Bio

JOSEPH “LYRIC INFORCA” LERNER BIO "Whether I was chillin smokin blunts in ICE-T's penthouse w/ Smoothe da Hustler or when I was rockin' it on the stage of the Apollo Theatre, I realized that the limelight was in my future and this was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.” Joseph “Lyric Inforca” Lerner grew up in a white, middle-class, and Jewish family in Staten Island, New York. Lyric didn’t have a silver spoon by any means but grew up with the love and guidance of two loving parents, but "...because I was Jewish, an identical twin, and, (at the time) one of the shortest kids in my grade, I dealt with all types of bullshit from punks who would talk trash." Growing up listening to the Wu (Lyric's favorite group), and deeply influenced by the music of the 60's (especially Jim Morrison), Lyric began to write poetry to express his frustrations and anger with society; creating his own style of lyrics from this blend of genres. He hung out with all types of people - from skaters, ravers, and breakers, to hustlers, gangsters and eventually rappers giving Lyric an array of experiences & perspectives on life. Lyric started working at parties as a dancer for many DJ companies in the metropolitan area (It was at one of these parties that Lori Majewski, then the Entertainment Director for TeenPeople Magazine, saw the potential of Lyric Inforca.). He also worked as a gymnastics and break dance teacher for kids as well as a freelance dance choreographer. More and more into rap, Lyric decided to take things one-step further and apply his street slang to his poems. By doing shows for a variety of crowds, Lyric began to make a name for himself in the underground rap scene on Staten Island. WSIA, the Staten Island radio station, started to play his tracks, and provided a forum where he engaged in battles with other mc's. "You should keep in mind though, that most of these battles didn't take place in a radio station, or in da clubs, but in the street, where the rules for winning might change at any time. It got dangerous at times, but the fear actually was a driving force. It's what you do with that fear that proves your ability." His first real experience in the industry was when he and his twin brother were picked to dance, and be extras in the FlipMode recording artist Rah Digga video "Break Fool". On the set, he took part in friendly battles and got the respect of a lot of underground rappers. But, it was a few months later that he received his first big break - a full page picture and article in TeenPeople Magazine's Dec/Jan2000/2001 special "What's Next" issue, for winning the "What's Next" Award as a rapper, and, of course, the invitation to perform at the Apollo. "The exposure and recognition from TeenPeople Magazine and the Apollo has been ridiculous. At the Apollo, when I walked off stage and back into the crowd, I felt that people really respected what I was doing. The crowd showed me mad love, and, it was cool when Wyclef approached me and said 'Yo white boy - you just flipped it. Keep doin' your thing.'" Soon after his performance at the Apollo, Lyric went on to make his live, television debut on "Studio Y", an interactive show for teens, broadcast by the Metro Channel and hosted by B-boy London & Moni Love. This was followed by an appearance on News 12 New Jersey and because he is a white, Jewish rapper in a predominantly black industry, Lyric was asked to share his views on the topic of racial profiling and reverse racism on The Ananda Lewis Show. Ananda also wanted to know "...just what does this white kid have to rap about?" Lyric replied by spitting a hot freestyle that impressed Ananda, as well as the audience. Shortly after the airing of The Ananda Lewis show Lyric's grandfather passed away. "This hit me really hard, but I felt like he was right there with me on the way down to his funeral." In the JFK airport terminal, waiting for his flight to Florida for the funeral, Lyric met the first rapper he ever listened to “ICE-T”. Lyric introduced himself, and ICE then introduced Lyric to the new members of his rap group, SMG (SexMoney&Gunz) - Brownsville rappers, Smoothe da Hustler and Trigger tha Gambler, best known for "Broken Language" and their work on the Nutty Professor soundtrack; as well as inventing the backwards rap style. “Coincidentally, we all were flying Jet Blue, and my seat was next to Smoothe and he had recognized me from TV and we just vibed and decide to do a track together once we got back to New York and Smoothe & Trigger are from the same neighborhood as my grandfather." Lyric went on to record the track with Smoothe ("All this Time"), with the production done by Charlemagne. Additionally, Trigger appears on the intro to "Reppin' Shaolin". Inforca also has stayed busy performing by opening up for artists like DV Alias Christ, China White, and Smoothe & Trigger at a show in Long Island. Since then, he has performed at the China Club twice and at the El Flamingo Club in Manhattan as well as many private parties across the country. Lyric, believing in his ability produced and pressed up an enhanced CD - "The Art of Lyricism" produced solely by Lyric Inforca Enterprises. It includes his tracks, performances, break dancing, and cameos and freestyles with Smoothe and Trigger. More recently Lyric has performed in Detroit with Iron Fist records and the Purple Gang where he received an amazing response from the Detroit audience. For now, Lyric has exploded on the internet with his myspace page where he just recently became the number One unsigned rapper in Staten Island and has a fan base that spans the globe. Lyric’s fans are anticipating his next project which will really show his versatility working with producers like Grammy nominated producer Mr. Mig and remix master Fatz Belvedere as well as many others to show just exactly how he will changed the face of the rap game as we know it today. “I’m well aware that being white and Jewish might have some marketing appeal. However, bottom line, I would much prefer to be recognized for my skill and my business mentality to make it in this game."