Chieflo

In a world where today’s up-and-coming rappers are seemingly being throttled to stardom by Youtube hits, celebrity scandals, and the all-too-familiar dance routines, trying to find quality music can be almost as tiresome as trying to swim upstream. Many people argue that the rap music nowadays glamorizes materialism instead of the raw, boom-bap sound from its paternal roots in the streets of the Bronx, NY circa 1970’s. As new trends are constantly being tossed aside in favor of the next trend, few artists are able to stay relevant or memorable in the music game. Fortunately for us, the unsigned hype Logosou Kudayah aka Chieflo has been carefully crafting music while hittin’ the books at The Mecca, better known as Howard University.

“Logosou means Chief in Ewe (a tribe from Togo where my Dad's from) and growing up everybody would call me Lo or Logo so I just put them together.” - Chieflo

Jet-setting from his homeland in Monrovia, Liberia due to political turmoil to the Big Apple, Minneapolis and finally landing in Cambridge, Massachusetts gave Chieflo a broad perspective in hip-hop, jazz, and most importantly soul music. From the tender age of 11, after watching Usher perform on MTV, Chieflo began writing lyrics. With influences from his father’s love of jazz and an older sister with an ear for all-things-hip-hop, it’s no surprise that Chieflo would vibe to the likes of AZ, The Lox, Wu Tang Clan, and Nas. “I grew up around the Boston underground rap scene where lyricism and originality is held in high regard so when I started making music, I didn’t have to look far for inspiration.” But, when he heard the 90’s anthem “California Love” by legendary rapper Tupac while driving with his parents, hip-hop became more than just music and he started writing with a passion that would later lead to him penning rhymes down whenever he got the chance.
With the pressure to release material that is more awe-inspiring than the previous, it’s clear that Chieflo’s approach to music with his newest installment “Lo and Behold” would reflect his appreciation for consistency and thoughtful concepts. His lyrics reflect his drive to succeed in the ever-changing world of music. “Conceive, Plan & Execute. Set to do what the rest refuse. So I recruited a platoon of ill sergeants, with sniper sights on striking revenue.”

Keeping this in mind, his cadence on the microphone is reminiscent of the early 90’s conscious hip-hop movement that brought about groups like A Tribe Called Quest, Arrested Development, and Gangstarr. “Lo and Behold” defines Chieflo’s personal take on the importance of bridging the gap in hip-hop while serving up thought-provoking lyrics over genre-bending beats.

Followed by performances in the DMV area including WHBC’s Rock Star Awards 2010, his single “I Need You” released in August 2010 has found a home on many of today’s go to hip-hop sites such as HipHopDX.com and Rhyme365.com. After working tirelessly on the mixtape “Lo and Behold” which dropped in early 2011, Chieflo continues to hone his skills and perform on a level that has even the most critical of hip-hop heads vibing with him. Currently working on the video production for the heartfelt single, “I Need You”, Lo keeps hip-hop enthusiasts on their toes by focusing his talents on diction, delivery, and of course, dopeness. As he continues his journey into the music game, Chieflo doesn’t compromise his lyrics or “dumb down” what he writes; it’s up to you to peep the message… "Built up my bars to put a chevron on my shoulder. Mind got sick, flow got colder. So when its time to retire it won't be cause I'm older. Its cause I held it down & kilt shit like I'm supposed to. I told you..."