leosoul

Interview by: Eternity Martis When I first meet LaShawn Powell, also known by his stage name, Elcee, the first thing I notice is how surprisingly down-to-earth he is. I’d say I agree with rapper Earl Sweatshirt when he boils it down to Toronto rappers being “grandma nice”, but that couldn’t be the case. Born in Nova Scotia, and raised between Windsor and Toronto, Elcee’s graciousness is not a symptom of too-nice carebear T.O rappers, nor a facade- it’s an admirable, innate characteristic. Elcee has been recoding music for the past few years, but it wasn’t until the release of his #SoundCloudSundays series that a true, dedicated artist was born. And what makes an artist true? One that has the courage to be forthright about his experiences, and has the desire to inspire the same bravery in others. He mixes Hip-Hop with R&B, Rap, and beats ranging from dreamy to bass-thumping, all without needing to justify or label himself. Articulate, well-spoken, and composed, Elcee is careful about what he says and how he says it. He understands the fine line between narcissism and confidence, and that no success comes without struggle. I sat down with Elcee to discuss music, success, and personal growth, as well as his upcoming project, LeoSoul, produced by Bonham and set to drop July 23rd. Read the interview after the jump.