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| LOT80: Miche (left) and Yanick (right) |
You can call it a blast from the past or a new wave of the future, but these “Ladies of the ‘80s,” better known as pop duo LOT 80, have come to kick down music’s barricades and are eager to become a household name! Inspired by legendary female powerhouse Salt-n-Pepa and the other great female music pioneers of the ‘80s, their blueprint for success has already been set; to deliver message music that people will actually enjoy.
LOT 80 (composed of Miche the lyricist and Yanick the songstress) recently completed their “LateBloomer” EP and ComplexSimplicity caught up with twosome after the EP Release showcase at the Apache Café in downtown Atlanta. We spoke with the ladies about their musical past, their unique style and received a few words of wisdom.
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| LOT80 performing and chilling with fans! |
ComplexSimplicity: You all just completed your EP release showcase. How was that? To have people come to a place to see just you?
Miche: It was exciting for us to be able to showcase our music, our way. Yanick: And to let everyone know that we want to be more than just a hit single. We want to give great performances.
CS: For those who may not know the story, tell us how you all became LOT 80.
Yanick: We're best friends. We met in a summer basketball camp when we were teens. They had a talent show one year, we performed individually.
Miche: We both lost!
CS: Did you all join forces immediately thereafter?
Miche: Well, we're competitors, just because of our sports background, so when we lost that talent show we felt like we had to come back 10 xs harder.
Yanick: Yes, we did, but that's when we decided to create LOT 80. As time went on, we realized we shared a lot of the same ideas, as far as the role we want to play in the music industry.
CS: How would you describe LOT 80?
Yanick: LOT 80 stands for "ladies of the eighties." It is our way of paying homage to the women of that decade and what they represented.
Miche: They were fearless! It is because of those ladies that we were able to witness the "independent woman of the 90s" and so on. Rappers like Salt-n-Pepa, Yo-Yo, MC Lyte and Queen Latifah lit the torch for us.
CS: What advice would you give to someone wanting to pursue a career in music?
Miche: To remain true to yourself and create the music that you want to hear.
Yanick: That's so true because at the end of the day you may not make music for everyone, but there will be someone who identifies with it.
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| It's a Girl Thang: LOT80 Style! |
CS: Okay, let’s talk about your fashion! You all have such an adorable style! I love how your personality comes out through your outfits. What fashion icons do you admire?
Yanick: Well just like the name of our EP, we were Late Bloomers.
Miche: And tomboys!
Yanick: Right! So we like to wear whatever makes us feel good from sweat pants and t-shirts to the Halle Berry cat-woman suit, just depends on the day.
CS: Do you follow current fashion trends or do stick to your own path when it comes to your style?
Miche: We really just do our own thing... whatever we feel.
Yanick: We like to look nice like every other girl, but we have our days when we'll put on jeans and a tank and will still work it!
CS: How would you both describe your personal style?
Miche: I'm “T-Boz” cool.
Yanick: Yeah, T-Boz was sooo fly! We always argued over who “was T-Boz” when the TLC videos came on. She was everything - fly, sexy, cool. We both love her.
CS: Describe your style in 5 words.
Miche: Honestly, I don't know. I don't think style is defined by what you wear but how you wear it. But, I would definitely have to say confident, classy, funky, and weird sometimes.
Yanick: Girly, tom boyish… a little bit of everything.
CS: Ok, we got 6 words between the two of you! *giggles*
CS: You two recently teamed up with Girls Inc. of Atlanta for their 5 week summer program; through your interaction, you've inspired young girls with your life lessons and experiences, which is the goal of your music. So, to offer your advice to others, how does LOT 80 feel about the following:
Tough Love:
Miche: It’s necessary. Tough love means you really care.
Body Image:
Yanick: Be comfortable in your own skin. Don't base your beauty on what others say.
Putting Yourself First:
Yanick: You have to love yourself before you can truly love someone else.
Miche: Take the time to learn about yourself: What makes you happy? What makes you cry?
Lessons Learned:
Miche: We've learned over the years to be who we are without an apology. Coming to a place where you accept yourself completely, flaws and all. Sometimes we can be our own worst critique.
Empowering Women:
Yanick: We feel so strongly about being an influence to women the way the "ladies of the '80s" influenced us!
Miche: We honestly feel obligated to carry the torch that Queen Latifah, Salt n Pepa, Madonna and so many others lit.
As you can see, these women are both determined and passionate about what they do. Their drive behind their music is so powerful and the fact that they are lending a hand to young girls shows the philanthropy that they both possess. LOT 80 vows to be inspirational to all, promote positive images for women of all ages and encourage self-love and confidence. I definitely see these two women teaming up with the likes of Beyonce and Michelle Obama in the near future. Whether their moment comes from being on stage performing songs that you can lyrically relate to and physically move to or during one of their many volunteer efforts, the world is going to celebrate once these ladies get a hold of the spotlight.
For more information on LOT80:
Become a fan on Facebook
Follow on Twitter @LOT80
You ladies get madd props from me. I love T-Boz too (Wifey). Keep it real and one day I hope to be yalls photographer in the celeb spotlight on the red carpet. Take care.
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