WORDSPJ Some
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Derrick Odafi
PRODUCTION MANAGER Efosa Idubor-Williams PHOTOGRAPHER Silvija Drazdziulyte
VISUAL DIRECTOR Kris Declan
DOP Tom Walder
STYLIST Shaquille Williams
STYLIST ASSISTANT Nikita Makh
SET DESIGNER Shania Wright-Mae
SET DESIGN ASSISTANTS Kwamina Longdon
GAFFER Lighting by Joe
MUA Esme Horn
MUA ASSISTANT Erika Freedman
HAIRSTYLIST Aaliyah Sanchez
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Jennifer Onwuta
CREATIVE PRODUCTION New Wave Studios
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NW: Who is Lancey Foux, and what does he represent and an artist and individual?
LF: That question can go a thousand different ways. Ultimately, I was trying to explain on the album that there’s not one Lancey, there’s a multiple. Depending on what occasion or situation, is that Lancey that you’re going to get. If we go by song terms; you can get ‘SUN MOON’ which is aggressive and rapid, ‘TOO HARD TO KILL’ which is brutally honest, ‘IM A LIAR’, which is triumphant, and ‘SPIRIT OF X2C’ which is delicate. So, I represent the tropes of being well rounded and true to every emotion that is in you.
NW: The theme of this magazine centres around resilience. Are there any difficult things you have encountered mentally in your career?
LF: The funny thing about me is, I think sometimes some people get into this game for attention or validation or recognition…and for me, it’s not that. Taking pictures for me is difficult, talking for me is difficult. I just want to perform the music that I make and go on stage. The things that many esteemed artists thrive on, that’s hard for me and it’s not who I am in real life. I’m not a person that enjoys going on TikTok, taking selfies, talking on the camera; all the things that come with being an artist or celebrity, whatever you want to call it. My resilience comes from pushing all of that, and I don’t think people know that about me. I love going to the studio and making music, and the art itself.
NW: With such a diverse musical pallet such as yours, how do you align that with your brand?
LF: Depending on how I feel, is who I’m going to be.
NW: Many people have key moments that are assigned to special people that help to overcome certain struggles and contribute to who they are, who is that for you?
LF: I don’t have one person as an inspiration since I’m very observant. I can be inspired by so many things and practically everyone. Good or bad. A police officer could be annoying me and that could inspire me. Someone could give me a 10-hour speech and I’d be inspired…but the police officer may’ve inspired me more. Throughout my life and career, I have realised that even when I have that moment of inspiration, it’s been pertained to that situation - Whether that advice came from the person at the petrol station, my family or my friends. But I think the true answer is that I’m constantly seeking inspiration as I haven’t had a moment where I have been super inspired to the point where it dictates everything that I do. I could be having a conversation with you, and I’d remember something that could then come into play for a song, an album or even outfit.
Full Look, Mowalola
Gloves, Agency 11
Lancey Foux Lives A Resilient Life In Hell
When we think of the interdisciplinary themes of music and fashion, Lancey Foux is a prominent figure in both fields. With work evidently rooted within lived experiences and exceptional musical arrangement that his fans fiercely resonate with, there’s no doubt in saying that Lancey is an artist that bears the tropes of aptitude. Relating his values, talent and persona to resilience, keeping yourself grounded, honest and inspired is key. Every artist should strive to perfect their craft not just for those taking it in, but for themselves, just as the literal definition in the dictionary. That meaning today tends to be lost and misinterpreted, as mediums are rapidly produced to fit current streams of commodified trends. These streams destroy a vast amount of value and passion, with an opportunity cost of influence to those upcoming, namely the youth, to carry on collective musical prodigies. Sitting down in this interview, New Wave understands and feel deeply on how Lancey Foux is a figure that fuels his music and fashion with true value, dedication and resilience, that teaches us all, the audience, to not neglect such a treasured opportunity cost.
WORDS Fidji Gomis Mendy
“I represent the tropes of being well rounded and true to every emotion that is in you. ”
Full Look: Mowalola
Blazer, Mowalola
NW: When listening to ‘Pink I’ and ‘Pink II’, the experience is such a musical evolution, especially with the compositions, tempo lyrics etc. As if the albums are two sides of a coin. Which one would you resonate with the most?
