Le1f, Live in Concert: NPR Music's SXSW 2013 Showcase

Backed by only a DJ, New York rapper Le1f and his three-foot blond braids proved an apt counterpart to Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O, who'd finished performing on the nearby Stubb's main stage just minutes earlier. He performed with confidence, command and occasionally avant-garde fearlessness, but also kept an eye trained on a desire to entertain, above all else.

A rapper whose boundless, arty individuality pops out over every jittery beat, Le1f stands out in virtually every possible way: He punctuates his dextrous, funny flow with growls, squeaks and bits of joyful conversation. He whips his glow-in-the-dark hair back and forth, and moves on stage like a dancer— all lithe, coiled energy and imminent shirtlessness, with aggression that never overwhelms his playful demeanor. -- STEPHEN THOMPSON

CREDITS
Producers: Mito Habe-Evans, Robin Hilton, Amy Schriefer; Technical Director: Kevin Wait; Event Coordinator: Saidah Blount; Assistant Producer: Denise DeBelius; Videographers: Christopher Farber, Katie Hayes Luke, A.J. Wilhelm; Audio Engineering by Metro Mobile; Production Assistants: Gabriella Garcia-Pardo, Ryan Smith; Special Thanks to: Stubb's and South By Southwest; Executive Producers: Anya Grundmann, Keith Jenkins