Video Premiere: Lyrique - "Live Well"
Lyrique arrived from Baguio, Philippines to Calgary, Alberta in 2014 as a temporary foreign worker. Soon after, the one-time bedroom lyricist was performing at Cafe Koi’s Elevated Etiquette open mic, and the regular hip hop showcase, 10 at 10, which has nurtured other Calgary acts such as Jae Sterling and A.Y.E. His impeccable flow was immediately noticed around his adopted hometown. After busting ass for a couple years, his name spread across Canada and The Philippines with the release of his incredible 2017 single, “Escape.” The track touched on the racism and discrimination Lyrique experienced in Canada while working as a live-in nanny and how he rose above it. The song got serious traction, featured on MTV Philippines and CBC’s Q, thanks in part to Kim’s Convenience actor Andrew Phung calling it his “favourite song” during an interview with Tom Power.
Since then, his legend continues to grow after dropping a couple successful singles and 2019's BLANK EP. Today we are excited to present an exclusive premiere of the video for “Live Well’ which will appear on his debut full-length album, P.I.M.P. (Poetry Is My Pleasure), set for release on October 14.
“Live Well” has Lyrique getting introspective about how far he’s come. It features relaxed beats with his thoughts flowing effortlessly as he moves from singing to rapping, sounding like a rare rap artist that can tackle both. The video’s opening scene of a plane landing is an important symbol and a nod to his arrival in his adopted home as well as the dreams he’s already set in motion.
“I would watch planes flying by when I was in the Philippines and think about what it would be like to live a different life somewhere else,” Lyrique says. “That image of the plane became a symbol of escape for me, escape from poverty or a stressful situation.”
Enjoy the video for “Live Well” and catch P.I.M.P. (Poetry Is My Pleasure) on October 14.