LF: It is different for the listeners of my music compared to me because, the music I make is what defines my passion and the past experiences that I’ve been through. When making ‘Pink I’, I didn’t see myself as an artist. I was still outside, and I was doing things. The special thing about ‘Pink I’ is that the music I make is polar opposite. If you know me on a personal level; the things that I’m saying on the songs, the image, and the flow, don’t align with what I was completely opposite to how I was living my life. I really could’ve been making drill back then, or something a bit rougher. I think my family and friends were really caught by surprise with that music, and with ‘Pink II’, I was settling more with becoming an artist and “not making music for fun”- I mean I am, but I’m not. Whatever I was doing then, I’m not doing anymore. With ‘Pink I’, there wasn’t that much reflection done upon how deep things were in my life. I just went my about my day getting into trouble, and in the night, I would record music. Interestingly, I had a conversation with someone the other day, and I was telling them that I think I’m going in reverse. Put it this way – When a drill artist makes music before they become known, their lyrics are touching, and their topics are relevant themes. When they gain that notoriety, the context to who they are is gone. When you listen to ‘Pink I’, you think “How does he go from this to that to that and that?” and that’s why I resonate with ‘Pink I’ the most.
NW: Your influence in fashion goes without saying. Who are some of your favourite designers?
LF: Youngers like SilkSyd. I think all the youth creating businesses especially, are my favourite people now because none of them give a fuck about high end clothes. At 19 or 20, no one is realistically getting Louis Vuitton, so you’re more likely to rummage around the artistic concepts of Syd. Any young person that says ‘I make clothes’ makes me inspired, because they want to put something out that is their own, just like I do with my music.
NW: You have a great relationship with Matthew Williams; Why do you think that friendship has flourished over the years?
LF: I’ve known Matthew through Skepta, and since then, we’ve done loads of work together. I’m such a fan and in awe of the way he does things. When a designer makes clothes, it’s fascinating to see how other people use their style from their work and bring it to a new level. I see that connection within the relationship between me and Matthew, as well as being great friends.
“The music I make is what defines my passion and the past experiences that I’ve been through.”
NW: Speaking of collaborators, another individual that is evident in your music and style is Dagye - Where did your bond with the designer come from?
LF: I’ve known my brother for a very long time, and through fashion. I’m a closed person whereas he’s someone that’s bubbly and outside and opposites attract. I’m close with him because he’s my eye or ears – There are certain things that I wouldn’t do if he wasn’t there, both in the music and fashion eye.
NW: With the all black leather aesthetic that you so infamously depict and channel, and people replicate through various platforms, how has that become something that is a part of you?
LF: That dark mode is my natural mode, yes, but the aesthetic is more a certain swag. I don’t try to make people stick to a certain thing as they are fans. I’d call my clothing theme ‘Mafia’ if we were to name something – Black and White, mafia tone. My purple look is the ‘LIFE IN HELL’ swag and it comes from how I move in life. If you ask Syd or Trench, those that I hang out with, i guess the vamp connection is more about the timings I’m at the studio for.
NW: You’ve been a leader in fashion since your entry into the fashion industry; What inspires you to go in a new direction fashion-wise?
LF: See, this is the funniest thing, I feel like I’m always going into a new direction. I do crazier things away from the public eye than in front of it. Again, there’s no one single inspiration, and I’m always shopping, and going on tour, interestingly, allows me to go into a new fashion direction. When I go different cities, I feel the need to fill in a gap and wear something unique. New York is one of my favourite places to get dressed and find a new swag.
NW: Your influence in fashion goes without saying. Who are some of your favourite designers?
LF: Youngers like SilkSyd. I think all the youth creating businesses especially, are my favourite people now because none of them give a fuck about high end clothes. At 19 or 20, no one is realistically getting Louis Vuitton, so you’re more likely to rummage around the artistic concepts of Syd. Any young person that says ‘I make clothes’ makes me inspired, because they want to put something out that is their own, just like I do with my music.
NW: You have a great relationship with Matthew Williams; Why do you think that friendship has flourished over the years?
LF: I’ve known Matthew through Skepta, and since then, we’ve done loads of work together. I’m such a fan and in awe of the way he does things. When a designer makes clothes, it’s fascinating to see how other people use their style from their work and bring it to a new level. I see that connection within the relationship between me and Matthew, as well as being great friends.
Your fans consistently show up for you, your set at Wireless this year was full of energy, as well as other festivals - How would you describe the mentality of the Lancey Foux fan?
