Lokeye is a Freestyle Rap Artist, Beat Maker, Producer, Lyricist, Songwriter, Jazz Musician (Piano/Trumpet), and Music Coach . He was first exposed to Hip-Hop culture through listening to Gospel Gangstaz in 1994, although it was Outkast’s Atliens in 1996 that changed his direction from jazz to rap music. Rooted in meditation and desire for human growth, his being comes across through loving lyrics that dance around non-judgmental messages. Having grown up as the son of a preacher man, he explains: “My whole childhood I was surrounded with messages from the heart and the art of communicating that from a pulpit to a wide audience. It’s effortless for my love to make friends with rap music.”
After launching the Sunday Cypher with Raw Jawz and DJ Einstein, Lokeye moved from Bellingham to Seattle, where he was reunited with the stages he first performed on with Basement Basics and North by Northwest in 2005 – 2007. Lokeye was invited to join with the recording artists from both Rec Room as well as The Educataz to form the super-group, Somebody Cares, in 2008. Since that time, Lokeye has continued to make music with the members of Somebody Cares and the greater Sunday Cypher community while pursuing his solo music.
Lokeye’s unique blend of love-youself lyrics with Hip Hop has continued to gain global attention, he notes: “I’ve been fortunate enough to hear my music played through the iPods of strangers visiting from international regions, and that has meant a lot to me.” He won the category of “Best Hip Hop/Rap Freestyles” and “Best Hip Hop/Rap EP” in the 2011 Sunday Cypher Awards and was labeled “The Godfather” by the now urban-legendary Sunday Cypher community.
In 2011, Lokeye released his highly anticipated solo album, “Bellingham Bigfoot,” which was recorded, mixed, and mastered in large part by himself along with the northwest’s star producer, Jesus Chris. It featured Michael Harris from Idiot Pilot and captured the inimitable Bellingham sound. This album captured the coalescence of an artistic transformation that had started with an out of body experience in June 23, 2003 and the maturation of his rapid delivery and inexhaustible reservoir of positive lyrics.
In 2013, Lokeye released his newest solo album, “Loveraps”: an album so well-thought-out you’ll be making new discoveries still with each listen for years to come. “Loveraps” instantaneously places Lokeye at the forefront of the West Coast Love Raps music scene. Embraced & endorsed by musical legends such as My Dad Bruce, Fresh Espresso, and the whole Kinda Like Us roster, Lokeye has all the support he needs to be successful in his extraordinarily fresh take on rap music.
