Lord Esperanza/Théodore Desprez grew up surrounded with art, literature and music in the 18th district of Paris. When he was a child, his parents introduced him both to the music of such internationally acclaimed artists as Amy Winehouse, Dave Brubeck and Serge Gainsbourg and to opera, a passion that they both shared. Two worlds that seemed far apart but that gave him the urge to study piano and to train as a musician. Also a writer, – Lord Esperanza wrote his first short story at age 11- he discovered hip hop at teenage with a particular taste for MC Solaar and Doc Gyneco.
As a young man of his generation, Lord Esperanza went through the years 2000 deeply influenced by what he saw on YouTube. Highly creative, open minded, he began writing lyrics and eventually published some of his tracks online under the stage name of « Speranza ». At 18, Lord Esperanza signed his first record deal with independent music label Modulor and released, the following year, his debut EP « Hors de portée ». Multiskilled, Lord Esperanza created different bands (including PALA$$ with Nelick) and released a second EP « Drapeau noir » whose powerful songs like « L’insolence des élus » and « Drapeau noir » have conquered hip hop audiences and hit millions of views online.
Lord Esperanza is influenced by many artists and likes to name the creators that have inspired him: Jacques Brel, Albert Camus or Jean-Michel Basquiat. His thirst for culture urges him to constantly explore cinema, theater and literature. Only 21 years old, Lord Esperanza is often presented as heir to French rapper Nekfeu. He is a master at playing with words and styles and is not afraid to get involved in a wide diversity of projects.
Lord Esperanza chooses strong themes for his songs: politics, love, death. His mixtape « Polaroïd » is all about creating this engaging rap that he describes as « conscious but light ». 16 tracks between blues, salsa, electronic music and rap where he moves from one genre to the next with a remarkable ease. In April 2018, Lord Esperanza released an ambitious project, « Dans Ta Ville », in which he spent ten days traveling through the cities he visited during his tour, releasing one video a day, each directed by a local filmmaker. Lord Esperanza’s fans were given the opportunity to vote for their favorite tracks, allowing the elected director to produce Lord Esperanza’s next video.
A part of hip hop modern avant-garde, Lord Esperanza always tries to reinvent himself and to mix different genres from French popular music to new urban trends. Last June, he released his fifth EP « Internet », a moving portrait of his generation, hungry for online news and raised with the social networks. A touch of egocentrism, a dose of profound and conscious lyrics, unchained trap, melancholic soul rap, Lord Esperanza does it all and allows us into his world of tormented atmospheres.
After several sold out shows in prestigious venues (Gaîté Lyrique) and outstanding festivals (Printemps de Bourges, Rock en Seine, Les Ardentes, Montreux Jazz Festival), Lord Esperanza is getting ready to hit the mythic Parisian venue La Cigale on March 8, 2019.
In order to share his music and support artists that he likes, Lord Esperanza has created his own label, Paramour.
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