Quadeca
{{Short description|American rapper, producer and YouTuber (born 2000)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Quadeca
| image = Quadeca Performance.jpg
| caption = Quadeca performing at House of Blues, Houston (2024)
| birth_name = Benjamin Fernando Barajas Lasky{{cite web|url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/workID/912322922 |title=BURNIN BRIDGES LONG DAY FEAT IDK |website=ASCAP |publisher=American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers |access-date=May 1, 2023}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2000|10|02}}
| birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| genre = {{flatlist|
}}
| occupation = {{flatlist|
- Singer-songwriter
- {{nowrap|record producer}}
- YouTuber
- rapper
}}
| years_active = 2014–present
| label = {{flatlist|
}}
| module = {{Infobox YouTube personality
| embed = yes
| pseudonym =
| channel_handle = quadecaX8
| channel_display_name = Quadeca
| years_active = 2012–present
| genre = {{flatlist|
- Music
- video games
}}
| subscribers = 1.92 million
| views = 241.3 million
| stats_update = May 26, 2024
| network =
| associated_acts =
| silver_button = y
| silver_year = 2016
| gold_button = y
| gold_year = 2018
| diamond_button =
| diamond_year =
| ruby_button =
| ruby_year =
| red_diamond_button =
| red_diamond_year =
}}
| module2 = {{Infobox person
| embed = yes
| father = Mitch Lasky
| mother = Cecilia Barajas
| signature = Quadeca sig.svg
}}
}}
Benjamin Fernando Barajas Lasky (born October 2, 2000), better known by his stage name Quadeca (formerly QuadecaX8), is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and former YouTuber. Lasky began on the Internet by uploading rap songs, music videos, comedy sketches, and video game gameplay to his YouTube channel.
Quadeca deviated away from his YouTube career to focus on his music career, releasing four mixtapes prior to the albums Voice Memos in 2019, From Me to You in 2021, and I Didn't Mean to Haunt You in 2022. The mixtape Scrapyard, released on February 16, 2024, contains features from Brakence and Kevin Abstract.
Early life
Benjamin Lasky was born on October 2, 2000, in Los Angeles, California. His father, Mitch Lasky, is a Benchmark general partner and former entrepreneur and video game executive.{{cite web|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/venture-capitalist-mitch-lasky-drops-181556625.html|title=Venture Capitalist Mitch Lasky Drops $40 Million on Malibu's Broad Beach|author=McClain, James|date=December 1, 2020|website=Yahoo! Finance}} Lasky became an avid soccer player as a child and was enthusiastic about hip hop and other forms of music, spending his free time writing songs on guitar and piano. He also has a younger sister named Anna who was featured in some of his earliest videos, along with an older sister, Natasha. Lasky opened his YouTube channel on June 11, 2012, under the name QuadecaX8; his early videos were based around video game commentating and the FIFA franchise. He was admitted to Menlo School in 2015, where he joined the soccer team.{{cite web|url=http://hs.wbalsports.org/alsocb1516.html|title=2015–16 BOYS SOCCER ALL-LEAGUE TEAM|website=West Bay Athletic League}} Lasky continued to play with his soccer team through his student years and became a tri-captain of the team.{{cite web|url=https://www.menloschool.org/magazine/summer-fall-2019/files/basic-html/page48.html|title=Page 48 – Menlo Magazine Summer 2019|page=48|website=Menlo School}}{{cite web|url=https://www.shschools.org/news-detail?pk=1002751|title=WBAL BOYS SOCCER: THREE TEAMS STAKE A CLAIM TO THE TITLE|date=February 6, 2019|author=Eymer, Rick|website=Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton}}
Career
In 2014, Lasky began to create rap-related content and freestyles for his YouTube channel. In February, he performed at a middle school talent show that went viral on YouTube.{{cite web|url=https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2017/01/20/laskys-first-soccer-goal-was-music-to-menlos-ears|title=Lasky's first soccer goal is music to Menlo's ears|author=Eymer, Rick|date=January 20, 2017|website=Palo Alto Weekly}}
