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BestFan’s newest Featured Artist is Elcee - an up-and-coming rapper from Toronto who combines a powerful dose of lyrics tagged along with a sophisticated array of beats that you can easily vibe out to but yet, bump your head to at the same time. I know, it sounds confusing, I just told you that this artist combines complete opposites together, but stick with me and hear me out. When I first heard Elcee’s album LeoSoul, I was very relaxed. I was just about ready to just hang out and let the music play on, but then something interesting happened, the snares and 808s kicked in, which got my head bumping. Then, the lyrics started and that just about dropped my jaw – I really heard that in his song “Answer” (video below). But that’s not all he can do, he can also handle and dominate a hard beat right off the beat. He rarely needs to ease into a song – he comes out to kill which is an amazing quality in any young rapper, but a quality that has been missing in many up-and-comers since Kendrick Lamar. I know that’s a bold statement to make, but in a rap industry that seems to be “all about the beat” nowadays, it’s fantastic to hear a rapper combine the two so well, and right off the bat. Elcee is a bound to be a massive force to be reckoned with in the hip-hop world, and I think if he keeps it up, he’ll be making a killing at the top in no time. I’d also like to add, that from what I’ve heard, he follows closely in the footsteps of other talents, such as Childish Gambino, Chance The Rapper, and also Drake. Now, those are 3 very different rappers with diverse and unique qualities, and by that statement, it should show the range that Elcee has. This is way more than just rap. I cannot wait to see where else Elcee goes with his music, but as far as I know, there’s no where to go but up! Watch the video for “Answer” below and be sure to check out LeoSoul HERE: - See more at: http://www.bestfan.com/blog/2014/08/featured-artist-elcee/#sthash.tTQCGR5Q.dpuf - Brad Mendes

Tuesday, November 19th, 2014 -- New Wax sits down with Elcee The Artist in this exclusive feature interview. We talk about his music, life, and what he has planned for the future. - CHRY Radio 105.5 FM

