Wikipedia

Pink Siifu

Livingston Lemorie Matthews,[3] known professionally as Pink Siifu, and occasionally iiye,[4] is an American rapper and singer from Cincinnati, Ohio, and Birmingham, Alabama.

Pink Siifu
Birth nameLivingston Lemorie Matthews
Also known as
  • iiye
  • Liv Martez
Born1992 (age 31–32)
Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.[1]
Genres
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • singer
Years active2013–present[2]
LabelsDynamite Hill
Websitepinksiifu.com

Life and career

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Matthews acquired an appreciation for music from his family, while dividing his time between Birmingham and Cincinnati in his youth. His father, a saxophone player, introduced him to classic jazz, while his mother and older brother introduced him to R&B and hip-hop. Matthews played the trumpet and drums in marching bands throughout his youth. After high school, he became a theater major at Wright State University in Fairborn, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton.[5] However, he chose to leave the university to focus on a rap career. He started performing in Cincinnati under the name 'Liv Martez' before moving to Los Angeles in 2013 after recording in studios there, including working on a project with Syd tha Kyd.[2][6]

He began releasing music under the name Pink Siifu in 2014,[7][8] while also producing under the name iiye.[8] Matthews released several projects between 2014 and 2018.[8]

In 2018, Matthews released Ensley under the Pink Siifu moniker to critical acclaim.[7][9] He named the LP after Ensley, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham where his grandmother lived. Ensley received a placement on Pitchfork's best rap albums of 2018 list.[10] His next release was the album NEGRO. Initially titled To Be Angry, the album has been described as a "shrill and abrasive"[7] blend of jazz, punk rock, and rap.[11][12] Siifu's most recent solo album, Gumbo'!, featured his studio album debut alongside artists Georgia Anne Muldrow and Nick Hakim. It also featured production by Monte Booker, The Alchemist, and others.[13] In 2021, Matthews directed a short film titled 'NATION TYME!', an experimental film centered on an excerpt from famed writer Amiri Baraka's essay 'It's Nation Time'.[14]

Style and influences

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Pink Siifu has been described as having a slow and lackadaisical delivery to his vocals, a quality he attributes to the influence of Mos Def, Lil Wayne, and Outkast. Siifu's music has generally been described as alternative hip-hop and neo-soul, but he has experimented with other genres, including punk on his 2020 release, NEGRO. Outside of hip-hop, Matthews has listed George Clinton, Bad Brains, Alice Coltrane, Sun Ra, Pixies, Radiohead, and Death Grips among his influencers.[15]

Discography

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Albums

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  • VCR@aol.jazz: A decade's letter to the Galaxy (as VCR@aol.jazz) (2014)
  • Zin (as iiye) (2014)
  • Zen (as iiye) (2014)
  • No/more LOVE (as iiye) (2014)
  • UaReL. (2015)
  • Space Ghetto (2016)
  • Ensley (2018)[16]
  • NEGRO (2020)[17]
  • Gumbo! (2021)[18]

Collaborative albums

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  • Twothousandnine (with Swarvy) (2016)[19]
  • BRWN (with Ahwlee as B. Cool-Aid) (2017)[20]
  • Syrup (with Ahwlee as B. Cool-Aid) (2019)
  • Black Sand (with AKAI SOLO) (2019)[21]
  • Bag Talk (with YungMorpheus) (2020)[22]
  • FlySiifu's (with Fly Anakin) (2020)[23]
  • $mokebreak (with Fly Anakin) (2021)[24]
  • Real Bad Flights (with Real Bad Man) (2022)[25]
  • Leather Blvd (with Ahwlee as B. Cool-Aid) (2023)
  • It's Too Quiet..'! (with Turich Benjy) (2023)

Extended plays

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  • A maze btw time (as iiye) (2014)
  • Year 19803711967 (as iiye) (2014)
  • Allway[v]ez (as iiye) (2015)
  • Reggie,Ernest,Wester,Rusty (as iiye) (2015)
  • A second definatelycaughtin between love x fear (as iiye) (2015)
  • Bround/brown (as iiye) (2016)
  • Giiift Wrap:VoL.1 (as iiye) (2016)
  • Black food 1 (as iiye) (2016)
  • Old'focus (as iiye) (2016)
  • Tape (as iiye) (2016)
  • In between. (as iiye) (2016)
  • A'lady. 1 (as iiye) (2016)
  • Let go (2016)
  • In between. (as iiye) (2016)
  • Black food 2 (as iiye) (2017)
  • Lil'likeluv.1 (as iiye) (2017)
  • Grden.1 (as iiye) (2017)
  • A'lady. 2 (as iiye) (2017)
  • black food 3 (as iiye) (2017)
  • Lil'likeluv.2 (as iiye) (2017)
  • Drnk (as iiye) (2017)
  • Head (2017)
  • Slwdwn Vol. 1 (as iiye) (2017)
  • Lil'likeluv.3 (as iiye) (2018)
  • Uptwn.1 (as iiye) (2018)
  • Slwdwn Vol. 2 (as iiye) (2018)
  • Southern. (as iiye) (2018)
  • A'lady. 3 (as iiye) (2018)
  • Uptwn.2 (as iiye) (2018)
  • Dollaz.1 (as iiye) (2018)
  • Im still. (2018)
  • Black food 4 (as iiye) (2019)
  • Uptwn.3 (as iiye) (2018)
  • Use. (as iiye) (2019)
  • Slwdwn Vol. 3 (as iiye) (2019)
  • Dollaz.2 (as iiye) (2020)
  • Grden.3 (as iiye) (2020)
  • Lil'SidePeace. (as iiye) (2020)
  • Lil'likeluv.4 (as iiye) (2020)
  • Dollaz.3 (as iiye) (2020)
  • Uptwn.4 (as iiye) (2021)

