Pink Siifu – Biography, Career and Discography

Livingston Lemorie Matthews, also known as Pink Siifu or occasionally iiye, is an American rapper and singer. Pink Siifu’s vocal style is often described as slow and laid-back, which he credits to the influence of artists like Mos Def, Lil Wayne, and Outkast. While his music is typically categorized as alternative hip-hop and neo-soul, he has also explored other genres such as punk, as showcased in his 2020 release, NEGRO. Beyond hip-hop, Matthews draws inspiration from a diverse range of musicians including George Clinton, Alice Coltrane, Sun Ra, Pixies, Radiohead, and Death Grips.

Early Life

Pink Siifu, born (28th January, 1992), in Birmingham, Alabama, and later relocating to Cincinnati, Ohio, at the age of 5, began his musical journey as a drummer in his high school marching band while also exploring poetry. Growing up in Cincinnati, he would often return to Birmingham during school breaks, as his immediate family hailed from the South, with roots in Birmingham, Mississippi, and Atlanta. His exposure to music was diverse, influenced by his father’s jazz background and his mother and older brother’s love for R&B and hip-hop. He played various instruments in his school band, including trumpet and snare drum, before discovering a passion for rap during college.

Despite initially being more drawn to dance than rap, Siifu’s interest in the genre blossomed during his time at Wright State University, where he met a poet who shared his love for 2Pac. This relationship ignited his passion for writing raps, ultimately leading him to pursue a career in music. Although he began his college studies as a theater major, Siifu made the decision to leave university and focus on his rap aspirations. He honed his craft by performing in Cincinnati under the moniker ‘Liv Martez’ before eventually making the move to Los Angeles in 2013, where he immersed himself in the music scene and collaborated with artists like Syd tha Kyd.

Career

Upon his arrival in Los Angeles in 2013, Matthews began networking and establishing himself within the city’s music scene. Adopting two distinct personas, he operated under the production name, iiye and the vocalist name, Pink Siifu. This dual identity allowed him to explore various musical avenues and develop a diverse catalog characterized by genre-bending and fusion.

Under the name Pink Siifu, Matthews started releasing music in 2014, simultaneously producing under the moniker iiye. Over the following years, he showcased his versatility through a prolific output, with numerous projects released annually. From 2014 to 2018, he unleashed a staggering number of projects, including seven in 2014, five in 2015, and ten in 2016. This rapid release schedule enabled him to traverse a wide range of musical styles, seamlessly transitioning between warped ambient, sample-infused jazz, eerie post-dubstep, and experimental rap.

Among these releases, 2016’s Space Ghetto stands out as particularly noteworthy. Originally conceived as Matthews’ debut album, this 24-track mixtape showcased his ability to navigate diverse musical territories, incorporating elements of ambient, jazz, and various vocal styles.

Matthews’ prolific output continued into the late 2010s, with an additional 20 projects released between 2017 and 2018. This period also marked the release of his debut album, Ensley. Combining the artistic personas of Siifu and iiye, Ensley showcased a rich tapestry of sonic textures and experimental instrumentation. The album received recognition from prominent music publications.

In 2018, Matthews garnered critical acclaim with the release of his album Ensley under the Pink Siifu alias. Named after Ensley, Alabama, where his grandmother resided, the LP earned a spot on Pitchfork’s esteemed list of the best rap albums of 2018.

Continuing his prolific output into 2019, Matthews released a series of EPs, including Black Food 4, Im Still., Grden.2, and Uptwn.3, alongside the Syrup EP as part of the experimental neo-soul ensemble B.Cool-Aid. His subsequent album, NEGRO, originally titled To Be Angry, was characterized by its intense fusion of jazz, punk rock, and rap.

In his most recent solo effort, Gumbo’!, Siifu collaborated with acclaimed artists such as Georgia Anne Muldrow and Nick Hakim, with production contributions from Monte Booker and The Alchemist. 

Maintaining his creative momentum into the new decade, Siifu’s 2020 releases included Bag Talk and FlySiifu’s, collaborative projects with YUNGMORPHEUS and Fly Anakin respectively, as well as the solo endeavor Negro, featuring a collaboration with Moor Mother on the track “Bebe’s Kids, Apollo.” Anakin and Siifu reunited for $mokebreak, among other releases in 2021.

In 2021, Matthews ventured into filmmaking with ‘NATION TYME!’, a short experimental film based on an excerpt from Amiri Baraka’s renowned essay ‘It’s Nation Time’.

In 2022, Siifu teamed up with Real Bad Man for Real Bad Flights, a brief project highlighted by the collaboration with Boldy James on “Looking for Water.”