In late 2018, YouTuber KSI, called out Quadeca and other YouTube rappers, referring to them as "frauds". Lasky responded with a diss track, titled "Insecure" within a week.{{cite web|url=https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/ksi-gets-roasted-by-youtube-rapper-in-savage-diss-track-230325/|title=KSI gets roasted by YouTube rapper in savage diss track|date=November 24, 2018|author=Glaze, Virginia|website=Dexerto}} The music video received over 8 million views within 10 days. In November, KSI gave a review of the track and praised it, saying that it warranted a diss track from himself.{{cite web|url=https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/ksi-gives-surprising-review-of-quadeca-diss-track-233163/|title=KSI gives surprising review of Quadeca diss track|author=Donigan, Wyatt|website=Dexerto|date=November 27, 2018}} He responded to Lasky's song with his own diss track "Ares," to which Lasky gave a lukewarm response in a tweet.{{cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2018/12/15/ksi-viewers-affirm-dejis-claim-he-has-a-god-complex-as-he-collabs-with-randolph-8250804/|title=KSI viewers affirm Deji's claim he has a 'god complex' as he collabs with Randolph|author=Griffin, Louise|date=December 15, 2018|website=Metro}}{{cite web|url=https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/ksi-releases-long-awaited-diss-track-quadeca-gives-lukewarm-response-242086/|title=KSI releases long-awaited diss track, Quadeca gives lukewarm response|author=Donigan, Wyatt|website=Dexerto|date=December 4, 2018}} Logan Paul revealed that he had wanted to collaborate with Lasky to diss KSI as well, but was denied.{{cite web|url=https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/logan-paul-wants-to-team-up-with-this-youtube-rapper-to-roast-ksi-247772/|title=Logan Paul wants to team up with this YouTube rapper to roast KSI|date=December 8, 2019|website=Dexerto|author=Glaze, Virginia}}
On March 8, 2019, he released his debut studio album Voice Memos,{{cite web|url=https://newtohiphop.home.blog/2019/07/16/quadeca-voice-memos-review/|title=Quadeca: Voice Memos Review|author=New To Hip Hop|date= July 16, 2019}} and on March 22, Voice Memos peaked at No. 42 on Billboard's Independent Albums and Heatseekers Albums. He explained the lyrics of the song "Uh Huh!" in a Genius interview.{{cite web|url=https://genius.com/videos/Quadeca-breaks-down-the-meaning-of-uh-huh|title=Quadeca Breaks Down The Meaning Of "Uh Huh!"|date=March 20, 2019|author=Reneau, Steven|website=Genius}}
He was featured on the song "Roll the Dice" from KSI and Randolph's collaborative album New Age on April 12, 2019, and continued releasing singles for the rest of the year including the songs "Not a Diss Track," "Schoenberg (featuring Moxas)," and "I Don't Care".{{cite web|url=https://www.theedgesusu.co.uk/records/albums/2019/04/15/review-ksi-randolph-new-age/|title=Review: KSI & Randolph – New Age|date= April 15, 2019|author=Smith, Theo|website=The Edge}}
After an extended hiatus, on January 29, 2021, Lasky reannounced his second studio album titled From Me to You on YouTube,{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSLB8YCILd4|title=From Me To You (Trailer)|author=Lasky, Benjamin|date=January 29, 2021|website=YouTube}} which released on March 30, 2021, under AWAL.{{cite web|url=https://genius.com/a/every-album-release-in-march-2021|title=What's Up Next: Here's Every Album Dropping In March|website=Genius}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/9400400/billboard-indie-power-players-executives-list-2020/|title=Revealed: Billboard's 2020 Indie Power Players|date=June 15, 2020|magazine=Billboard}}{{cite web|url=https://fantastichiphop.blog/2021/04/08/quadeca-from-me-to-you-album-review/|title=Quadeca- "From Me To You" (Album Review)|date=April 8, 2021|website=Fantastic Hip Hop}}{{cite web|url=https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.61378/title.new-music-friday-new-albums-from-lil-tjay-24hrs-bankroll-freddie-more#|title=NEW MUSIC FRIDAY – NEW ALBUMS FROM LIL TJAY, 24HRS, BANKROLL FREDDIE + MORE|website=HipHopDX|date=April 1, 2021|author=Jefferson, Devon}} He released the self-produced single "Sisyphus" on March 20, 2021, which garnered widespread critical praise.{{cite web|url=https://www.bangeroftheday.co/albums/eps/frommetoyou-quadeca|title=Quadeca – From Me To You (Album Review)|website=Banger of the Day|date=April 12, 2021|author=Buxton, Chris}}{{cite web|url=https://visionviral.com/blog/quadeca-sisyphus-official-music-video/|title=Quadeca – Sisyphus (Official Music Video)|date=March 21, 2021|website=News Vision Viral}}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2pJlsN2o6s&ab_channel=fantano|title=Quadeca Blows My Mind|author=Fantano, Anthony|date=March 22, 2021|website=YouTube}}
