PREMIERES VIA HYPEBEAST

ON NORTH AMERICAN TOUR SUPPORTING FKJ

WITH SHOWS IN MONTREAL AND TORONTO

002 / LOVE ME OUT NOW VIA LAST GANG

“002/Love Me builds on the framework that was apparent on his previous offering 001/Experiments  and is his best work to date.” – Exclaim! (8/10)

“Lou Phelps that continues to pave a path toward a bright future.” – Pitchfork
 

 "The Canadian rapper is representing where he's from hard on the new project, which was exclusively produced by his Polaris prize-winning older brother Kaytranada” – XXL

Toronto, ON — April 23, 2019 — Following the fall 2018 release of his sophomore album, 002 / LOVE ME, Lou Phelps returns with new video and single, word., produced by esteemed Toronto producer, WondaGurl, and premiered via Hypebeast. Lou is currently on the road with dynamic French artist, FKJ (French Kiwi Juice), rocking stages across Canada and the US. Watch the video for word. here, and see a full list of dates below.

word. is the product of Lou linking up with WondaGurl during a Samsung Studio Sessions collab during the Vancouver JUNO Awards in 2018, where Lou was nominated for Rap Recording of the Year. The video was directed by Lou’s longtime collaborator, Igal Perets.

“These are all iconic albums that I love and have amazing covers. I wanted to bring them to life for this video and make the people say ‘OH WORD?!’. Every time I make a song I have an idea of what the video could be or the visual behind it could be. I watch a lot of movies, I’m a very visual person. I have a feeling that when I hear something, I can visualize what I have in my head and I can translate that to the director, who makes that happen. I think it’s very important to have good visuals when you’re an up and coming artist.” Lou says of the track. “I remember the first time I heard of Rejjie Snow, it was his video where he’s an albino running away from something and that captured me. Same thing for Tyler [The Creator], same thing for Earl [Sweatshirt] and all them. Visuals are really important for an artist because you can drop great music but if you don’t have the great artistry that accompanies it, whether that’s the visuals or what not, it limits you in what you can become. You become someone who has talent but doesn’t know how to exploit it properly. I feel like that’s the way I see it … I don’t want to be just a rapper, I want to be an artist.”

002 / LOVE ME had Lou’s older brother, Kevin, aka the Polaris Prize-winning KAYTRANADA, at the helm as executive producer, with guest spots from BADBADNOTGOOD, JAHKOY, Planet Giza, Pony and drum master, Karriem Riggins. Stream and purchase the album here. Lou shared the new music in front of national audience, with shows in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal and Toronto.

word. is Lou’s first fresh release since 002 / LOVE ME single, Squeeze. Featuring a smooth vocal performance by fellow Canadian R&B singer, JAHKOY, and production by ROMderful of tastemaker label, Soulection. The pair teamed up with director Igal Perets, to film the visuals during Lou’s birthday weekend down in Miami. With retro vintage feels, the video shot on Kodak Super 8, is reminiscent of an earlier Vice City. “This track was about a girl I was seeing at the time. The relationship turned out to be horrible but it’s all good,” so the video is an ode to Lou having fun while down in the Sunshine State, flowing effortlessly while taking over the town. Watch the video here.

Other album standouts include Miss Phatty, with a video directed by longtime collaborator, Christian Boakye-Agyeman. The song features production by BADBADNOTGOOD. Come Inside was the album’s bold first single, featuring Toronto rapper, Jazz Cartier, and frenetic cut, Want To (For The Youth) remains a steady banger.

About Lou Phelps:

A longtime fixture of the Montreal arts scene, Lou Phelps is one of Canada's foremost purveyors of club-rap bangers. Lou started making music in 2011 with KAYTRANADA, forming a future-rap group called The Celestics, releasing their debut project, Massively Massive. Using the moniker, Louie P, Lou developed a reputation for creating tasteful and danceable electro rap, releasing Supreme Laziness in 2014 and curating Cause I Wanna, an 80-minute DJ mix that featured tracks from innovative electronic artists like DJ Rashad, RP Boo, and Kyle Hall, showcasing his excellent taste and long list of influences. In 2017, Lou released 001: Experiments, his debut project which racked up over 1 million plays on SoundCloud, featured appearances from Bishop Nehru, Innanet James, KALLITECHNICS, and earned a nomination from Canada's JUNO Awards for Rap Recording of the Year. Look out for more music from Lou in 2018, as the young rapper continues to evolve as a vital artist.
 

WATCH – word. (prod. WondaGurl): bit.ly/2UQiw3l

WATCH – Squeeze (featuring JAHKOY): youtu.be/_gdLyb5Qgmg

WATCH – Miss Phatty: bit.ly/2pdsRE4

WATCH – Come Inside featuring. Jazz Cartier: bit.ly/2Gjd25O

TOUR DATES:

April 23 - Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre  *

April 25 - Austin, TX @ Emo’s *

April 26 - Dallas, TX @ Canton Hall *

April 27 - Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live *

April 29 - New Orleans, LA @ Republic  *

May 1 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse *

May 2 - Orlando, FL @ Plaza Live *

May 3 - Tampa, FL @ Orpheum *

May 4 - Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution *

May 7 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall *

May 8 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club *

May 9 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer *

May 11 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5 *

May 12 - Boston, MA @ Royale *

May 14 - Montreal, QC @ MTelus Theatre *

May 15 - Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall *

May 16 - Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theater *

May 17 - Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall *

May 18 - Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway *

May 20 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre *

May 21 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre *
* supporting FKJ

DOWNLOAD – Word Single Artwork DOWNLOAD – Hi Res Press Photo | DOWNLOAD – Hi Res Album Artwork

Lou Phelps on Spotify: spoti.fi/2pMUTXI

Lou Phelps on Apple Music: apple.co/2MOV8dC

www.louphelps.club