Interview by: Eternity Martis
When I first meet LaShawn Powell, also known by his stage name, Elcee, the first thing I notice is how surprisingly down-to-earth he is. I’d say I agree with rapper Earl Sweatshirt when he boils it down to Toronto rappers being “grandma nice”, but that couldn’t be the case. Born in Nova Scotia, and raised between Windsor and Toronto, Elcee’s graciousness is not a symptom of too-nice carebear T.O rappers, nor a facade- it’s an admirable, innate characteristic.
Elcee has been recoding music for the past few years, but it wasn’t until the release of his #SoundCloudSundays series that a true, dedicated artist was born. And what makes an artist true? One that has the courage to be forthright about his experiences, and has the desire to inspire the same bravery in others. He mixes Hip-Hop with R&B, Rap, and beats ranging from dreamy to bass-thumping, all without needing to justify or label himself.
Articulate, well-spoken, and composed, Elcee is careful about what he says and how he says it. He understands the fine line between narcissism and confidence, and that no success comes without struggle.
I sat down with Elcee to discuss music, success, and personal growth, as well as his upcoming project, LeoSoul, produced by Bonham and set to drop July 23rd. Read the interview below.
TCUS: How did you get into Hip-Hop?
Elcee: I grew up in a household of music, so I was listening to Hip-Hop with brother a lot, but probably around grade 2 or 3 is when I started. But prior to that, my mom was always into Motown and Gospel, stuff like that. I grew up listening to Temptations and artists with those stylistics. That kind of makes me appreciate Hip-Hop more; even though there’s not really a separation of the genres of Hip-Hop and Rap, I enjoyed the singing part that Hip-Hop included.
TCUS: Whose musical influences have stuck with you throughout the years?
Elcee: It would probably be the Motown music and listening to Hip-Hop; artists like Tupac were huge inspirations to me. Looking back now, it was all good music and I enjoyed the sounds of it all. My friendship groups were always multicultural, so I always heard different genres of music. Even though I was listening to Hip-Hop and Motown in my household, at my friends’ house they were listening to Blink-182 or Red Hot Chili Peppers, so I liked the dynamics of all of that music, and trying to kinda add them all together and appreciate them all at once.
TCUS: In your track, “For My City”, produced by Nick Rio, I got a sense of real patriotism, and almost a defensiveness of Toronto against the Hip-Hop scene of the States. Why did you think it was important to pay homage to your city and what do you think Toronto contributes to Hip-Hop as a whole?
Elcee: First thing to note is that song is actually from 2012. There’s a second verse on there by an artist known as Arys and initially it was for my project that I ended up taking off the internet. I never really felt like any of my songs were anthems, but I feel like it was something that really stapled me to the city and showed where I come from. I feel like Toronto itself brings so much versatility to the industry, again, based on multiculturalism. We’re one of the most diverse cities in the world, so having all that surrounding us, we adapt so much from different cultures and implement it in our own lifestyle and in our own growth. So when I think about Toronto, I don’t think about it as just “Hip-Hop”, per say, I feel like we’re all just recording artists, we all just like to make music as a whole. Toronto does have its own distinct sound as of now in terms of production and stuff, but every artist in Toronto sounds so different, in a good way.
TCUS: You’re originally from Nova Scotia, but born and raised in Toronto. You make sure to mention both in your website biography, Twitter, and in some of your tracks. Why is that important to you?
Elcee: I was born in Nova Scotia, and I was raised back and forth between Windsor, Ontario, and Toronto. I spent my adolescent years in Windsor, and closer to adulthood I spent in Toronto. I think it’s important to mention them all because I feel like they all built me. Even though I was literally born in Nova Scotia then six weeks later moved back to Toronto, my mom’s whole side of the family heritage is from Nova Scotia. A lot of the things that I naturally do are built off that are Nova Scotian habits and tendencies. Like me being obnoxious when I’m around a lot of people is me being Nova Scotian. It’s not from Windsor and it’s not from Toronto. Even all of my lingo is mixed up. I don’t really have the patois thing going on, but I can understand it. So for me, it’s making sure that people know my roots, and that I know my roots which is one of my key points about myself, so that I always remember where I’m from and where I’ve grown from.
TCUS: So you began uploading a new track each week as part of your #SoundCloudSundays series. Your first track, “Thought You Knew”, produced by Crown Jones, features the instrumental theme song of the soap opera, The Young and the Restless. It was quite an unexpected twist, and I’m sure I’m justified when I ask, on behalf of your listeners, why did you choose this as the backdrop of your track?
Elcee: You know what- it was just really random. The producer at the beginning of the song, Crown Jones, he produced it and he wanted me to feature on it but he never released it. But, ironically, my mom used to always watch it so when I heard it, I kinda had a feeling as to where I wanted to go with it, which is kinda weird.
TCUS: You’ve been really candid and open about your life and your thoughts throughout all your tracks. In “Help”, you talk about addiction; in “A Story of Lust”, you talk about your commitment struggles and a woman close to you that you considered family; in “Outsider”, you suggest a darker adolescence and your attempts to reinvent yourself. What kind of struggles has influenced your music and why do you think it was important to reach out and share them?
Elcee: When I first started doing music, I’d just freestyle with my friends until one of my friends said, “Oh, you should record”. Even till today, it’s been a coping mechanism for me to deal with my issues. Some people workout when they feel stressed out of whatever; when I have a lot of things on my mind, the easiest way is to write it down. So that’s my initial approach to music as a whole, as an artist. When I first started making songs, I never released anything, and my friends started telling me that I really needed to start releasing some stuff. With music, especially if you’re writing it yourself, there’s so many different routes that you can take with music as well. You could be a punch line rapper where you have tons of witty rhymes, you could be very personable, or you could just tell stories. I feel like J Cole does a lot of that as well- he does really good storytelling; Ghostface does too.
I feel like the easiest way for me to really get stuff out there is to speak about all of my experiences. Coming from a background where I’ve worked with a lot of youth, the easiest way to connect with them is sharing your own story, and then they wanna actually talk to you because they’re like, “Oh I can understand him now. I feel like he’s more relatable.” So that’s kinda why I stick to discussing my experiences in my music. What drives me to keep doing the music is to listen back to the songs and hear my growth from them from a time in my life when I felt that way, which is kinda cool.
TCUS: Any particular struggles that you wanna share?
Elcee: My family- my mom in particular, really wants me to go to a post-secondary school, and right after high school I almost went directly in to it, but I knew I wasn’t ready mentally. It wasn’t really what I wanted, and that’s part of the struggles I still have now- that I bounce back and forth. With the music itself there was a point where I was thinking like, why am I doing this? What’s the point of really doing this? There’s so many people that do music and don’t succeed. I could just go and work a 9 to 5 and get guaranteed money. So some of those fears still trickle into my mind, my mentality, and my thoughts, and that’s where I talk about success in my music.
A lot of my more recent stuff is more about the idea of success. I was thinking a lot about the Kendrick Lamar and Macklemore situation, and I was like, Macklemore is really successful in everything that he did, and so is Kendrick Lamar. The Grammy would have been cool for Kendrick Lamar, but realistically, first off, we don’t even know if he wanted the Grammy in the first place, or if it affects him that much. If he wanted a Grammy, he would have changed his music to gear it towards getting a Grammy. I feel that he knows the reason why he didn’t get a Grammy, and Macklemore knows why he did get one.
