Biography
Originally from London, UK, LTtheMonk moved to North America in 2017 in pursuit of a sound that would blend his love of American & Canadian hip-hop, dance music & pop. A dancer in his early years after his discovery of Michael Jackson, Usher & Beyoncé, LT first took to the stage to perform rhythmic solos, learning the choreography from each performers’ iconic videos, and giving his own freestyle spin to each routine. This was followed by an introduction to hip-hop, with the young musician’s ears being filled with the lyrics and melodies of 2Pac, Jay-Z & A Tribe Called Quest.
From then on it was a question of how LT could make this duality coalesce, bringing together hip-hop and dance music, rapping and moving, deep lyrics with groovy rhythms and melodies. It wasn’t until his move to Canada however, and specifically the city of Hamilton, Ontario, where it would all come together, into a style that LT has now coined as New Monk Swing.
Now based in Toronto, LT is performing and promoting his latest album ‘Uptown Intern #333’, out now on Sonic Unyon Records and available on all streaming platforms, CD and vinyl. This album showcases the New Monk Swing sound as LT plays the character of ‘The Intern’, the child with a love of music so pure, he’ll do anything to see that love realized. On stage he is backed by talented live instrumentalists Jadon Haughton (drums), Devon Goping (bass), and a host of guest musicians that included the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra (5 brass, 5 strings) at the 2023 Supercrawl Festival. These musicians bring the dance sound to life in front of live audiences, and in 2024 LT aims to bring these live performances to new audiences around North America.