Hip-Hop Up and Comer of the Month: Lelo On Ghettotech, Sada Baby & the ‘Kooky Ass’ 1970s Movie Inspiring Him

Lelo made a name for himself with last year’s stellar offering, New Detroit, which prompted Billboard to include him on its Artists to Watch in 2026 list.

He’s now back with two EPs, Mastiff and Pink Tiles, that he packaged into a two-disc tape where one side displays the new Detroit sound he’s been cultivating, while the other disc features him riding a more experimental wave as he raps over ghettotech-infused production (ghettotech is a subgenre distinct to Detroit and is just as prevalent as rap is over there). Having grown up around both scenes, Lelo wanted to showcase the influence they’ve each have had on him as an artist. “I wanted both titles to really feel like some home s—t,” he said while stopping by the Billboard offices in New York earlier this month. “Real cultural references, you feel me?”

With these two EPs out of the way, he’s now focused on a tour for the rest of the summer and working on his sophomore album that he says will be inspired by a cult rock opera from the ’70s called Phantom of the Paradise.

Directed by the incomparable Brian de Palma, the film follows an artist who’s work was stolen by a music producer. The plot pulls from various stories like The Phantom of the Opera, The Picture of Dorian Grey and the 16th century German legend Faust. It’s a big swing for a young artist like the Detroit rapper, but he just couldn’t ignore the similarities between himself and some of the things the main character Winslow Leach has to deal with as he tries to navigate this cutthroat record industry. “It talks about selling your soul, falling in love in the industry,” he said when discussing the album’s themes. “So, I feel like just off that alone there’s so much s—t that I can create a metaphor out of.”

He shared more about that, experimenting with new sounds and themes, Detroit rap history and much more. Check out the conversation below.

You dropped two EPs already this year and they both had different sounds, talk about the first EP Mastiff.

Mastiffs are the dogs I grew up with. My parents had them, my granddad used to have one. The kids next door, they used to jump the fence with him and steal them for dog fights, crazy s—t. The first side is more hard hit, more traditional Detroit s—t, more hood music, so that’s where the Mastiff s—t came from.

Was it a continuation from New Detroit? It felt like the same kind of vibe, at least some of the beats that you were rapping on.

Yeah, and I think that’s always gonna kind of hold through. We might be working on advancing the sound but we’ll never want to lose that part of it. That type of music comes so natural. Songs on there like “Dialect” and “Monetize” are damn near like reps in the gym I’m putting up. Versus the other side, where that’s more of me delving into s—t I know I could do, and wanting to do it early, so it don’t feel like I’m reinventing myself later.

Why did you name the second EP Pink Tiles?

Because a lot of that second project, storytelling wise, it kind of comes off like a coming age story, damn near like House Party or some s—t like that. And there are always scenes in those movies of girls in the bathroom getting ready, getting dressed, dudes be in the crib getting ready, getting dressed and there’s pink tiles in the bathroom. It’s something significant to a bunch of us in Detroit. The pink tile bathroom is a staple. Everybody grew up with a pink tile bathroom.

That’s interesting. I didn’t think exactly that, but I did think maybe it had something to do with the bathrooms in John Hughes movies like Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller.

The ghettotech influence just married with the pink tiles aesthetic in a perfect way.

The last time we talked when you first previewed some of these songs, you got deep into how house music — ghettotech specifically — influenced you. Some folks view rappers as people that only listen to hip-hop, but that house scene is prevalent in Detroit. Can you talk about that?

It’s so ingrained in the city, I never thought of it as ghettotech until I was older, and people told me the definition and told me it’s a genre. But, lowkey, the people I grew up around that was really doing that s—t, they wasn’t different than rappers to me. To me, that s—t is very much still rap. I get why we do that little separation of genres s—t, but I’m not for that. N—as divide and conquer, you feel me? I feel like we do too much divvying up and up like, “Oh, this is ghettotech.”

Word, because it’s essentially house music.

Yeah, that’s when n—as can run off with it and act like it’s something it’s not. I’m approaching it from a real hip-hop scenario. The same way my moms was listening and dancing to hip-hop, she also listening and dancing to house music when I was growing up.

Back in the day, especially in New York, clubs were playing everything. They would play house music, hip-hop. Those scenes would clash at spots like the Palladium and Latin Quarter. It’s different now, everything seems to be fractured. What was it like for you growing up?

My uncle be on Twitch, old as hell with turntables going crazy. Everybody jittin’ and s—t, doing all types of s—t. But that speak to, I don’t know, it’s probably like this in New York too, but in Detroit, there is no separation. The rap n—as, the art n—as, the restaurant owners, all them n—as be dope boys too. The hood n—as be doing music, be doing the artsy s—t. There’s no separation really.

