By
on October 17, 2012 at 6:00 AM, updated October 17, 2012 at 6:01 AM
on October 17, 2012 at 6:00 AM, updated October 17, 2012 at 6:01 AM
Flint native Lyric Da Queen is a 2012 contestant on "The X-Factor," a music competition show created by Simon Cowell.But before Grammy-winning salsa artist Marc Anthony called her a "superstar," Lyric was impressing the first judge she knew: her mother.
Tamara Barnes remembers a young Lyric, then a second grade student at Eisenhower Elementary School, writing four songs for her: a rap song, a rock and roll one, a country song, and an R&B song.
Her brother, Delano Burton II, candidly remembers her stopping him as he walked by her bedroom one day. He was a senior in high school, and she was in seventh grade at Whittier Middle School.
"She said, 'I've got some raps.' I said, 'Let me hear them,'" remembers Burton, 29. He was an avid rap fan of acts like Busta Rhymes, Eminem, and Jay-Z, so he knew good lyrics when he would hear them. Lyric had been influenced by rappers Jadakiss, Eminem and Andre 3000 of OutKast, along with a laundry list of older classical, country, rock and Motown musicians. "I'm like, 'You didn't write that.' She's like, 'Yes I did!' I'm like, 'Do another one then,' and she rapped three or four more.
"I said, 'You keep doing that, and you'll be better than the people I listen to.'"
Between then and her time as a student at Flint Central High School, Lyric earned a reputation by battling -- a competitive form of rapping that sees emcees pitting pointed lyrics against each other for the approval of onlookers or judges. She also threw parties on her own and booked acts like platinum-certified R&B/hip-hop Pretty Ricky, and she performed at the events she threw.
She moved to Miami with her mother near the end of her senior year of high school in 2007, came back home to walk with her senior class, then returned before attending Clark Atlanta University to study business.
Her focus on education pleased her mother, who knew the risks of pursuing a career in the music industry.
"I wanted her to make sure she went to college, which she did. She went to school for business, so she would know exactly how to handle her own situation," Barnes remembered. "I know the music industry is a dirty business, but you have to stay grounded and stay on top of things and surround yourself with positive people who have your best interests at heart."
Lyric tackled adversity early after graduation. After waking up with clouded vision and seeing that her right eye was gray, she was diagnosed with keratoconus, an eye disease that thins the cornea and changes it to the shape of an inflated cone. Weeks later, her left eye suffered the same fate, and she was completely blind. Later, her vision was no longer pitch black, but as she wrote in a blog, "It was so bad that I could only see figures. No faces, no words, no details, no nothing."
In 2010, she was finally eligible to receive cornea transplants in both of her eyes, and the operation was successful. Though her vision wasn't 20/20 yet, she said, her vision was much better than the previous years.
Lyric still managed to keep her career on track. Her buzz in the area impressed a member of The Aphilliates, a rap crew headed by DJ Drama, who has made "Gangsta Grillz" mixtapes with superstars such as Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, and T.I. After Drama saw Lyric perform, he agreed to host her debut "My Time Iz Now" in 2011, making her the first female artist to have a "Gangsta Grillz" project.
While in Los Angeles for a performance with Chicago rapper Twista two months ago, a concertgoer's elbow bumped into her eye. She underwent emergency surgery, but lost her iris and her lens in the process.
Against doctors' wishes, Lyric traveled to Greensboro, NC, where she would join a field of over 20,000 contestants to audition for "The X Factor," a music competition show created by American Idol judge Simon Cowell. The winner of the competition receives a prize of $5 million. The judges are all music industry superstars, as artists and execs.
She was worried about judges would receive her: her arms were scarred with IV marks, and her left eye was still taped up from surgery. She also took a high risk by performing an original rap song, while other contestants often sing songs that have already been commercially successful. All four judges gave her a "yes" to advance to the next round in Miami, where she became one of a field of 120 contestants who made it to "boot camp."
Wearing the first of eye patches that her mother made for her, she gave a lively performance that was her first bit of airtime on the show. She specifically impressed Cowell, who is known as a harsh judge on both "The X Factor" and "American Idol."
"She's a rapper I buy," Cowell told the other judges. "I love her."
Lyric then advanced to "Task Two" of boot camp, which required contestants to square off against each other while performing the same song. Judges summoned the contestants to stage after the performances, and her name wasn't called when they said who made the next round.
"Initially, I was disappointed only because right before they were done eliminating, they had let through another rapper that had totally forgotten all of his lyrics. If they had picked another singer over me, I wouldn't have been upset," she said. "...I knew I would get called back. I knew in my heart that I did good, so I was confident."
About 30 minutes later, the judges called several contestants back to the stage. Worried that they were cutting too much talent, they used those artists to make groups. Lyric Da Queen, a career-long solo artist, was paired with Rhode Island duo One4Five to make a new trio, Lyric 145.
"Being in a group is a huge transition. I never would've imagined it, as far as my future career plans," she admits. "But it's just one of those things—when you have your mind set on a goal, you can't question what's destined for you. ... The guys they put me with, I wouldn't have asked to be paired with anyone else. It's a good little trio they put together, so I'm happy about it."
The trio got off to a good start. After catching a yacht to Miami Beach, Fla., with the other groups to be mentored by Simon Cowell, they performed a hip-hop rendition of Miley Cyrus' "Party In The USA." Lyric started off the set by jumping in front, rapping and dancing. She impressed Cowell and his guest, award-winning salsa superstar Marc Anthony.
"She is a superstar," Anthony said.
On Wednesday or Thursday's "The X Factor" episode (both air at 8 p.m. on FOX), viewers will see if Lyric 145 makes it to the next stage, which will see them performing on the live show. If she makes it, she will compete with musicians who have been mentored by Britney Spears, Demi Lovato and L.A. Reid, and their guests: will.i.am, Nick Jonas, and Justin Bieber.
Her family will be supporting her all the way. Barnes will watch in her Miami home, and she has gotten coworkers to watch the show as well. Burton said he has an arrangement with Arlene's Bar, 4415 N. Saginaw St., Flint, for patrons to get in free to watch "The X Factor."
"I bet too many people didn't watch it much," Burton said, "but the whole city is tuned in now."
Comments
Post a Comment