On September 19, 2022, Lasky released the lead single to his third album I Didn't Mean to Haunt You, titled "Born Yesterday".{{Cite web |last=Degrazia |first=Leah |date=2022-09-20 |title=Quadeca Tells A Supernatural Tale On New Song "Born Yesterday" |url=https://genius.com/a/quadeca-tells-a-supernatural-tale-on-new-song-born-yesterday |access-date=2022-09-20 |website=Genius |language=en}} He then released the album's second single, titled "Tell Me a Joke", on October 25, 2022.{{Cite web |last=Partridge |first=Ken |date=2022-10-25 |title=Quadeca Continues His Ghost Saga With New Song "Tell Me a Joke" |url=https://genius.com/a/quadeca-continues-his-ghost-saga-with-new-song-tell-me-a-joke |access-date=2022-10-25 |website=Genius}} On the same day, he announced his album, revealing the cover art, tracklist, and release date. The album, a self-produced concept album where Lasky plays the role of a ghost, reckoning with his own suicide as his loved ones move on without him released on November 11, 2022{{Cite tweet|number=1584898824526790656|user=Quadeca|title=I Didn't Mean To Haunt You|last=Lasky|first=Benjamin|date=October 25, 2022|access-date=October 25, 2022}}{{Cite news |last=Gomez |first=Jade |date=2022-10-25 |title=Quadeca Announces New Album 'I Didn't Mean to Haunt You' |work=Paper |url=https://www.papermag.com/quadeca-new-album-2658502860.html |access-date=2022-10-25}}{{Cite web |title=How Quadeca Turned Himself Into A Ghost - PAPER Magazine |url=https://www.papermag.com/quadeca |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=www.papermag.com |language=en}} and features experimental rapper Danny Brown and the Sunday Service Choir. The album was released alongside an accompanying film later that same day. I Didn't Mean To Haunt You marked a notable stylistic shift in Quadeca's artistry that was celebrated by critics such as Spill Magazine who rated the album 4/5 stars and theneedledrop who ranked the album's lead single "Born Yesterday" as the #6 best song of 2022.{{Cite web |last=Zivkovic |first=Ljubinko |date=2022-11-11 |title=SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: QUADECA - I DIDN'T MEAN TO HAUNT YOU |url=https://spillmagazine.com/spill-album-review-quadeca-i-didnt-mean-to-haunt-you/ |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=The Spill Magazine |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=The Needle Drop's Top 50 Songs of 2022 |url=https://www.albumoftheyear.org/songs/list/405-the-needle-drops-top-50-songs-of-2022/ |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=www.albumoftheyear.org |language=en-US}}
On October 3, 2023, Lasky announced via his Twitter and Instagram pages an upcoming project, "The Scrapyard Series". Lasky detailed that the project would consist of five separate 2-3 song EPs of songs that didn't make the cut for I Didn't Mean to Haunt You, or his upcoming album Vanisher, Horizon Scraper each one being released every 2–3 weeks.{{cite tweet |last=Lasky |first=Benjamin |user=Quadeca |number=1709274861657616698 |title=WELCOME TO "THE SCRAPYARD SERIES" |access-date=July 15, 2024}} The first EP was released on October 11, 2023, titled SCRAPYARD I.{{cite tweet |author=DeadAir |user=deadAirrecords |number=1712170516566438031 |title=Quadeca - Scrapyard I" out now everywhere, via deadAir. |access-date=July 15, 2024}} The second EP, SCRAPYARD II, was released October 30, 2023, and the third EP, SCRAPYARD III, was released on November 22, 2023.{{cite tweet |last=Lasky |first=Benjamin |user=Quadeca |number=1718841028432785520 |title=SCRAPYARD II OUT EVERYWHERE |access-date=July 15, 2024}} On December 24, 2023, Lasky announced that the remainder of the SCRAPYARD EPs would not be released, but promised that the series would "go out with a bang."{{cite tweet |last=Lasky |first=Benjamin |user=Quadeca |number=1739381833274675567 |title=Due to some new developments, I've decided to cancel the release of SCRAPYARD 4. |access-date=July 15, 2024}} On February 15, 2024, Lasky published a music video for his song 'WAY TOO MANY FRIENDS' as promotional material for the final installment of the series, a mixtape titled Scrapyard. The mixtape, which compiled all of the songs on the EPs as well as songs previously unreleased, released on February 23, 2024. SCRAPYARD built upon Quadeca's newfound critical success in online music spaces with TheNeedleDrop giving the project a coveted score of 9/10, ranking it as the 12th best album of 2024.{{Cite web |date=2024-12-21 |title=Top 50 Albums of 2024 |url=https://theneedledrop.com/opinion/top-50-albums-of-2024/ |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=The Needle Drop |language=en}} KTLA also listed SCRAPYARD as the #7 best album of 2024.{{Cite news |last=Falcon |first=Russel |date=December 17, 2024 |title=The 10 best albums of 2024 |url=https://ktla.com/entertainment/the-10-best-albums-of-2024/ }}