There’s so much more politics in success than there is the actual self-growth, because we always watch and see what other people think about us when we’re moving forward. That’s my biggest struggle right now, which is remembering to view success as how I want it- doing what I enjoy doing, and making money off of it. Those are my main goals. Being rich is cool, but if I’m middle-class forever- if I’m good middle-class and I’m not behind on my bills and I have good credit, then I’m good with that.
TCUS: You had mentioned just a few minutes ago that some rappers are personable, some are really witty, some throw out one-liners. From just meeting you, I see you as very personable; but in a lot of your tracks, it seems like you have a bit of an ego.
Elcee: [Laughs] I’m a Leo. I’m a lion. We’re pretty modest and courageous, but confident. I feel like an ego and confidence have such a thin line that it’s hard to meet that threshold. Sometimes when I hear my songs, I feel like I have this ego, but because I know mentally where I can grow more, I feel like you just have to be very confident when you put your stuff out and when you say something, so that people believe in what you’re saying. I think it’s more of that than anything, and that my ego is only to boost my belief in myself- so I feel like I can do anything.
I was listening to Lil’ Wayne’s Dedication 2 and in one of his tracks he talks about how he’s the greatest rapper alive and he says something along the lines of he doesn’t mean he’s better than everyone- He’s not better than anyone- but he FEELS like the greatest rapper alive. I feel like that’s the mentality that all of us should have when we’re trying to pursue anything. For example, if I was cleaning garbage’s, then I’m gonna be the best garbage cleaner alive. That should be your thought process with everything; that way you can really extract your strengths and put them towards it.
TCUS: Tell me about LeoSoul.
Elcee: It’s almost done actually! I have some feature artists included on the album such as Sese, Ghost, whose from Vancouver, and TY- The Come Up Show has featured him a few times. For the most part, I wanna stick with the theme of the Leo characteristics cause I feel like that’s a huge part of who I am. I didn’t really believe in astrology at first, but reading up on it in the last few years and especially recently, I’ve been seeing some of the similarities with the characteristics that I have, and that I’ve been told I have.
LeoSoul has three segments to it. One segment is about my experience with girls, one segment is about success, and the third segment is just a witty, fun segment where I’m just talking shit.
TCUS: Like an ego segment?
Elcee: [Laughs] Yeah.
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TCUS: You’ve also been working with producer Bonham (formerly known as TREET$) more consistently on this new project.
Elcee: TREET$ really showed me a lot of love and support on one of my songs earlier last year. I reached out and we’ve been working together ever since. If it wasn’t for his production while I was working on my first solo project last year, things would not have picked up in the way they did. I feel like the production carries what you’re gonna say and it carries your emotions into the music. On top of that, his production is amazing, so I feel like that’s what really helped me complete LeoSoul and connect with so many people. If TREET$ and I hadn’t established our relationship, I would have been still working with random producers. They’re all so good as well, but our collaborations weren’t as consistent as TREET$ and my relationship has been. If it wasn’t for his production on LeoSoul, I’d still be where I was last year.
TCUS: As the weeks went on during your #SoundCloudSundays series, I’ve heard a significant change in refinement, style and even confidence in your music, as if we can hear you developing into the multi-genre artist, Elcee, that you want to portray with each passing week. Have you felt that #SoundCloudSundays have helped you achieve any kind of growth, whether it be personal or musically?
Elcee: I think it was actually the structure by which I chose to release the songs. I kinda chose them randomly for a some weeks, for the first few #SCS I chose the oldest songs, and towards the end of #SCS were the newer ones. While I was recording them over the 2 years I’ve been recording music, I could hear the growth in my music, and I could hear the difference in how I was delivering my message, and how I flowed and everything.
I think it was probably week 8 where the transition was to the newer songs. Because I was always listening to them by myself, I could enjoy all of them, but when I laid them out in order afterwards, then I could hear the growth. I could hear from the beginning where I was still decent and I still had a nice delivery and stuff, but I wasn’t too confident in what I was saying…I was kinda just saying stuff in general. And then it got into actual stories of my life, where before they were just things that happened, that I remembered. So the songs just got more refined into a smaller narrative for each song. As I was I was listening to them and releasing him I could not only see that growth, but could assess it from the response I received from the people listening.
With the older songs, I was just experimenting. I was writing it, recording it- done. With the newer songs, I freestyled to it, recorded it, listened to it, got some feedback from friends, and switched it up again, so there’s more thought put into the recent ones, especially with the LeoSoul project.
TCUS: You take being a Hip-Hop artist a step further by engaging the community and working with L.O.V.E., a youth violence prevention organization that allows young people to explore creative means such as photography and spoken word to express themselves. How do you contribute to L.O.V.E. and how does the organization contribute to the way YOU present your music, given the serious level of violence present in Hip-Hop and Rap?
Elcee: Initially with L.O.V.E., I just started out as one of the youth. Actually, they offered a video program so I was like, “I’m gonna take advantage of this” and I went and I realized that they didn’t know anything about video- they were new at it as well but they wanted to get kids’ messages out through video, just any means to get it out there. That’s why I stuck around because I understood their concept of connecting with youth and having youth connect with youth. After I accomplished the leadership program, they would have me go to outreaches and speak to grade sevens, and I’d be in grade eleven or twelve.
Now I’m not as involved, but I’m more of an ambassador for L.O.V.E. I actually stopped by few days ago, so if they ever need help with the video production, I can help them with that, or if they want help in the outreach and they need alumni’s to come out, I can do that too. But what I think they really gave to me, or how I voice my thoughts is just remembering that when I speak, there are different groups that are listening to me. Between that and being honest to yourself first- you shouldn’t just say something because you feel it’s the “right” thing to say- that’s where my music has led to.
I did a six-episode show with L.O.V.E. on Rogers T.V., and I remember while doing that, I’d go to the clubs and drink at night-and in Toronto, if you go to the clubs you almost get into a fight every night- so when I was going out there and there was times I almost got into a fight, I would think, if I end up in the newspaper for getting into a fight or worse, and one of the other youth see me, not only does that reflect on me as a person, but on the organization as well. So I have to remember what I represent, and that I have to carry that with myself as I walk through my day-to-day life.
TCUS: Final question- where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Elcee: Probably still in Toronto. I’m thinking of moving to Virginia for a little bit, depending on how things work, there I might just stay there. Maybe go to school for music production…. I feel like I’m never gonna get married, but if that happens that will be spontaneous, but I think I still see myself still being involved with media as a whole, probably still doing music whether people are listening to it or not, just for myself, and with a small circle of friends.
- See more at: http://thecomeupshow.com/2014/07/07/interview-elcee-talks/#sthash.3vm1mkFd.dpuf - Eternity Martis

