Le1f

New York City-based rapper/producer/dancer Le1f was born Khalif Diouf and grew as a beatmaker in the 2000s. When attending Wesleyan University he befriended the members of snark-rap outfit Das Racist and went on to make the beats for their breakthrough single, "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell." Le1f became a key figure in a subset of openly gay N.Y.C. rappers, with himself and peers like Mykki Blanco, Zebra Katz, and House of Ladosha gaining exposure for their refreshing contributions to hip-hop that grew out of the early-'90s drag and ball culture. An early single first leaked online in early 2012, and debut mixtape Dark York followed in April of 2012. Le1f continued to make an impression as a much-buzzed-about artist throughout 2012, giving multiple interviews and performing at the CMJ music festival. Underwater appeared late in the year, a full-length made in collaboration with like-minded producer Boody.