Artistry
=Style and influences=
Lasky's early releases were categorized as YouTube rap but he has since diversified, combining elements of experimental hip hop, art pop, neo-psychedelia and folktronica. His earlier projects were influenced by rappers like Logic and J Cole. In his second album From Me To You, Quadeca draws from influences such as Tyler, The Creator, Joji, Childish Gambino and Frank Ocean. Quadeca has cited artists such as The Microphones, Duster, Lingua Ignota, Björk, Jane Remover and Caroline Polachek as influences for his third studio album I Didn't Mean To Haunt You.{{Citation |title=Quadeca's I Didn't Mean to Haunt You Influences Playlist |url=https://floodmagazine.com/122793/quadeca-i-didnt-mean-to-haunt-you-playlist/ |language=en |access-date=2022-12-18}}
Discography
=Studio albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col" rowspan="2" scope="col" |Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" scope="col";" |Album details ! scope="col" colspan="2"| Peak chart positions |
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US Ind. {{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/independent-albums/2019-03-22|title=INDEPENDENT ALBUMS|date=March 23, 2019|magazine=Billboard}} ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US |
|---|
| scope="row" |Voice Memos
|
|42 |15 |
| scope="row" |From Me to You
|
|— |— |
| scope="row" |I Didn't Mean to Haunt You
|
|— |— |
| scope="row" |Vanisher, Horizon Scraper
|
| colspan="2" {{tba|To be released}} |
=Mixtapes=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col" scope="col" |Title ! scope="col" scope="col";" |Album details |
| scope="row" | Work in Progress
|
|
|---|
| scope="row" | Nostalgia for the Now
|
|
| scope="row" | Bad Internet Rapper
|
|
| scope="row" | Out of Order
|
|
| scope="row" | Scrapyard
|
|
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+Collaborative albums ! rowspan="1.5" scope="col" style="width:8em;" |Title ! rowspan="1.5" scope="col" style="width:18em;" |Album details |
| scope="row" |1Day {{small|(with Saint G)}} |
|
|---|
= EPs =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ !Title !EP details |
| scope=row |Scrapyard I
|
|
|---|
| scope=row |Scrapyard II
|
|
| scope=row |Scrapyard III
|
|
=Singles=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+ ! rowspan="1.5" scope="col" style="width:14em;" |Title ! rowspan="1.5" scope="col" |Year ! rowspan="1.5" scope="col" style="width:14em;" |Album/Mixtape |
| scope="row" |"Wii Music Fire"
| rowspan="1" |2015 | rowspan="1" |Work in Progress |
|---|
| scope="row" |"Mind's Eye"
| rowspan="5" |2016 | rowspan="2" |Nostalgia for the Now |
| scope="row" |"You Can't Rap" |
| scope="row" |"Dreamlife" {{small|(featuring Gracie Zander)}} | rowspan="1" {{n/a|Non-album single}} |
| scope="row" |"2020"
| rowspan="3" |Bad Internet Rapper |
| scope="row" |"Unscripted" |
| scope="row" |"Lemon Tree"
| rowspan="5" |2017 |
| scope="row" |"Cause He Has One"
| rowspan="1" {{n/a|Non-album single}} |
| scope="row" |"Who Would've Thought"
| rowspan="3" |Out of Order |
| scope="row" |"Idontwannaspeakagain" |
| scope="row" |"Hold Up" {{small|(featuring Quentin Miller)}} |
| scope="row" |"Clouted Up"
| rowspan="5" |2018 | rowspan="3" {{n/a|Non-album single}} |
| scope="row" |"Heart Attack" |
| scope="row" |"No Deal" {{small|(featuring Moxas)}} |
| scope="row" |"Unusual" {{small|(featuring B. Lou)}} | rowspan="1" |Voice Memos |
| scope="row" |"Insecure"
| rowspan="2" {{n/a|Non-album single}} |
| scope="row" |"Four Horsemen" {{small|(with Crypt, Dax & Scru Face Jean)}} | rowspan="12" |2019 |
| scope="row" |"War!" {{small|(featuring Dax)}} | rowspan="2" |Voice Memos |
| scope="row" |"Uh-Huh" |
| scope="row" |"Not a Diss Track"
| rowspan="3" {{n/a|Non-album single}} |
| scope="row" |"Volt" {{small|(with Sad Frosty)}} |
| scope="row" |"Gordon Ramsay" {{small|(featuring Sad Frosty)}} |
| scope="row" |"The Man on my Left Shoulder"
| rowspan="1" |Voice Memos |
| scope="row" |"Tomfoolery" {{small|(with Egovert, Kil & Moxas)}} | rowspan="5" {{n/a|Non-album single}} |
| scope="row" |"I Don't Care" |
| scope="row" |"Schoenberg" {{small|(featuring Moxas)}} |
| scope="row" |"Fish Outta Bacardi" {{small|(featuring Egovert)}} |
| scope="row" |"Beamin'" |
| scope="row" |"Class in Session!" {{small|(with A1TH)}} | rowspan="4" |2020 | rowspan="1" |Ignorant as Hell |
| scope="row" |"Where'd You Go?"
