Sylvan LaCue facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sylvan LaCue
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Sylvan Pierre LaCue |
| Also known as | QuESt (former) |
| Born | September 2, 1990 (age 35) Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | WiseUp & Co. |
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Sylvan Pierre LaCue (born September 2, 1990) is an American rapper. He comes from Miami, Florida. He was once known by the name QuESt.
Sylvan started his music career in 2009. He released several projects, including the well-liked Searching Sylvan mixtape. In April 2016, he put out his first album, Far From Familiar. His second album, Apologies in Advance, came out in January 2018.
He used to be signed to Chris Zarou's Visionary Music Group record label. This was from 2013 to 2014. Later, he started his own group called WiseUp & Co. In 2016, he signed a deal with INgrooves. This was his first deal as an independent artist.
Contents
Sylvan's Music Journey
Starting Out: 2009–2012
Sylvan LaCue began making music in 2009. He used the name QuESt back then. He was inspired by Canadian rapper Drake's success. Drake's So Far Gone mixtape was a big hit.
Sylvan chose the name "Quest." He spelled it "QuESt" like rapper Nas's uppercase "S." He said he wanted his name to be special.
In 2009, Sylvan won a music competition. It was called "Survival of the MCs" by Jermaine Dupri. He beat 660 other hip hop artists. He won a deal with Dupri's new company, TAG Records. However, TAG Records closed down a few months later.
After that, Sylvan started releasing his music online. He built a strong fan base as "QuESt." By 2011, Sylvan was living on his own. He worked full-time as a janitor.
In late 2011, Sylvan's father moved in with him. His father had been released from jail. Sylvan's father took over their money matters. Six months later, Sylvan and his father were evicted. This happened on May 10, 2012. Sylvan had also lost his job and given his car to his father. He almost stopped rapping. He felt discouraged because his music wasn't getting noticed. He talked to his music representative. She told him to take his time and not give up.
Joining Visionary Music Group: 2013–2014
Sylvan moved to San Diego, CA. He felt he needed a fresh start after his tough times. He decided to take his time with music. In early 2013, Sylvan toured with rapper Logic. This was for Logic's Welcome To Forever Tour.
Sylvan became friends with Chris Zarou, who leads Visionary Music Group. In August 2013, it was announced that Sylvan joined Chris Zarou's record label. This label is called Visionary Music Group (VMG).
On September 2, 2014, Sylvan released his Searching Sylvan mixtape. After it came out, The Huffington Post listed Sylvan as an artist to watch. They said Searching Sylvan was one of the best music releases that year. Later in 2014, The Huffington Post also called Searching Sylvan one of the most underrated albums.
WiseUp Music and Far From Familiar: 2014–2016
In December 2014, Sylvan shared that he left Visionary Music Group. He said it was due to differences in how they worked. He also said there were no hard feelings. Weeks after leaving, Sylvan started his own music group. He called it WiseUp Music. He went back to Florida to spend time with friends and family. He then went to Orlando to work on his next project.
In June 2015, Miami New Times named Sylvan one of 5 Miami Artists You Should Know. They said he had been making waves in Miami since 2009.
On September 2, 2015, Sylvan announced a big change. He would no longer use "QuESt" as his stage name. He would now go by his birth name, Sylvan LaCue. He explained that he had been finding himself as an artist.
He shared a story about a barista who told him his real name, Sylvan LaCue, suited him better than QuESt. He realized he had been "Searching Sylvan" all along.
Sylvan also announced a project called Far From Familiar. This album was a follow-up to Searching Sylvan. It was produced by WiseUp's team, The Marvels. In November 2015, he released The Watcher 3. This song marked his return. It talked about the music industry. Soon after, Studio City came out. Both songs were well-liked by fans and music blogs.
On December 15, 2015, Sylvan announced an EP called Evangeline. An EP is a shorter music collection. It was released for free on December 18, 2015. Sylvan said Evangeline was a "love story." It took place after the events of his upcoming project, Far From Familiar.
