Lex Leosis makes up one-third of Toronto hip-hop crew the Sorority, but as her Saturday night (May 25) set at the Rock House showed, she's more than capable of carrying a show by herself.
Whether bounding from one side of the stage to the other, or crouching down to get close to the front row, she was a whirlwind of restless energy. She even prowled out into the crowd with her microphone, telling fans, "In Toronto, we like to rap in people's faces and get real gritty and shit." Without any bandmates to join her, she seemed keen to take up as much space as possible by herself.
With DJ Kookum spinning booming low-end beats, Leosis showed off a flow that was both dexterous and aggressive, and she powered through verses over Dr. Dre's "What's the Difference."
Between songs, Leosis spoke directly about being a white person in hip-hop, emphasizing the importance of telling your own story (and no one else's). With that in mind, her songs spoke directly to her own experiences: she repped her hometown and rapped about "running through the 6ix," discussed the time a guy told her "chicks can't rap" and opened up about getting cheated on during the intro to "Monogamy."
Leosis was equally comfortable with being vulnerable as she was being confrontational — but more than anything, her set was a ton of fun.
Whether bounding from one side of the stage to the other, or crouching down to get close to the front row, she was a whirlwind of restless energy. She even prowled out into the crowd with her microphone, telling fans, "In Toronto, we like to rap in people's faces and get real gritty and shit." Without any bandmates to join her, she seemed keen to take up as much space as possible by herself.
With DJ Kookum spinning booming low-end beats, Leosis showed off a flow that was both dexterous and aggressive, and she powered through verses over Dr. Dre's "What's the Difference."
Between songs, Leosis spoke directly about being a white person in hip-hop, emphasizing the importance of telling your own story (and no one else's). With that in mind, her songs spoke directly to her own experiences: she repped her hometown and rapped about "running through the 6ix," discussed the time a guy told her "chicks can't rap" and opened up about getting cheated on during the intro to "Monogamy."
Leosis was equally comfortable with being vulnerable as she was being confrontational — but more than anything, her set was a ton of fun.