Steve Lacy
Steve Thomas Lacy-Moya (born May 23, 1998) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He gained recognition as the guitarist of the alternative R&B band the Internet, which he joined in 2015.[4][5] His self-produced debut EP, Steve Lacy's Demo (2017), was met with critical praise and became a sleeper hit.[6][7] Lacy then guest performed alongside Frank Ocean on Tyler, the Creator's 2017 single "911 / Mr. Lonely", which received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). That year, he also co-wrote songs for artists including Solange Knowles,[8] Chloe x Halle,[9] and Kendrick Lamar—on his song "Pride".
This article is about the singer and guitarist. For other people named Steve Lacy, see Steve Lacy (disambiguation).
Steve Lacy
Steve Thomas Lacy-Moya
May 23, 1998
Compton, California, U.S.
- Singer
- songwriter
- guitarist
- record producer
- Vocals
- guitar
2013–present
His debut studio album, Apollo XXI (2019) earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album. That same year, he guest featured on Vampire Weekend's single "Sunflower", as well as Calvin Harris' song "Live Without Your Love", which entered the UK Singles Chart. He signed with RCA Records to release his second studio album Gemini Rights (2022), which peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200 chart and spawned the single "Bad Habit". Also a sleeper hit, the song peaked the Billboard Hot 100 after going viral on TikTok. It earned Lacy a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance while the song received two nominations for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Lacy also took home Best Progressive R&B Album for Gemini Rights. He was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2023.[10]
Early life[edit]
Steve Thomas Lacy-Moya was born in Compton, California, on May 23, 1998,[11][5] the son of an African-American mother and Filipino father.[12] He was raised by his mother and grew up with his sister Asia Lacy (Asiatica), with his father being largely absent from his life and usually only visiting on special occasions. When Lacy was 10 years old, his father died.[12][13][14] Lacy attended Narbonne High School before moving onto a private school. Lacy has said that he grew up sheltered, a result of his mother wanting to shield him and his sisters from the environment at the time in Compton.[14]
Artistry[edit]
In an interview with The Fader, Lacy cited Thundercat, Erykah Badu, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Pharrell Williams and the Neptunes as some of his biggest influences, also mentioning Prince as his dream collaborator.[4] Lacy has also listed Weezer, Paramore, and Jimi Hendrix as major influences on his sound.[64] Makeda Sandford of Saint Heron described his sound as "an electrifying yet smooth... playful depiction of beachy funk, rock 'n roll-sprinkled soul."[15] Jonah Bromwich of Pitchfork said he "sparkles with classic Southern California funk and soul."[6] He has also stated that one of his biggest influences, in regard to production, is Mac DeMarco.[65] Lacy has said that he is most comfortable writing about topics regarding love and dating, and describes his musical sound to be like the tartan fabric 'plaid'.[12][66]