Pronounced: (Love – awe – see –air)
Place of Origin : Brooklyn, New York
A famous rapper once asked if there was a heaven for a Gangster. Lavoisier is the embodiment of the answer to that question. Up until a few years ago, he was on the typical collision course with death that is often traveled by many fatherless, black youth. “Stolen cars, gun sales, crack deals and jail cells; on and off the microphone.” But since then, Lavoisier has changed lanes. “I guess you could say I had an epiphany of sorts.” he says with an almost mischievous laugh, of his new approach to rhymes and life.
But what happens when a drug dealer slash rapper has a crisis of conscience? What is the product of a real thug who’s turned over a new leaf in the name of God? Its name is Lavoisier and its lyrics are not for the faint of heart.
A student of hip hop since a youngster, his older brother, (a serious and dedicated MC who was on the verge of a record deal when he was murdered in the streets of Brooklyn, NY when Lavoisier was 12) first introduced him to 2 turntables and a microphone at the impressionable age of 6. And so began his love affair with all things hip hop.
Growing up feeling displaced, having lost a brother to gun violence and a mother to a heart attack at the age of 4, combined with the pain of not having a father figure present, became too much to bear. At the age of fourteen, Lavoisier began penning his own lyrics as a way of getting attention and also expressing his frustration and anger at life and the hand it had dealt him. “I had never even seen a real gun at the time, but in my rhymes I was busting Mac-10’s, Tec-9’s and 9mm’s at imaginary enemies all through my hood.” he says. His art was imitating life around him, but slowly, his life began to imitate his art. Lavoisier began to live out the violent and rebellious lyrics that he was writing. Weed smoking followed by acts of violence, strings of robberies, extortion plots and gang membership. “I didn’t have a paternal image and thugs were the most powerful figures to me that I could touch, so that’s who I wanted to be; that’s who I wanted respect from.” says Lavoisier of his pursuit for an identity.
Following a deep and heartfelt conversation with a close friend over some choice marijuana about the purpose for which he was given the gift to rap, Lavoisier began to pursue a relationship with God. He is now on a mission to present God to the world in a way that many have never heard of before. Through his music, he strives to provide a very realistic portrait of how different people see God, how God sees us, and what its like dealing with the realities of everyday life. Through openness and honesty, Lavoisier is able to connect with a wide range of audiences and makes it okay for listeners to be real with themselves and as a result has moved approximately 5,000 copies of his debut album, “The Next Big Thing v. 2.0”.
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