If you guys need some evidence to see whether he is a good artist or not, check this video out where he performs one of his tracks off his latest project LeoSoul. This right here was evidence that he is not only a good performer but a good artist as well. Take 3 minutes out of your busy schedule and watch this video to experience his artistry.

Edit: This track can be found on his first project entitled “Leoism” that was dropped last year. Click the link below to get that!

http://elceetheartist.bandcamp.com/album/leoism - slyFOX

Toronto, ON – LaShawn Powell, artistically known as Elcee (pronounced as the initials L.C.) was born in Halifax but currently resides in the GTA. He is affiliated with the Virginia Beach-based collective JetPacks and working under management of Fresh Recordings’ Justin Kinch. For Elcee, writing lyrics was initially a coping mechanism when dealing with stress but as he began to record, he realized that it connected with him differently. It helped him understand himself and share some of his experiences for others to possibly relate to. As an individual, Elcee continues to grow through life’s ups and downs and shares that with those willing to listen.


SoundCloud
Elcee - Robbery (Prod. KoBe Banner) [Audio] #SoundCloudSunday - HipHopCanada.com

Elcee is a hip-hop artist that occasionally trails into modern day R&B. He raps and sings on mellow production, often with a jazzy, ambient feel. Having said that, he does like to touch a variety styles of production, but staying within the urban world of genres. He also experiments frequently with indie electronic production, and adds a hip-hop spin to it. Elcee’s content is as stated above, about himself. He never really dealt any drugs and isn’t a gangster. He was an adolescent involved with sports, mainly basketball and underage drinking at house parties. He wasn’t naive to drugs or goons, but always kept himself separate from that after learning from the experiences of a family member he was in close contact with.

Every Sunday, since Jan. 26, Elcee has been releasing a song via SoundCloud in promotion towards his upcoming project LeoSoul set for a July 23 release. #SoundCloudSunday is the title to the annual Sunday series. Below is a brief description of this weeks release ”Robbery.”

