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 34) 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), once known as QuESt, is an American rapper. He is from Miami, Florida. He started his music journey in 2009. He released several projects, including the popular Searching Sylvan mixtape. In April 2016, he released his first album, Far From Familiar. His second album, Apologies in Advance, came out in January 2018.
Sylvan LaCue used to be signed with Visionary Music Group. Later, he started his own music group called WiseUp & Co. In 2016, he signed a deal with INgrooves. This was his first deal as an independent artist.
Contents
Sylvan LaCue's Music Journey
Starting Out: 2009–2012
Sylvan LaCue began his music career in 2009. At first, he used the name QuESt. He was inspired by rapper Drake and his quick success. Sylvan chose "Quest" but wrote it as "QuESt" to be unique. He wanted to stand out, like rapper Nas used an uppercase "S" in his name.
In 2009, Sylvan won a music competition called "Survival of the MCs." He beat many other hip hop artists. This win earned him a deal with Jermaine Dupri's new company, TAG Records. However, TAG Records closed down a few months later. After this, Sylvan started releasing his music online. He built a strong group of fans under his name "QuESt."
Joining Visionary Music Group: 2013–2014
Sylvan moved to San Diego, CA for a fresh start. He decided to take his time with music. In early 2013, he went on tour with rapper Logic. He became friends with Chris Zarou, who was the president of Visionary Music Group. In August 2013, Sylvan joined Chris Zarou's record label, Visionary Music Group (VMG).
On September 2, 2014, Sylvan released his mixtape called Searching Sylvan. After it came out, The Huffington Post listed Sylvan as one of the "11 Artists You Need To Know." They said Searching Sylvan was one of the best music releases that year. Later in 2014, The Huffington Post also named Searching Sylvan as one of the most underrated albums of the year.
WiseUp Music and Far From Familiar: 2014–2016
In December 2014, Sylvan decided to leave Visionary Music Group. He said they had different ideas about things. Soon after, Sylvan started his own music group called WiseUp Music. He went back to Florida to spend time with his friends and family.
In June 2015, Miami New Times listed Sylvan as one of the "5 Miami Artists You Should Know." They noted he had been making music in Miami since 2009 and was still going strong.
On September 2, 2015, Sylvan announced a big change. He said he was dropping "QuESt" as his stage name. From then on, he would use his birth name, Sylvan LaCue. He explained that he was "Searching Sylvan all along."
There was this one time, me & my engineer went to this coffee shop we became super fond of. There was this barista I knew that was working that afternoon. We played a new record and she loved it.
She always knew my name was "QuESt", but never heard any of my previous work besides that song. I remember paying for my cup of coffee, and my real name popped up from the card scan: Sylvan LaCue. She said, "This is your real name?... This fits you a hell of a lot better than QuESt, just saying." Ironically, I guess I was Searching Sylvan all along...
Sylvan also announced a new project called Far From Familiar. This album was a follow-up to Searching Sylvan. It was produced by The Marvels, WiseUp's own production team. In November 2015, he released The Watcher 3 and Studio City. Both songs were well-liked by fans.
On December 15, 2015, Sylvan announced an EP called Evangeline. It was a "love story" that would be released for free.
To get ready for his new album, Sylvan released "Fall From Grace" on February 4, 2016. He explained that he wrote the song during a difficult time. He said it was about asking for help when you know you are making mistakes. Far From Familiar was released on April 8, 2016.
Tours and New Albums: 2016–Present
After Far From Familiar came out, Sylvan LaCue talked about his goals. He said the last song on the album, "At What Cost?", was about finding peace. He also planned to go on tour in 2016.
On May 8, 2017, LaCue announced his next album would be called Apologies in Advance. From March 3 to April 4, 2017, LaCue toured with Saba to support Saba's album.
Apologies in Advance was released on January 12, 2018.
In July 2018, LaCue started hinting at new music. He released the song "Florida Man" on July 9. The full mixtape, also called Florida Man, came out on July 13, 2018. LaCue dedicated this project to his grandmother. He wanted to inspire people in his city to come together, just like his grandmother brought his family together.
He explained in an interview:
When I started asking questions, that's when I realized what her legacy was about. She had three daughters; all the men in their lives abandoned them. She said, "No matter what, I'm gonna keep my daughters together. I'm gonna dedicate my life to keeping my family together." I didn't get to say goodbye to her, and that was my peace. I'm gonna start with this, this is the first place that I could think of that I could keep together.
Sylvan LaCue's Artistry
Sylvan is known for his great storytelling in his lyrics. His songs are honest and share his own experiences. He learned a lot as an artist. He realized that failing sometimes helped him grow.
His storytelling has been compared to other famous artists like Kendrick Lamar and Masta Ace.
HotNewHipHop describes Sylvan's voice as similar to Smoke DZA, but with a faster flow. They say his lyrics are flexible, meaning he can change his rhyming style to fit the music's beat.
His way of delivering his songs is described as strong and bold. He also sings on many of his own songs.
Sylvan likes to share his thoughts with his fans. He writes journals and meets with fans in different cities. He plays new music for them and talks about it over coffee.
Musical Influences
When he was young, LaCue heard the Nas song "You're Da Man" and felt a strong connection to it. He also liked Big Pun, Canibus, Lupe Fiasco, Common, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Coldplay, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and R. Kelly. Earlier influences included Childish Gambino and Kendrick Lamar.
While making his album Apologies in Advance, he listened to different types of music. He listened to artists like Michael Jackson, Coldplay, James Blake, Sade, and The Hics.
Discography
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 gaining popularity and are featured on the cover of XXL magazine.
Images for kids
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Sylvan LaCue's album cover