Explain the recording process for these EPs. How did you pick the beats?

With the sound on Mastiff, I feel like I can get more down to earth on s—t like that. I’m speaking about experiences, sad s—t, you feel me? Something going on with the family, that’s when I’m doing Mastiff s—t. But when I wanted to step out of that and have some fun, and damn near flex what I feel like is my songwriting ability beyond just the rap s—t, that’s where the Pink Tiles s—t came from. So, I had more of a hand in the production on Pink Tiles.

Going in, did you know how you wanted it to sound, or what samples to use?

Not from the beginning. It’s really a feeling thing. We know how that s—t supposed to sound and we wanted to make sure like, “okay, we’re doing the ghettotech s—t, we’re doing the house s—t, but we wanna touch all aspects,” in a way. So, you got some s—t that’s more traditional like “Get Geeked” which is a club house record, then you got some s—t that’s damn near more techno, EDM s—t like “I Just Wanna F—k” towards the end.

You have some s—t that’s soulful, but then there’s “End of the World.” Shogun had did that beat, and we knew from the moment he did it, that it had to be on there. The s—t that we was missing for the dance s—t, and kind of the club vibe was a “hustle” song. Like how the f—k was we gonna make a dance record that applied to black culture in Detroit. Everybody needs that.

It was kind of that progression that you had on those Janet Jackson records or R. Kelly records. That was the best and most interesting experience out of that process. We knew what we needed to do. We knew it needed to be culturally relevant, we knew we had to get a fire sample — for a “hustle” record a fire sample is just amazing.

You have an album coming later this year and you said it’s inspired by a flick from the ’70s called Phantom of the Paradise. Can you talk about why you decided to go this route?

It’s a kooky ass movie. I wanted go into a character for an album, really step out and live that, and the main character from the movie is chasing his dreams in music while dealing with crazy label heads. The industry can get frustrating because n—as so hungry. Everybody keeps telling me like, “Bro, you’re like one or two things away.” And I feel like that’s what the album gotta be. We got to work on understanding what a hit is, what it’s like to make some s—t with some real cultural weight. And then you mix that with us getting into character, being so much more strict about everything, I don’t know, I feel like this album should be a big one.

I feel like the biggest thing we’ve learned that’s definitely frustrating us is understanding what does it really mean to be a star, because it’s not streams, you feel me? We learned that now. Also, that it don’t matter. I can make the best f—king song tomorrow, and that s—t won’t translate into me being paid what I want to be paid. I have people doing international s—t that I’m a couple things away, n—a tell me what is! [Laughs.]

Are you looking to take some of the vibes from the soundtrack and implement them into some of the songs on the album?

Hell yeah. There’s one specific song that when you watch the movie you’ll definitely hear it during an amazing scene. There’s piano progressions and s—t like that that definitely needs to be taken. But I don’t want it to be so one-in-one, though. It’s more thematically, and the cinematography is so fire and that’ll allow us to do a lot of s—t.

You’re gonna be hitting the stage with the mask and s—t?

It goes even further, because the film is also a representation of an old legend called Faust, so all that s—t will let us get into these big ass things, but I’m trying to keep it down to earth, like still hella flexed out. But again, hitting the stage with the mask, especially when there’s so many different plays, like when I’m doing the dance s—t…Say I’m doing an appearance and I’m DJing, I’m in the mask the whole time, but when it’s time to rap, I take that bitch off.

Who are some rappers that influenced you?

Just based off of who my pops was f—king with, TI was a huge influence early. Then Andre 3000, who to me, is probably the greatest rapper alive. Big KRIT was a huge one, just in terms of the music sounding like where he from, he did that s—t like to a tee. When I got a little older, someone like Earl Sweatshirt was a huge one. He was just putting s—t in ways other people couldn’t.

Who are some of your favorite Detroit rappers not named Eminem?

S—t, right now, I would say Babyface Ray is up there. Because when you meet him, the n—a is the definition of what a rapper should be…for the community and everything. Los & Nutty, they hard as hell. Los dropped a project recently, and that s—t is like the most Detroit s—t you’ve ever heard in your life.

You ever heard of the Street Lordz?

Man, hell yeah, for sure. That’s some s—t I don’t even be thinking about bringing up because you say s—t and people be like, “Who is that?

Nah, I want you to bring cats like that up. I was hoping you named some of the older Detroit acts.

