M Lamar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids M Lamar
Lamar in 2017
Born	(1972-05-29) May 29, 1972 (age 53) Mobile, Alabama, U.S.
Education	San Francisco Art Institute Yale University
Occupation	Composer performer multimedia artist
Relatives	Laverne Cox (twin sister)
Musical career
Instruments	Vocals piano

M Lamar (born Reginald Lamar Cox on May 29, 1972) is an American artist. He is a composer, performer, and artist who creates many different types of art. He sings opera using a special voice called a countertenor (a male singer who sings in a high range). He also plays the piano. His art often includes film, sculptures, art installations, and live performances.

M Lamar is the identical twin brother of actress Laverne Cox. He even played his sister's character in the Netflix show Orange Is the New Black in scenes from before her character's transition.

Early Life and Art Journey

M Lamar was born in Mobile, Alabama. When he was a child, he sang in his church choir. He studied painting at the San Francisco Art Institute. Later, he went to Yale University for graduate school to study sculpture. However, he decided to leave Yale to focus on music. He moved to New York City to train his voice with a famous opera singer named Ira Siff.

In 2014, Lamar took part in a discussion with well-known authors like bell hooks and Samuel R. Delany. He has said that the writings of bell hooks and Toni Morrison have inspired his work. He also found inspiration in the opera Plague Mass by composer Diamanda Galás.

Creative Projects and Inspirations

In 2016, M Lamar created a special project called Funeral Doom Spiritual. This project was a performance and an art installation. It included objects, videos, and prints. The idea for this work came from the story of Willie Francis. Francis was a Black American teenager who was charged with a crime. His case became famous when he survived an attempted execution. Lamar's art explores ideas about Black identity and how Black people are seen in society.

Also in 2016, Lamar received a grant to create another work. This piece was called Lordship and Bondage: The Birth of the Negro Superman. He composed it for a group called the Living Earth Show. The words in this piece include quotes from famous musicians like John Coltrane and Sun Ra. It also includes quotes from philosophers like Friedrich Nietzsche and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel.

Lamar has created his own terms to describe his art style. He calls his art "Negrogothic" and his songs "doom spirituals." He explains that "Negrogothic" mixes horror stories with questions about history and race. He says it's about "horror and romance together" when thinking about the experience of Black people in America. These ideas help him make art that is unique and personal. He believes this helps prevent African American art from being misunderstood or copied.

In 2022, M Lamar appeared on the ABC show Claim to Fame. On the show, contestants try to guess which celebrity each other is related to. Lamar used the name "X" on the show. He was eliminated when his celebrity relative was correctly guessed.

Music Albums

M Lamar has released several music albums. Here are some of them:

See Also

• LGBT culture in New York City