Singles

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  • "Blvck Space Pink vol.1" (as iiye) (2015)
  • "Heart on my face" (2017)
  • "Halos/Bills" (released in collaboration with Swarvy) (2017)[26]
  • "Cocoa" (released in collaboration with B. Cool-Aid and Awhlee) (2018)[27]
  • "Cement" (released in collaboration with Shungu) (2020)[28]
  • "Dollar Dr. Dream" (released in collaboration with Fly Anakin) (2020)[29]
  • "Richard Pryor" (released in collaboration with Fly Anakin) (2020)[30]
  • "Mind Right" featuring Liv.e (released in collaboration with Fly Anakin) (2020)[31]
  • "Blame" (released in collaboration with Fly Anakin) (2021)[32]
  • "Minnie Lives" (released in collaboration with V.C.R) (2021)
  • "Table 42" featuring Pink Siifu (released in collaboration with Taphari) (2021)
  • "lng hair dnt care" (2021)[33]
  • "Bussin' (Cold)" (released in collaboration with Turich Benjy) (2021)[34]
  • "48" (released in collaboration with Maxo) (2022)[35]
  • "Looking for Water" featuring Boldy James (released in collaboration with Real Bad Man and Boldy James) (2022)[36]
  • "Pour The Wine" featuring Peso Gordon & Chuck Strangers (released in collaboration with Real Bad Man, Peso Gordon, and Chuck Strangers) (2022)[37]
  • "L's (Eyedress Remix)" featuring Fousheé (released in collaboration with Fly Anakin & Fousheé) (2022)[38]
  • Bonded (released in collaboration with B. Cool-Aid and Awhlee) (2022)[39]
  • "Cnt Go Back (Tell Me)" (released in collaboration with B. Cool-Aid, Awhlee, Liv.e, Butcher Brown, Rimeta Rose, V.C.R. & Maurice II) (2023)[40]

References

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  1. ^ Hobbs, Thomas. "Pink Siifu is one step ahead". Crack Magazine. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  2. ^ a b Bell, Max (August 6, 2018). "An Interview with Pink Siifu". Passion of the Weiss. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  3. ^ "ADAM X JALEN EYE LUV U". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  4. ^ "Pink Siifu's Mad-Scientist Melting Pot". stereogum.com. 28 July 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  5. ^ Moore, Marcus J. (17 August 2021). "Pink Siifu, a Shape-Shifting Musician With One Demand: Don't Box Me In". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  6. ^ "A Guide to the Prolific Rap, Punk, and Soul of Pink Siifu". bandcamp.com. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  7. ^ a b c Moore, Marcus (April 15, 2020). "The necessity of Pink Siifu's rage". The Fader. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  8. ^ a b c Crone, David. "Pink Siifu AllMusic Biography". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  9. ^ Pacheco, Thomas (August 4, 2021). "Pink Siifu's GUMBO! Is Good For The Soul". Spin. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  10. ^ Aku, Timmhotep (December 18, 2018). "The Best Rap Albums of 2018". Pitchfork. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  11. ^ Joseph, Branden (June 10, 2021). "Fire and Smoke: Pink Siifu Interviewed". Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  12. ^ Pearce, Sheldon (April 15, 2020). "Pink Siifu: Negro". Pitchfork. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  13. ^ "Interview: Pink Siifu on His Ever-Shifting Musical Approach". Reverb.com. 15 June 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  14. ^ "Watch Pink Siifu's New Short Film NATION TYME!". Pitchfork. February 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  15. ^ "Don't Expect Anything From Pink Siifu at III Points". miaminewtimes.com. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  16. ^ "Ensley - Album by Pink Siifu". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  17. ^ "NEGRO - Album by Pink Siifu". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  18. ^ "Gumbo! - Album by Pink Siifu". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  19. ^ "Twothousandnine - Album by Pink Siifu & Swarvy". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  20. ^ "BRWN - Album by B. Cool-Aid". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  21. ^ "Black Sand - Album by Pink Siifu & AKAI SOLO". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  22. ^ "Bag Talk - Album by Pink Siifu & Yungmorpheus". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  23. ^ "FlySiifu's - Album by Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  24. ^ "$mokebreak - Album by Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  25. ^ "Real Bad Flights - Album by Pink Siifu & Real Bad Man". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  26. ^ "Cocoa - Single by Pink Siifu & Swarvy". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  27. ^ "Cocoa - Single by B. Cool-Aid". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  28. ^ "Cement - Single by Shungu & Pink Siifu". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  29. ^ "Dollar Dr. Dream - Single by Fly Anakin & Pink Siifu". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  30. ^ "Richard Pryor - Single by Fly Anakin & Pink Siifu". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  31. ^ "Mind Right - Single by Fly Anakin & Pink Siifu". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  32. ^ "Blame - Single by Fly Anakin & Pink Siifu". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  33. ^ "lng hair dnt care - Single by Pink Siifu". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  34. ^ "Bussin' (Cold) - Single by Pink Siifu". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  35. ^ "48 - Single by Maxo". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  36. ^ "Pour The Wine - Single by Pink Siifu & Real Bad Man". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  37. ^ "Pour The Wine - Single by Pink Siifu & Real Bad Man". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  38. ^ "L's (Eyedress Remix) - Single by Fly Anakin & Pink Siifu". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  39. ^ "Bonded - Single by B.Cool-Aid". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  40. ^ "Cnt Go Back (Tell Me) - Single by B.Cool-Aid". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
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