They understand me in the sense of other things, and they’re there for the music and the music only - The lyrics that surround us together as a community, what I stand for, how I dress, being black and having a black girlfriend, being African, and not caring about what anything thinks. They take the things that I say and really ride with it. Some people listen to other people’s music and listen to it just for fun and the vibe or just because everyone is listening to it, but I don’t think that’s the case with me. If you listen to my music, you take the right things in a literal way. I think my listeners think that when they are at my shows, they are there because that one bar that they said on ‘FIRST DEGREE’ or ‘FRIEND OR FOUX’ really resonated or stuck with them.
Full Look: Mowalola
“I don’t have that defining moment yet. I have a few more chapters in the story that is my career.”
You have had many sold-out shows in the UK and US, is anything different for you performing oversees?
In the UK, they know properly what I’m saying and what I’m representing. For example, when I say on ‘DON’T TALK’, “Stop tryna match promoting your baddie, she not even black don’t talk”. They understand it immediately, but in the US, they just rage out and enjoy. In the UK, we’re cultural – African, Caribbean, White, we’re from everywhere.
You’ve previously discussed the diverse range of talent in the UK, but we see you as a vanguard in a whole new wave coming from the city, how would you describe the lane you have built for yourself and others?
I think I’m the wrong person to answer that question because sometimes I’m not as aware. I may have a bigger impact than I think, but I need 200 versions of me to be seen as being a vanguard. I see myself in Fimiguerrero and other upcoming young artists as they’re so sick and talented. There’s 200 of Fredos, Daves and DBEs and until I see 200 versions of myself, I can’t really see myself being that leader. I can’t tell my impact just yet. I feel it coming though, as these young artists come up to me and say how in awe they are. I’m just like that with Skepta, Gucci Mane and David Bowie. If a lot of people can take something from you and you are that influence, you can then say you’ve built that legacy.
NW: Your bond with Leomie is extremely strong, what trait of hers do you try to apply more to how you approach life?
LF: She’s very personal and very good with people! I need to learn to be better with people socially to be fair, as I’m very to myself. She’d talk to everyone; she has a very good attitude in public places, and she is a very public person. I admire that a lot about her.
NW: Talk to us about your creative relationship with Skepta. What is your favourite song you have collaborated on? After you created that song, how has that solidified that relationship?
LF: It’s a song that’s not out yet, the lyrics are deep too. I remember, he called me a year after we made a song together and expressed how touching a lyric was to him. Ever since then, we’ve been close.
NW: Speaking of Life, how is Life in Hell?
LF: Amazing. Honest. True. It’s something we should all look for. Your worst days are really your best days. If something is terrible on Wednesday, by Sunday, what do you remember? Everything; and you come from that place to be in a better one.
Dream by you highlights the aspirations of making it in life and conquering barriers in life. A cliche that many people say is ‘keep going in life by focusing on what you want to do, and you’ll make it’. How do you maintain focus?
I think maintaining discipline is a key factor. If someone tells me I have studio for the next 6 months, starting at 10am and finishing at midnight, I’m going to be there at 9:30am and leave at 12:30pm because that’s what I want to do. However, if someone said that I had a maths exam and had to prep at 10am to midnight, I would have to program myself into being focused for that. So, I think, we must all be focused on what we want to do. The question to ask ourselves is, “how much can you condition yourself into focusing yourself for things you don’t want to do?” … and this goes back to the changeable mindset of me not liking to take pictures of myself and turning it into “how can I make myself take more pictures?” to depict my personality more.
NW: As an artist you are always travelling, do you tend to listen to new instrumentals while you travel or more of the music you have already created?
LF: Both. I go to the gym at 4 in the morning and 9 times out of 10, I’m listening to all the music I haven’t released yet, or new beats that I want to work on. The other day I listened to Beenie Man and his albums; you know. I’m always listening to my music and my beats all the time despite me not being in the studio. I’m making music right now, sitting here talking. The day I stop doing that is the day I stop being an artist
NW: Through your music, how do you try to continue opening doors for your creativity?
LF: I stay inspired when there’s a trend moving away from you. Everyone used to think my music was rage music, but I don’t make that. People around me inspire me, but I’m not someone that sticks to trends, hence my lyric “I take responsibility for 80% of the trends”. I always laugh because if I did something in the past and it becomes trending, I’m just going to steer the other way and think of other new ideas.
