The Young and the Restless: LastO

Photography by Therese + Joel

LastO is a perfectionist, and it's that perfectionism that kept the St. Louis-born, New York-based gay rapper working on his latest album, Where's Vivian, for four years -- that and his uncompromising spirit. "I do not conform to the industry standards," he says, "the usual rhetoric of guns, drug selling, and thug shit." The result of his meticulous efforts and hard-nosed vision is a set of tracks that sound more confident than his previous work as Last Offence, but still retain his playful, hedonistic streak. See, for example, "Pour a 40," with its dark, serial killer-inspired video, or "Travel Planz," an infectious, spring break-ready party jam that features the line "Miami in May / Labor Day in Atlanta." Other cuts dive into deeper, more political territory, with "Barcelon" taking on antigay Republicans and the spin on FOX News. "I had a lot of things to express," he says. And now that he's gotten all that off his chest, he's ready to forge ahead full-throttle. Says the MC, "You'll never get another four-year hiatus out of me."

LISTEN TO: Where's Vivian (out now)
FOR FANS OF: A$AP Rocky, Eminem, Le1f