There’s no Detroit rap scene if you don’t name Street Lordz, Blade Icewood, even Dex Osama.

Who’s on the Detroit Rap Mt. Rushmore? Em is of course, but try to pick four without naming him.

If we talking about shaping the sound of Detroit, we lowkey can’t just use rappers, we gotta put Dilla on there, Blade Icewood because he was the n—a with that street s—t, he had that s—t turnt. Lowkey, maybe Payroll Giovanni. Doughboyz Cashout were super influential. Band Gang. When Band Gang was poppin’ that changed everything. They were the first young n—as who would be like, in L.A. and s—t like that. There was also Drego & Beno. We thought they was gonna be the next rappers to blow outta Detroit.

I remember them. They had that distinct Detroit flow that everyone was running with. That Tee Grizzley kind of sound. That’s why guys like you, Boldy James, Babyface Ray and Veeze stood out for me. You guys kind of built off that sound.

A little bit, yeah. I get it. As time went on the flows got a little bit more eclectic. Another big one is Damedot. He’s a legend from the city. Of course, Sada too. Detroit ain’t as big as it is without a Sada Baby or a Tee Grizzley.

Yeah, they sound so different too.

I mean, even when n—as are willing to take in the house and club s—t that I do, I don’t think that that happens as easily without a Sada Baby.

What else you got going on this year? You going on tour?

Hell yeah. Tour, Paris Fashion Week, which is gonna be fly seeing how some of this music translates out there. That comes right after Summerfest and in my mind, best case scenario, I still want to be dropping music. I kind of want to sneak three more songs on Mastiff and three more songs on Pink Tiles. I’m just trying to make sure it fits how I really want them to fit, but that’ll make me real happy. Then maybe touch some of them cities I missed on this tour. It’s album mode. I’m kind of on some clear the socials, really turning s—t up with world building.

You still working on it? Is the album finished?

I’m still working on it.

What’s your writing process? Do you do you write s—t on your phone? You got a pen and pad? Do you do punch-ins?

All of it, honestly. I feel like all of it has this place. Whenever something feel more real? I like the pen and pad. There’s just something spiritual about it, I don’t know. Then sometimes, even if you write it, it just don’t feel like how a punch feels. It’s really a mix. And I always knew about songwriting. I know to do a pre-chorus, hook, verse. I know to do that, but you get so wrapped up in doing s—t and what sounds fire, you don’t always do it. I think with the album, we’re just taking it more serious, like we’re damn near committed. Like if a song doesn’t have what we’re looking for, it can’t make it. And not only that, I’m no longer gonna be rapping over a complete beat. We got the skeleton of the beat and we’re shaping the rest of it around what’s happening on it. We were kicking the Pro Tools file back in the FL, back in the Pro Tools constantly during our last session.

And you guys work together in the studio a lot, right? You don’t really do the emailing back and forth.

Oh, nah. That’s why we don’t really worry about leaks or anything like that. We’re literally with each other 24/7. Time we have to deal with the league is if it’s in the studio, which before we do a project, we call a conference, gather everybody up. I be watching old s—t from like The-Dream in the studio and it made me realize how I thought I was taking it serious, and then you see n—as who really take it seriously. No stone is left unturned. N—as be tweaking an 808 for the longest.

How about when you do features with other artists.

We do so little features because I don’t like working like that. I rather shake hands with somebody. You rather pull up on them. Yeah, it’s more natural. But if someone says they need it ASAP, then of course. You gotta vet a person because sometimes you hear a song, and you meet a n—a like, “Damn, I thought this was the coolest n—a ever until I met you. Now this s—t kinda ass.”

Do you ever record in the crib, though? Like, you’ll have a pack of beats.

Mostly from the crib. Sometimes I’ll go to the studio just to make a draft of something, and then go do it again back at home where I’m more comfortable.

Are the six songs that you want to add to the two EPs leftovers?

They aren’t leftovers necessarily, but I have a few songs that I really, really love that didn’t feel right at the time. But now with the context of the other songs, I think they could live on there and I understand them more.

I was listening to the tape earlier and didn’t realize I had it on shuffle, so I was getting pulled into both worlds simultaneously, and it worked.

And that’s what I’m hoping for. I already threw people into the deep end.

What’s been the response to Pink Tiles? Because I feel people expected something like Mastiff from you.

It’s funny, bro. I was so worried, just deep in my thought mind, you know? It’s just how it be. But it’s been overwhelmingly positive.

How about the ghettotech scene? They f—king with it?

We did a Movement after-party and sold out in less than 24 hours. Then we sold another 200 at the door.