NW: What have been the defining moments in your career? Your progress is seen to be extremely significant!
LF: I’m very self-critical. People may say that me having sold out shows should be defining moments, but no. I want to do Wembley, I want to do O2 Arena, so I don’t have that defining moment yet. I have a few more chapters in the story that is my career. When I do get sold out dates in those arenas, I’ll come back and answer yes to that question. I feel like I’ve been held back from how fast my career has been going too.
NW: On Elon Musk you mention “that song you say, the level I play is the hardest one”, What are some of the most difficult things you have encountered competing at the highest level?
LF: I mean, just realising that this game is not based on talent or on how good your song is. It’s everything else, particularly that for everyone, the game is not forever, that’s the hard part. I want my music to be forever, but I think the more we evolve as people, the less time songs survive. Some people aren’t lasting 50 plus years, and to defy that, you have to work and put your music out faster as an artist now. Back then, an artist can drop 5 albums in 10 years. Now, you must drop 5 albums within a year to be on that same level of recognition. If you want to thrive, people have to know a lot about you.
Vest, Sukokudo
Mesh Top, Natasha Zillow
Trousers, Bianca Saunders
Chains, Feather Pendants
Shoes, Artist’s Own
NW: ‘FIRST DEGREE’ came out of nowhere with the most abrasive energy. What caused the energy behind songs like ‘MURDER TALK’, ‘DON’T!’ And ‘BIPOLAR BAG’?
LF: Well, a lot of people that don’t make music would tell me things about me! Also, when you have a clear head, you start looking at things differently – You can hear things but don’t listen, and lately, I’ve started to listen to more things and realised that a lot more people than I thought are wrong.
NW: Songs like ‘I KNOW’ are amazing offerings, you have previously said you preferred performing these songs to your more up-tempo records. What do songs like that do for you?
LF: Those songs are real songs. I feel like rappers talk about the fun stuff, which I get but, when you live that life, it’s boring. So, with ‘I KNOW’, I do miss being in the car with tons of jewellery on, loads of girls and whatever, but there’s something deeper that I know I can change in my conscious. For example, when you come back from a party, you wonder if there was even any need in going or not…and it’s that type of conversation that you have to have with yourself, which I love having all the time.
NW: A monster single on that project is ‘SWEET!’, if you were to create a visual for that song, what would it look like?
LF: I would want to be in the Middle East with loads of women driving G-Wagons with no doors, and don’t want to go further because I don’t want to disrespect culture, but we would be having the sickest time. It would be extravagant; it would just be fun. I want my G-Wagon to do a 360 wheelie and everyone hanging on to dear life! I with the chaos but also doing it in the best outfit.
NW: Leomie Anderson was our cover star for our last issue, she said 25WAGG3DOU2 is on her playlist for shoots - If you were to make a 3 song playlist for her of your songs, what would they be?
LF: She likes ‘GIRL A GUN’ and ‘I FEEL LIKE I’M ME’. She really likes the fun songs.
“I keep real relationships with people that have nothing to do with music or fame.”
NW: Taking into consideration your music and career, how do you keep yourself grounded within the music industry?
LF: By not being too posted. I keep real relationships with people that have nothing to do with music or fame. If I did, maybe I would be bigger, but it would be at an uncomfortable cost. Staying true to yourself and what you believe in is key, in or out of music. People would remember that more than who you were just friends with.
NW: How do you think the future will be for you? Some of your music showcases the experience between the mind and the mental. How would your music help others to conquer it?
LF: I think in the future, I will be about my kids. Everything that I’ve learnt in life and know, and how much it can affect them, that’s what the future holds. From earlier, what can my kids take from the 200 versions of me, and be better? With my parents, I swerved situations that they have and would have swerved, due to the resilience they’ve upheld.
By conducting this interview, the notion of resilience should be seen more as a tool of strength than a trait of weakness. By adding this to the equation with the aforementioned themes of music and fashion, Lancey Foux is a figure that-has and continues to-passionately and authentically create an artistic pedestal that influences us to withstand any barriers. This influence is one that we as a culture collectively should embrace, no matter what named goals we have set for ourselves, whether it be personal or career-wise. Furthermore, the three actions of observation, conversation and perseverance are actions that we see help figures such as Lancey help us to be resilient: It births the creativity, confidence and courage to then excel in a multitude of aspects to keep us ambitious in one’s craft.
