"For my last album, I wanted to throw the funkiest, freakiest, messiest going away party I could for myself,” declares rap legend LYRICS BORN about his upcoming exit from the music space to further explore other entertainment realms. “I'm saying what I want to say, and then I'm boogie-ing my ass out the door.” Before he waves ‘sayonara’ to his illustrious musical career that stretches over three decades from his start as part of the iconic Northern California hip hop collectives SoleSides and Quannum Projects in the ‘90s to his solo joints in the ‘00s and onward, Lyrics Born will be releasing one final album, Goodbye, Sticky Rice on October 25th, 2024 via his label Mobile Home Recordings.

Starting in the late ‘90s as a vital part of the intensely influential Bay Area hip hop collective Quannum Projects that spawned DJ Shadow, Blackalicious, Lifesavas and Latyrx, of which he was half with Lateef the Truthspeaker, Lyrics Born broke countless “first” barriers as the first Asian-American solo rapper to perform at Lollapalooza, Coachella, release a greatest hits record, to name a few firsts. There was never a glass ceiling that he wasn’t able to break. He has established himself firmly among the upper echelon of indie Hip Hop artists. In 2022, Rolling Stone listed his debut album Later That Day as one of the "200 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time." He also holds a place in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest West Coast Hip-Hop Songs of All Time" with his biggest hit to date "Callin' Out."

Since the release of that first album Lyrics Born's music has gone on to be heard in television commercials for major brands such as Diet Coke, Motorola and Vans, video games for Electronics Arts and Atari as well as television and film soundtracks including Entourage, True Blood, Collateral, Waiting, Friday the 13th and many others.

His new single “Take It 2 Far” from the upcoming album is a funk-fueled track that finds Lyrics Born spitting out rhymes in his trademark cadence. “Everything in Moderation, including moderation,” he says about the song, shooting a shifty eye. “Fuck that,” he laughs. “Let’s take it 2 far this time, & take it there with me!!” Celebrating excess and indulgence in the best possible way, it’s a hearty song that embraces the Dionysian life. “I’m already fun but we can get funner / Every bottle upside down all summer,” he raps, popping corks and upping the ante past eleven.

Shortly after its release, "Take It 2 Far" became a viral hit on TikTok with video views for the song reaching over 3 million views across all platforms. This was fueled by a digital cosign from Snoop Dogg who reposted the video to his 90 million Instagram followers along with the caption "Dope!"

An entrepreneur who has branched out from music to the visual medium like film (he had a cameo in Boots Riley’s 2018 sleeper hit Sorry to Bother You and starred alongside Emmy winner comedian Ali Wong, Randall Park and Keanu Reeves in Netflix’s hit streaming film Always Be My Maybe), he also launched a cooking series Dinner in Place on YouTube that has been a runaway hit. The series has received millions of views across platforms and Season Five is on the way! The series has been so successful that it won a coveted 2024 Telly Award, which honors excellence in video and television across all screens. Crowned as the Silver Winner in the “Food & Beverage – Online” category, it is proving to be a very exciting prospect in his future. “I'm so honored to have received the Telly for Dinner In Place: Season 4,” he exclaims. “WOW! We had so much fun and cooked up some delicious meals with friends. WAIT TIL Y’ALL SEE WHAT WE GOT COOKIN FOR SEASON 5!”

Reflecting on his renowned and distinguished career, Lyrics Born concludes, “I’m gonna take an indefinite hiatus from releasing albums,” he says contentedly. “Goodbye Sticky Rice will be my 16th. I think that’s enough for now.”’

Over the years LB has done it all. From a voice-over stint for Cartoon Network's 'You Are Here' campaign to compiling a book of his best #YesBayArea tweets, this Bay Area artist continues to expand his reach beyond music and has solidified himself as a renaissance man capable of doing anything he sets his mind to.