Carlos Silva aka Lo$ Silva was born in Jamaica, Queens, New York City and spent his childhood both in the Big Apple as well as New England (Mass And NH) during the golden years of 1990s hip hop culture. Like many artists, this emcee started rapping as a child and progressed into his teens with musical influences from some of the greats. “When it came time to choose a career, I went to film school (New York Film Academy) and learned the art of filmmaking. I was always a writer and became interested in writing screenplays. Learning to direct allowed me to give life and shape to the stories in my head. Most of my earliest songs are buried somewhere” 7 years ago, Lo$ moved out to Lo$ Angeles where he was able to fully embrace the west coast culture and music scene. It wasn’t until 2018 that the rapper began his professional music career followed by the release of his first EP ‘Dark Night Of The Soul‘ produced by his own brother Silvamore along with LA rapper Joey Supratta.
On June 10th, Lo$ Silva teased fans on his social media with a brand new single cover for his newest drop titled “Remember The Name” (pre-save on June 17th). When asked about his upcoming song, he says, “RTN is part stoner-comedy part free-speech anthem. When I wrote it, I didn’t intend on making a song against censorship and woke ideology, but it ended up organically taking that form. I want people to laugh at it because it makes me laugh and I love comedy in all forms, including rap music. I also want people to listen to the lyrics and consider the implications censorship and woke nonsense has on our society and world at large. I think it’s a serious issue plaguing humanity that can lead to dangerous policy changes and laws against free speech and creative expression. This to me is serious business, but by injecting some funny undertones, I feel it’s good music while being entertaining. It’s not preachy nor do I claim to have the answers to solve this dilemma. In the words of Howard Beale from the film ‘Network’: “All I know is that first you’ve got to get mad. You’ve got to say, ‘I’m a human being, god damn it! My life has value!’”
We asked the songwriter how this track differs from previous releases and he says. “While I’ve done similar songs in regards to tone/style (‘Drugz‘ 2020), RTN is unique because it’s a mini story that includes a debate with a non-rapper. The woke journalist, played by my wife, is more than just an annoying character. She’s a symbol for everything the song stands against and gives fuel to the fire that is my voice and free speech. Structurally, her interrupting me anchors the track and also provides the listener with the point-of-view of the woke left (and right). Most rappers would have probably just made a shit song about cancel culture (Tom MacDonald for example) with a boring hook. When you listen to RTN you can love it for it’s messages and themes, or (like the chorus states) because you smoke a ton of weed and don’t give a fuck!”
Lo$ Silva teamed up with LyricVids to create a playful animated lyric video for his newest single “Remember The Name” which is set to drop on June 24th. The rapper is no stranger to animated music videos as some of his previous releases have been in this style but it was important to us that we gave him something truly unique. Combining Lo$’ creative vision for this lyric video with the work from our animators, we truly feel that we were able to pull off something really great! We asked the artist why he chose a lyric video for this song and he said, “Originally I was set to direct a live-action music video for this song. I cast a real life sexy ‘Jane’ and all but ultimately I went with an animated lyric video for a few reasons. 1. It’s cheaper (sometimes) and I’m 100% self-funded and independent, so budget is always a deciding factor. 2. I dig animation and feel that rap fans are inundated with live action videos, often with the same visuals and themes. With a lyric video, audiences can see and hear my words which I think people strive for more than ever. I think listening intently is something done mostly by rap fanatics, most listeners listen casually and often are seeking a vibe created from the beat. I’m a lyrics guy so it makes sense for me to go this route.”
The music video for RTN boasts that LyricVids classic animated rapping face style featuring Lo$ himself with his signature shaved head, that big beautiful beard and even the missing patch on his moustache. We also see “Peter” who he says was, “The kid who joined me in smoking weed for the first time. Peter’s actually white as well (I was living in NH) but I wanted to include some diversity in the casting. He looks a lot more like the friends I have now and I felt it was important to remind the audience that Los Silva is latino. I want to reach fans that can relate to the music from all walks of life and backgrounds”. Another character is “Sam”, “Sam Sass, the white dude in the video, did background vocals on the track as well as the end skit. There’s a version of the song where we’re getting high in the beginning as well, but for the sake of saving time the video starts with a short interlude. Sam’s someone who I met in LA and have started to collaborate with. He added some dope (pun intended) seasoning to the track and it felt right to include him.” Lo$ is seen rapping about his love for “Mary Jane” and how he takes care of her properly, “No McDonalds Happy Meals, none of that bullshit”. There are some great cartoon cannabis visuals including a plant, baggies of juicy buds and a weighing scale.
The second verse there is a slight shift after the “reporter” interviewing Lo$ continues to heckle and interrupt the rapper but he quickly clarifies when the lyrics read “I came to introduce myself and set the record straight. I spit it harsh at you, my heart is full but not with hate”. The color palette throughout the video is similar to one that you might see in a graphic novel or comic book and the Ben Day dots in the backgrounds really help bring that theme to life. I love the creative choice to make the video blurry and the heavy use of the DLP Rainbow effect along the edges throughout the video giving off those vintage vibes. We asked the hip hop artist what his favorite part of the video was and he said, “My favorite part of the video is the chorus of the song. The illustrators did a dope job animating myself and the team and the lyrics came out great as well. It’s at this point we introduce the woke journalist and the song takes a turn from just a song about weed to a song about much much more.”
What’s up next for Lo$ Silva? He says, “I just dropped a song titled ‘Flavorz‘ which has gotten a great response and is available to view and stream on all platforms. After RTN, I’m releasing another single/video titled ‘Babble On’ in late July. My plan is to release more singles and videos before dropping my 2nd ep ‘Cold Place’ in early 2023. I’m constantly growing with music and aim to do shows in the near future. Right now I’m focused on rehearsing my performance, marketing my catalogue and new drops, as well as growing my fansbase.” You can follow the rapper across all social media and music streaming platforms at @lossilvaofficial to which he says, “Shoot me a message or leave a comment and I’ll respond. I appreciate anyone and everyone who shows me and the music love.”
Check out the animated lyric video for Lo$ Silva ‘Remember The Name‘ on YouTube here: