Before being Lost, Jayson Elombo was JBZ. He recorded his first songs in the late 2000s, then formed the 5sang14 collective with White-B, MB, Random and Capitaine Gaza a little over 10 years ago. At the time, the group uploaded mixtapes and videos “which made a very modest noise in the neighborhood”. “It was really in 2015, with the rebranding, that everything changed,” says Lost. I arrived with a new name and even a new, somewhat mysterious style of dress. In the clip of the first extract, 3-0 (Passe la mallette), I had a kind of fishing hat lowered in my eyes. People didn’t directly link the two [JBZ and Lost], but it worked out a lot better. The text was better worked, the instrumental and the video too. We arrived with a new sauce. »
Jayson Elombo’s change of artistic identity coincided with his release from prison. “When I was incarcerated, I was in deep thought about the choices I made at that time. I felt like I was a little lost in my life, in my decisions, recalls Lost. I said to myself that if I [had] the chance to go out, I [was] going to focus a lot more on the music and [was] going to leave all the other distractions behind. I renamed myself Lost so as not to forget what I went through. »
The Cartierville MC’s release conditions were very strict, however, and prevented him from performing or collaborating with 5sang14, which was considered a street gang. Despite everything, Lost has “continued, at the rate of about one track per month”. “It was the beginning of the ascension, you could say. A second stay in the shade, in 2017, however, slowed the pace of Lost. His team and his group had however foreseen the coup and made up for the absence of one of their own by broadcasting previously recorded songs. On June 23, 2018, in a jam-packed Club Soda, Lost came to join his friends from 5sang14 on stage, which caused an explosion of joy in the crowd.
With their freedom fully regained, Lost has released the final chapter of the Hangman trilogy of mixtapes. One of his songs, Iceberg, released without a video, “blew up”. “It was a big turning point in my career, because it was a different sound. I gained other fans. I went to touch another age group. I was starting to see people at concerts who were my parents’ age, Lost points out. At the same time, there was also the collaboration with Souldia, MB, White-B and me, Le bonheur des autres. The combo of the two caused a big change in my solo career. »
Lost was therefore ready to offer a real album. Despite the pandemic, he offers Lostalgik in December 2020. Titles like Ça va mal aller and Chicotter demonstrate his versatility in terms of themes and rhythms, but his authenticity and raw poetry remain at the heart of the work. . About six months later, Lost added 10 pieces to the 2luxe version.
“I made Lostalgik in two parts. For the first, all the tracks were recorded in a period of three to six months. The 2luxe was made in a month, says the rapper. This is the album that, according to statistics, has sold the most. There are songs that stood out, but Lostalgik is the majority of the album that has been listened to, streamed. When we ask him if there’s one song he particularly likes, he replies, “Canadian dollars.” ” We agree.
“For me, Legacy right now is my mindset. I have three kids, so that’s something a parent thinks about, Lost says. The theme also works with the other meaning, that of legacy. What I will leave behind as an artist and as a human being. That’s why there are more intimate songs in which I talk about my family. It is the cultural, spiritual and musical heritage. »
This most recent album is researched and accomplished. It is also long. Twenty-two songs for over an hour of music. Lost knows it. We often remind him of that. “I come from an era of two or three verses per track and the chorus in between. I wanted to do something different from the trend of recent years. This allows him to explore even more styles and dig deeper, from the irresistible Pont Champlain and the superb F3mmes to the biting Parano and the catchy Bandook. “I have some songs, musically speaking, that jump off the rails, but it’s the lyrics that connect it all together. Unconsciously, I was writing on the same theme. I found the title at the end by listening and analyzing each song. Legacy is what I am currently defending. »