Discography

 Studio Albums

2014 – [email protected]: A decade’s letter to the Galaxy

2014 – Zin (as iiye) 

2014 – Zen (as iiye)

2014 – No/more LOVE (as iiye) 

2015 – UaReL. 

2016 – Space Ghetto 

2018 – Ensley 

2020 – NEGRO 

2021 – Gumbo! 

Collaborative albums

2016 – Twothousandnine (with Swarvy) 

2017 – BRWN (with Ahwlee as B. Cool-Aid) 

2019 – Syrup (with Ahwlee as B. Cool-Aid) 

2019 – Black Sand (with Akai Solo) 

2020 – Bag Talk (with YungMorpheus) 

2020 – FlySiifu’s (with Fly Anakin) 

2021 – $mokebreak (with Fly Anakin) 

2022 – Real Bad Flights (with Real Bad Man)

2023 – Leather Blvd (with Ahwlee as B. Cool-Aid)

2023 – It’s Too Quiet..’! (with Turich Benjy)

Extended plays

2014 – A maze btw time (as iiye)

2014 – Year 19803711967 (as iiye)

2015 – Allway[v]ez (as iiye)

2015 – Reggie,Ernest,Wester,Rusty (as iiye)

2015 – A second definatelycaughtin between love x fear (as iiye)

2016 – Bround/brown (as iiye)

2016 – Giiift Wrap:VoL.1 (as iiye) 

2016 – Black food 1 (as iiye) 

2016 – Old’focus (as iiye)

2016 – Tape (as iiye) 

2016 – In between. (as iiye) 

2016 – A’lady. 1 (as iiye) 

2016 – Let go 

2016 – In between. (as iiye) 

2017 – Black food 2 (as iiye)

2017 – Lil’likeluv.1 (as iiye) 

2017 -Grden.1 (as iiye) 

2017 – A’lady. 2 (as iiye) 

2017 – black food 3 (as iiye)

2017 – Lil’likeluv.2 (as iiye) 

2017 – Drnk (as iiye) 

2017 – Head 

2017 – Slwdwn Vol. 1 (as iiye)

2018  – Lil’likeluv.3 (as iiye) 

2018 – Uptwn.1 (as iiye) 

2018 – Slwdwn Vol. 2 (as iiye) 

2018 – Southern. (as iiye)

2018 – A’lady. 3 (as iiye) 

2018 – Uptwn.2 (as iiye) 

2018 – Dollaz.1 (as iiye) 

2018 – Im still.

2019 – Black food 4 (as iiye) 

2019 – Uptwn.3 (as iiye)

2019 – Use. (as iiye) 

2019 – Slwdwn Vol. 3 (as iiye) 

2020 – Dollaz.2 (as iiye) 

2020 – Grden.3 (as iiye) 

2020 – Lil’SidePeace. (as iiye)

2020 – Lil’likeluv.4 (as iiye) 

2020 – Dollaz.3 (as iiye) 

2021 – Uptwn.4 (as iiye)

Singles

2015  – “Blvck Space Pink vol.1” (as iiye) 

2017 – “Heart on my face” 

2017 – “Halos/Bills” (released in collaboration with Swarvy) 

2018 – “Cocoa” (released in collaboration with B. Cool-Aid and Awhlee)

2020 – “Cement” (released in collaboration with Shungu)

2020 – “Dollar Dr. Dream” (released in collaboration with Fly Anakin)

2020 – “Richard Pryor” (released in collaboration with Fly Anakin) 

2020 – “Mind Right” featuring Liv.e (released in collaboration with Fly Anakin) 

2021 – “Blame” (released in collaboration with Fly Anakin2021 – “Minnie Lives” (rele

ased in collaboration with V.C.R)

20201 – “Table 42” featuring Pink Siifu (released in collaboration with Taphari)

2021 – “lng hair dnt care” 

2021 – “Bussin’ (Cold)” (released in collaboration with Turich Benjy)

2022 – “48” (released in collaboration with Maxo)

2022 – “Looking for Water” featuring Boldy James (released in collaboration with Real Bad Man and Boldy James)

2022 – “Pour The Wine” featuring Peso Gordon & Chuck Strangers (released in collaboration with Real Bad Man, Peso Gordon, and Chuck Strangers)

2022 – “L’s (Eyedress Remix)” featuring Fousheé (released in collaboration with Fly Anakin & Fousheé) 

2022 – Bonded (released in collaboration with B.Cool-Aid and Awhlee) 

2023 – “Cnt Go Back (Tell Me)” (released in collaboration with B. Cool-Aid, Awhlee, Liv.e, Butcher Brown, Rimeta Rose, V.C.R. & Maurice II)