BuzzMusic presents the talented and authentic hip-hop artist James Lucid. The talented rapper
and lyricist knows who he is and is not shy about it. Growing up in Elmont, New York and being raised to fight for those who can’t, gave him hate in his heart and a chip on his shoulder and it shows in his music. The diversity of his influences reflect brightly, his voice commands attention and his flow is undeniable. Expect nothing less than dissidence, civil disobedience, violence and flow. Keep your third eye open and see what he sees.
"HEARTBEAT" is James Lucid’s latest release and we can’t get enough. Produced by Josh Preme, “Heartbeat” is a retrospective track that takes listeners on a personal journey through James’ mind. Full of clarity and truth, his lyrics are a refreshing addition to the music industry today. James Lucid is unapologetic and authentically honest. The rawness that’s in every punchline is unpredictable yet consistent. James gives a confident and edgy appeal to his artistry while staying true to the hip-hop roots that founded the culture of rap. His lyricism and flow are addicting and smooth, while the lofi backbeats are vibrant and classic. James Lucid is killing it and we’re here for it. He writes relatable rhymes while remaining true to himself and his message.
I highly recommend you check out “Heartbeat” here and read more below in our exclusive interview.

Hey James! Welcome to BuzzMusic! Can you tell a bit about your upbringing and how you got started in music?
Hey, Thank you for having me. I grew up in Elmont, New York. The first town on Long Island outside of queens. It’s an extremely diverse town, all walks of life, which definitely influenced me a lot in music and life. I had got put on to Hip-Hop early by my mom believe it or not. I have a lot of memories riding around listening to Ready To Die by Biggie on repeat. I had also been put on early to metal by my dad. I listened to Slipknot’s debut album probably everyday for a while haha. These influences really inspired me to make music, my cousin Craig actually has the first (very bad) recordings of mine somewhere that we recorded on a Rockband Mic in his house. Eventually me and my brother B-Light teamed up started recording in my basement and the rest is history.
How do your life experiences shape who you are as an artist?
Growing up where I grew up, we had some tough times. We were moving from apartment to apartment trying to make ends meet like a lot of people in my town. That struggle lit a fire in me. Watching my mom work like a dog and eventually get sick made me hungry, but also jaded, angry, skeptical and aggressive. These are the feelings I try to convey in my music. A lot of my material is hard to swallow and thats because of how it was coming up, that was our reality.
Can you dive into the lyrics in “Heartbeat”? What do you hope your listeners take away from it?
Heartbeat is as much of a conscious song as it is a typical rap song. Bars like the opening “The way I spit this sh*t is like I’m Lou Pinella spazzing, I’m breathing fire and you only Imagine Dragons” are basically me saying, I’m coming through with nothing but heat, unadulterated fire and content. There are also bars like “the government and the media made Islam pariah, the Vatican hides Assassins, made you bow to messiahs” and “rage and disappointment of the ones
Been appointed” which are representative of my jaded feelings towards government and religion and that I feel they are destructive. My content is truly a tour of the inside of my mind and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Who are your top musical influences? How do they inspire you?
My top influences would probably be Sean Price, Meyhem Lauren, Tech N9NE, Slayer, and more recently artists like Crimeapple, Left Behind and My brother Josh Preme who produced Heartbeat, he’s a young legend in the making.
How would you describe your live performance?
My love performance is personal, genuine and rapid fire. I don’t do the whole 25 dudes in Paper Plane hats on stage with me. It’s me, and usually B-Light to bless the crowd with his verses. I perform my stuff without the vocal track behind me unlike a lot of rappers. I care about the culture and the craft so much and I try to convey that. Keep the crowd engaged and try my best to be a true MC. I watched Tech N9NE so many times put on in my opinion the best live show in Hip-Hop and an important video with KRS-ONE when I was younger talking about how he performs and how to conduct yourself to a crowd and I try to emulate those things.
Do you have any upcoming shows or events you’d like to talk about?
I have a LOT of music coming out. I have a project called Nihl River that we are going to be releasing piece by piece. New fire every month. We are also going to be playing a lot of shows and open mics in the NYC-LI area to get the word out. Stay tuned and follow me @JamesIsLucid on all social media platforms to see more! Thank you.
Connect with James Lucid on social media