To get ready for the new project, Sylvan released Fall From Grace. This was the first official song. It came out on February 4, 2016. Sylvan explained the song's meaning on Twitter. He wrote it during a difficult time. The song is about asking for help when you feel like you're doing wrong things. Far From Familiar was released on April 8, 2016.
Tours and New Albums: 2016–Present
The day before Far From Familiar was released, Sylvan talked about his goals. He said the last song, "At What Cost?", meant he found peace. He also said he wanted to grow his brand, WiseUp & Co. He planned to go on tour in 2016.
However, after fellow rapper GoldLink released an album called At What Cost, Sylvan changed his mind. On May 8, 2017, he announced his next album would be Apologies in Advance. From March 3 to April 4, 2017, LaCue toured with Saba. This was to support Saba's Bucket List Project.
Apologies in Advance was released on January 12, 2018.
In July 2018, LaCue started hinting at new music. He released Florida Man on July 9. This was the main song from a mixtape that came out on July 13, 2018. LaCue dedicated this project to his grandmother. He wanted to inspire unity in his city, just like his grandmother did for his family.
He shared a story about his grandmother. She had three daughters. The men in their lives left them. She decided to keep her daughters together. She dedicated her life to her family. Sylvan said he didn't get to say goodbye to her. Making this music was his way of finding peace. He wanted to start by bringing his community together.
Sylvan's Artistic Style
Sylvan is known for his great storytelling in his lyrics. One magazine called his words "honest and true to his story." Sylvan also explained how he grew as an artist. He said he learned from his early struggles. He believes that if he had found success too quickly, he might have messed things up. He is thankful for the times he failed because he learned from them.
His storytelling has been compared to famous albums. These include Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. It has also been compared to works by Masta Ace and Prince Paul.
HotNewHipHop, a music website, says Sylvan's voice is similar to Smoke DZA. But they note that Sylvan's flow (how he raps his words) is usually faster. They also say his lyrics are flexible. He changes his rhyming style to fit the beat of the music.
His way of delivering his songs is described as "very strong and bold." He also sings on many of his own songs.
Sylvan often shares his thoughts with fans. He writes journals and meets with fans. They talk about music over coffee.
Who Inspired Sylvan
LaCue said that when he was young, he heard the Nas song "You're Da Man." It was from the album Stillmatic. He "just connected to it." He also liked Big Pun, Canibus, Lupe Fiasco, Common, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Coldplay, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and R. Kelly. Earlier, he was also inspired by Childish Gambino and his Camp album, and Kendrick Lamar.
While making his album Apologies in Advance, he stopped listening to rap music. Instead, he listened to artists like Michael Jackson, Coldplay, James Blake, Sade, and The Hics.
Sylvan's Life
In April 2024, Sylvan LaCue shared that he was diagnosed with lung cancer.
Sylvan's Music
Studio Albums
- Far From Familiar (2016)
- Apologies in Advance (2018)
Mixtapes
- Mind on Blast Vol. 1 (2008)
- Mind on Blast Vol. 2 (2008)
- Where's My Rhymebook? (2008)
- The Reinforcements (2009)
- Distant Travels Into Soul Theory (2009)
- Broken Headphones (2009)
- How Thoughtful (2010)
- The Reason: A Defense Mechanism (2011)
- Fear Not Failure (2012)
- Searching Sylvan (2014)
- Florida Man (2018)
- No More Apologies DEMOS (2020)
EPs
- Evangeline EP (2015)
- Young Sylvan EP. 1 (2021)
- Young Sylvan EP. 2 (2021)
- Young Sylvan EP. 3 (2021)
Awards and Nominations
In March 2015, Sylvan was nominated for the XXL annual Top 10 Freshmen list. This list features new artists who are rising in the music world. They are shown on the cover of XXL magazine's "Freshman Class" issue.
 | Kyle Baker |
 | Joseph Yoakum |
 | Laura Wheeler Waring |
 | Henry Ossawa Tanner |