| rowspan="2" |From Me to You |
| scope="row" |"Alone Together" |
| scope="row" |"Live Like This"
| {{n/a|Non-album single}} |
| scope=row | "Sisyphus"
| rowspan="2" |2021 |From Me to You |
| scope="row" |"Rip Bozo" {{small|(featuring Lou from Paradise)}} | {{n/a|Non-album single}} |
| scope=row | "Born Yesterday"
| rowspan="2" |2022 | rowspan="2" |I Didn't Mean to Haunt You |
| scope=row | "Tell Me a Joke" |
| scope=row | "Godstained"
| rowspan="2" |2025 | rowspan="2" |Vanisher, Horizon Scraper |
| scope=row | "Monday" |
=Guest appearances=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! rowspan="1.5" scope="col" style="width:14em;" |Title ! rowspan="1.5" scope="col" |Year ! rowspan="1.5" scope="col" style="width:14em;" |Album/Mixtape |
| scope="row" |"Batter Up" {{small|(Didac featuring Quadeca)}} | rowspan="3" |2018 | rowspan="4" {{N/A|Non-album singles}} |
|---|
| scope="row" |"Lost in the Clouds" {{small|(CamDaye featuring FiveAm & Quadeca)}} |
| scope="row" |"Supreme" {{small|(Reactitup featuring Quadeca)}} |
| scope="row" |"Illy Mode" {{small|(Scru Face Jean featuring Quadeca)}} | rowspan="7" |2019 |
| scope="row" |"Roll the Dice" {{small|(Randolph featuring Quadeca)}} | rowspan="1" |New Age |
| scope="row" |'Tonight's the Night" {{small|(Walia featuring Quadeca)}} |{{N/A|Non-album single}} |
| scope="row" |"Emergency" {{small|(B. Lou featuring Dax & Quadeca)}} |BOW |
| scope="row" |"Duh Nuh" {{small|(Crypt featuring Quadeca)}} | rowspan="1" |Tales From The Crypt |
| scope="row" |"Outbreak" {{small|(Josh A featuring Quadeca)}} | rowspan="1" |Disgrace |
| scope="row" |"Bigger" {{small|(Joey Nato featuring Quadeca)}} | rowspan="1" |Who Made This Album? |
| scope="row" |"SOLID" {{small|(JAG featuring Quadeca)}} | rowspan="1" | 2020 | {{N/A|Non-album single}} |
| scope="row" |"Darken The Shadow" {{small|(Pellek featuring Quadeca)}} | rowspan="1" |2021 | rowspan="1" |Darken The Shadow OST |
| scope="row" |"Tunnel of Glass" {{small|(Asian Glow featuring Quadeca)}} | rowspan="1" |2024 | rowspan="1" |Unwired Detour |
References
{{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:21st-century American male singers
Category:21st-century American singer-songwriters
Category:21st-century American rappers
Category:American experimental musicians
Category:21st-century American male rappers
Category:21st-century American Jews
Category:American male singer-songwriters
Category:American people of Canarian descent
Category:Hispanic and Latino American rappers
Category:Hispanic and Latino American singers
Category:Jewish American songwriters
Category:Jewish hip-hop record producers
Category:Jewish American singers
Category:American people of Belarusian-Jewish descent
Category:American music YouTubers
Category:Rappers from Los Angeles
Category:Record producers from California
Category:Singers from Los Angeles
Category:Singer-songwriters from California
Category:American trap musicians
Category:Video game commentators