LE1F

LE1F, now known as Kalifa and born Khalif Diouf, is an American rapper and producer from New York City. Born in Manhattan, he studies ballet and modern dance, attends Concord Academy with the class of 2007, and earns a dance degree from Wesleyan University before returning to New York to work as a rapper. He also runs the hip-hop label Camp & Street, which operates as a subsidiary of Greedhead Music.

Career

Before establishing himself as a solo artist, LE1F produces tracks for the hip-hop group Das Racist, including their debut single “Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell”. He later gains wider attention with the release of his debut mixtape Dark York in 2012. The mixtape includes “Wut”, a track produced by 5kinAndBone5 that becomes the project’s best-known song and receives a music video in June 2012.

In 2015, he releases his debut album Riot Boi on XL. The album features contributions from SOPHIE, Junglepussy and Devonte Hynes, who also records as Blood Orange. In 2018, he releases the EP Blue Dream.

Style and background

LE1F is associated with hip-hop, rap and electronic music, and is also linked with seapunk. His work connects his background in dance with his music career, and his earlier production work and later solo releases place him within New York’s experimental rap scene.