L.E.G.A.C.Y.

Here’s a man who’s teetering on the edge of volatility, churning with psychosis, and threatening with talent and star-power. And, hey those are just a few of North Carolina rapper L.E.G.A.C.Y.’s admirable traits.

Most of us remember L.E.G. from the heyday of the state’s bubbling rap scene, during his reign as the Justus League’s detail-oriented scribe of cuts like “Nice,” “Imperfect World,” “14 Grams,” “Bang” and “Don’t Have to Stay.” L.E.G.’s heavily anticipated first LP, Project Mayhem, plopped him into a market that may not have been as prepped for an album with such acute and insightful writing from a character more steeped in shock value. In the years that followed, and leading up to the release of his Khrysis-produced sophomore disc, Suicide Music, L.E.G. released a few mixtapes and was chosen by Rawkus Records for its “Rawkus 50” campaign, which granted the man digital distribution for an album entitled Rawkus 50 Presents L.E.G.A.C.Y. It should be noted that, while L.E.G.’s two proper releases have enjoyed only minimal commercial success, the work and passion that was put into those albums and other projects pour out on the stage. Early on in his career, L.E.G. adopted the rock-star persona for his live shows, employing far-reaching theatrics and blood-themed costumes for effect. This sort of non-hip-hop strategy made his performances more of a dramatic one-man play than the average rap routine.

Shortly following the release of Suicide Music, L.E.G.A.C.Y. went on a brief hiatus from recording and performing. This year, however, it seems he is on a mission to re-establish himself as the charismatic writer and performer who’s given all of us those sweet and sour suicide thoughts. —Eric Tullis