Kevin Lester

Emotional, Hypnotic, Infectious. These are some of the words used to describe Kevin Lester’s music. As Hip Hop continues to be a global musical force, it has created strong influences on many international artists. While the borders of countries continue to break down, the world will be exposed to a new mesh up of styles and sounds based on fresh new influences.

At the age of twenty-five, after deciding to leave a successful marketing position in finance, Kevin thought he saw the future. Growing up in Singapore, rapper Kevin Lester aka ‘The Lion City Boy,’ has a soul etched to the groove of Hip Hop, a vibe borrowed from the best of R&B and the raw exposed nerve of Punk Rock. Lester admits, “Growing up here has taught me to respect all cultures. We’re such a diverse, multi-cultural city that the closest people around you could be of five different races, each mixed with many other ethnicities. Because we’re a small country, about seventy-five kilometers wide, you can’t help but become immersed and affected by a multitude of different types of languages, food and of course, music. It’s a beautiful experience.”

An award-winning musician in Singapore, Kevin discusses his emotionally driven songs born from personal complexities and a life journey through a flow distinctly influenced by artists like fellow rapper Common, but with a sonically significant taste of indie electronic music like The XX too.

Like most musicians, Kevin is always searching his heart and writing new lyrics to express his inner most thoughts and feelings. It really started to pour out after a series of life changing events; the passing of a dearly loved family member and the disastrous end to an eight-year relationship. Amidst the loss and grief, it was then that a darker and more honest songwriting style emerged. Kevin expresses “It felt like a total self discovery. In these songs I started to question myself about these moments; was the break up because of me and how could life be so cruel? The artist inside me began to embrace this and conceptualize the album. I’m so proud of the music and I think it’s some of my best work yet. I’m keen to share my music and what better way to do that then by being honest with the listener. These songs truly represent who I am.”

The first single “Hear Me Go” is a song about how you don't need the trendiest hair cut or the latest street wear to fit into life or climb into a mosh pit. You can be a refined young man in a tuxedo wearing a monocle while sipping chamomile tea in the afternoon; but when you hear that one crazy track play, all you want to do is report to the front, bounce off the wall and go wild. It's a song about letting loose and being free and not being concerned about social commentary. The latter a subject matter he often promotes.
“Danger” is a song that summarizes the emotions that have fueled this album. In verse one the character questions why the world is turning on him, catching him by surprise. In verse two, his subconscious replies with a finger pointing back asking him to notice the character flaws that have led him into this pit. “Danger” is a super collaboration of Singapore’s finest musicians including: Bani Haykal, a young musician who is already a legend within the local scene, Sezairi, the recent winner of Singapore Idol and Aarika Lee, a stunning new female vocalist. The magical combination of each singer’s strength is a perfect marriage for the message and emotion in the chorus “Gotta get me outta here.”

Kevin shares, “In my lyrics I try not to be so literal, so that there’s a level of mystery. In the title track ‘Everything You Love, You Hate,’ I talk about problems by merely touching on the emotion the characters feel while discussing it. I love creating mystery in the subconscious of the listener so they can experience their own interpretation of the song.”

“Will you still stand there kissing girls like I’m
married to the music holding her in this life
They think Kev maybe it’s time you get a real wife
Eff it, we could be anything we wanna be
I’m taking charge how they write me in history“

In March of 2013 "The Lion City Boy" will release his EP debut EVERYTHING YOU LOVE YOU HATE through SONY owned RED distributed label Vertusent. A focused introduction into the mind of a dreamer, his compositions are as self described, “the point before the darkness in the dead end of a tunnel, two steps to be in and out of the light.” The songs will welcome listeners into his soul, while laying bare his insecurities.

The more you listen, the more you realize Kevin Lester has a rare understanding of the importance of being able to inspire and its true power to provide change.