New York City-based rapper/producer/dancer Le1f was born Khalif Diouf and grew as a beatmaker in the 2000s. When attending Wesleyan University, he befriended the members of snark-rap outfit Das Racist and produced their breakthrough single, "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell." Le1f became a key figure in a subset of openly gay N.Y.C. rappers, with himself and peers like Mykki Blanco, Zebra Katz, and House of Ladosha gaining exposure for their refreshing contributions to hip-hop that grew out of the early-'90s drag and ball culture. A single first leaked online in early 2012, and debut mixtape Dark York followed in April of 2012. Le1f continued to make an impression as a much-buzzed-about artist, and Underwater appeared late in the year. ~ Fred Thomas