“This Sunday we release a track Produced by Drill Sergeant, KoBe Banner. Elcee came in contact with KoBe Banner while looking for an instrumental for Childish Gambino’s “Do Ya Like”. Banner made his own version of the song using acapella’s from the original which is what lead to the first collaboration between Elcee & KoBe Banner. Since then, whenever KoBe wasn’t too busy yelling at Marine’s he would throw production Elcee’s way.” - HHC East

Toronto, ON – For yesterday’s installation of #SoundCloudSunday, Elcee released a duo remix including his own takes on Schoolboy Q’s “Californication” bonus track (off OxyMoron), as well as Rick Ross, Big Sean, and Kanye West’s monster “Sanctified” hit (off Ross’ recent Mastermind project).

Elcee is gearing up to release LeoSoul. So every Sunday leading up to the project release in July, he’ll be dropping some new tuneage for us to peep. Check out “Californication + Sanctified (Remix)” below, and keep it locked on next Sunday’s release.

Most of Elcee’s single releases so far have been much more introspective and spacey. It’s dope to see him already getting in on some of the freshest songs on the airwaves right now. Relevancy is key. And just so you know, Elcee is also affiliated with the Virginia Beach-based collective, JetPacks. He’s currently working under management of Fresh Recordings’ Justin Kinch. - Sarah Sussman

Toronto rapper Elcee is making a statement with his most recent mixtape Leoism. He really cuts loose and spits from the heart. Weed and brew, the struggle to break through are prominent topics. While edgy at points, there is a motivational edge to Elcee’s music which, while understated, is persistent. The beats are varied but really just serve to provide a canvas for Elcee to spit rather than standing out. They fit well though. The drunken drawl of “Nothing to Me” is quirky with its mish-mashed harmonies and the distorted strings on “Focus” are as spacey as they come. Leoism is fun, light and a good showing from Elcee. - Sean Watson

LaShawn Powell, also known as Elcee has released a visual for his track, “HELP”, produced by TREET$. Elcee was born in Halifax but currently lives in Toronto.
Elcee has done something good with his new track and video; he’s purposely made “HELP” a resource to help anyone struggling with addiction and depression, especially alcoholism. Elcee candidly talks about his own experiences through his verses, and shows his fans and his listeners that it’s okay to ask for help, and that getting that help will subsequently make you a stronger, wiser, and more optimistic individual. Elcee captures alcoholism perfectly; not just as sporadic event, but as a dangerous, reliable friend: “Would you help me out/Would you help me out, Mr. glass bottle?”
I commend Elcee on this track and visual. He’s got his head on straight, making honest music that matters, whether it be a track like “HELP” or a homage to Toronto in “For My City”. I can’t wait for what’s next.
- See more at: http://thecomeupshow.com/?s=elcee&x=0&y=0#sthash.RhIGlTP4.dpuf - Eternity

recent releases is the TREET$ produced "A Story Of Lust".

The production here is choice. The grounded base, smooth relaxed musical ingredients, median rhythm, and reflective vibe culminate perfectly together. There is no set hook on this track. There is a nice little break at the end of the record though that features some harmonious vocals and endearing lyrics. The prolonged verse is refreshing. Elcee contributes a manicured flow, equitable wordplay, and personal rhymes. He uses examples from his own life to bring awareness to the age old life lesson about taking people and things for granted. Theses examples involve a woman who took him in to help raise him and lost opportunity for love. A highlight from his tale include: "Then my granny passed away. And I didn't even get to say bye. And when I try to reach out to her granddaughter, it ain't been the same when I say hi. And I blame that on myself. I wasn't there when she needed me. I was greedy focused on my dreams instead of reality. I should of took her in when she was willing to be with me. But was too busy temporarily pleasing me. Trying to get a bunch of people to believe in me. Still confused as to what they could see in me." Those are very resonant bars right there. Overall this is a quality forthright offering.

**My Two Cents: Looks like Canada is just brimming with all sorts of talent. I enjoyed this introduction to Elcee and his music. He's got a super likeable style about him, his rhymes are legit, and his vocal game is pretty valid as well. I am definitely looking forward to bringing readers more of his material in the future. In the meantime, be sure to catch up with him via: Facebook;Elcee, Twitter; @ElceeTheArtist and his official website;www.ElceeTheArtist.com. LeoSoul drops July 23rd, 2014, so keep an ear out for that too. -MinM - MinM