elements of hip hop, R&B, and electronic music. This album was positively received for its freshness and Leikeli47’s ability to integrate a variety of styles and themes.

In fact, even today, it is the most popular album by the American rapper in terms of listens according to sources such as her profile on Spotify or Last.fm. Big hits such as “Money”, “Attitude” or “Wash & Set” attest to this.

“Acrylic” (2018)

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“Acrylic” is Leikeli47’s second album, which continues to explore themes of identity and culture with a special focus on the African American community and the perception of beauty and aesthetics. This album solidified her position in the music industry, presenting music with an accessible yet deeply personal style.

Among the most popular songs that I would like to highlight, you can find:

• “Girl Blunt”: with a strong rhythm and empowering lyrics, this song quickly became an anthem among her fans, being the second most listened to song of her career so far.
• “Roll Call”: stands out for its mix of electronic and hip hop rhythms, showing Leikeli47’s versatility.
• “Tic Boom”: with an aggressive and energetic style, it is one of the most recognized songs on the album.
• “Post That”: a perfect example of the bold and uncompromising style that Leikeli47 usually shows.

“Shape Up”, Leikeli47’s recognition and the end of the beauty trilogy

“Shape Up” is the album that marks the culmination of the beauty trilogy that includes the aforementioned albums — “Wash & Set” (2017) and “Acrylic” (2018) — in Leikeli47’s career.

This album, unlike the previous ones, in addition to offering reflections on the aforementioned themes and alluding to beauty in general, is also a reflection of her life and experiences in an intimate and direct way, with lyrics that combine bravado and vulnerability, again mixing genres as if it were nothing.

Leikeli47 shows an astonishing depth and variety here, defying expectations placed on her music after two such mature and fresh albums, but she manages to come up with an album that is both fun and provocative.

Personally, I love this album because it innovates within rap and knows how to use the best elements of trap, consolidating, in her eclecticism, Leikeli47 as a unique force in hip hop.

Featured songs from “Shape Up”:

• “Chitty Bang” – This song, as I’ve hinted at, is a perfect example of Leikeli47’s ability to fuse genres.
• “LL Cool J” – A more laid-back track that highlights her vocal versatility and ability to tell personal stories through her lyrics.
• “Hold My Hand” – An emotional ballad that showcases her ability to create moving and melodic songs.
• “Zoom” – On this track, Leikeli47 explores themes of personal empowerment and self-affirmation, with lyrics that reflect her determination to keep going no matter the circumstances.
• “Carry Anne” – The song has a thumping beat and lyrics that celebrate independence and autonomy.
• “Free To Love” – One of the most emotional ballads on the album. This song has a more melodic tone than most of the songs, with a message in favor of emotional freedom and self-acceptance.
• “New Money”: a great song that, if only for the line “my ex called me trying to talk again, but I don’t negotiate with terrorists”, is worth a mention here. It would also be worth it for the “mention” to Method Man and C.R.E.A.M., but that’s another story.

Chitty Bang, the song from Apple’s iPhone 13 and Madden NFL 22 commercial

While “Chitty Bang” is part of “Shape Up” and I’ve already mentioned it among the highlights, the fact that it was released a year earlier as a single, coupled with the story behind it, deserves a separate mention.

In August 2021, a Reddit thread topic read “Does anyone know where I can find Leikeli47’s song from the Madden 22 soundtrack online?”. At the time, the mysterious hit from the Madden ’22 video game soundtrack was nowhere to be found. “I think it’s called ‘Chitty Bang’… The song is great, but I can’t find it anywhere… Does anyone know what’s going on?” commented another user. After a few months, the rapper with an unknown face gave an answer (in the form of an official release) to those patient hip-hop-loving gamers.

Later, hence the title of this section, “Chitty Bang” also appeared in the iPhone 13 TV commercial. The advertisement for Apple’s umpteenth smartphone surely had greater visibility in Europe than the official American football league game, given the popularity of the product and the fact that it appeared on our televisions. It’s been a while since it was launched and you may not even remember, but it’s well worth a reminder from here.