Today, we have LzRDofOz as our guest – a singer, producer, and artist from Toronto, whose roots trace back to the Bahamas, while his artistry explores self-discovery. His music is alternative R&B, where vibrations intertwine sensuality, philosophy, hypnotic sound, and a space for transcendence.

How does he manage to balance emotions and existential questions? What lies behind his new single “The Sacred Is Not For Sale”? And where is his creative journey leading him? Let’s find out!

Photo by Justin Friesen

Welcome, LzRDofOz! You describe yourself as a modern sound alchemist, turning personal and esoteric visionary moments into music. But, if you think about it, your stage name sounds quite mysterious. Does it hold any hidden esoteric symbolism?

Before LzRDofOz, my stage name used to be BigBadBradd. As a track & field athlete people called me that as a catchy play on my nickname “Brad” given my extraordinary abilities on the track. When I started playing around with music in my college dorm room, I kept that name. It was catchy and cool. It wasn’t until I went through a wave of depression during covid, which led to a spiritual awakening that I took music seriously. That led to my name change. It symbolizes many things. One that I will share is my spiritual devotion to nature and the lessons we learn from it like shedding old skin and such.

You named your new single “The Sacred Is Not For Sale.” What exactly are you trying to protect or declare when you say that “the sacred is not for sale“?

Being a Gemini, I love polarities and contrasts. Doesn’t have to be two opposite things, but two sides of the same coin. Or multiple avenues to get to the same point. I say this because the song has many meanings. One of them being that it’s a call to take back control of our lives. Mind, body, soul.  As much as we can, because every decision we make is influenced by someone else like it or not. To love ourselves unconditionally like the sacred beings we are. To be every version of our true selves.

When the world around seems more and more commercialized and superficial, what led you to decide to write a song where you declare: “The Sacred Is Not For Sale”?

Now more than ever, everything is for sale-including us. Our consciousness is for sale. I just want this title to ring in people’s minds so we always consider our worth. We are all sellouts in some way because the corporate arm is too strong for us to maintain our ideals. And I understand it because we have responsibilities. but there always has to be a resistance to keep things balanced out.

Your music feels like it’s always moving and searching. Do you think “The Sacred Is Not For Sale” marks a new stage in your musical evolution, or are you more likely to have returned to your roots, where it all started?

Being a Gemini, I’m adventurous by nature. Which means I’m hard to pin down. I don’t like genres and I like to blend them all. It’s a good thing sometimes because I’ll always find something new. I’ll always innovate. It also works against me because it’s harder to ground myself. People listen to my music and could never guess that I was born and raised in The Bahamas until I was 20. But no matter how far I drift, I take my roots with me. I was raised in a household where my parents spoke to me in Haitian Creole hence the use of French and Creole in my songs. I use a lot of elements of naturalism inspired by my surroundings growing up on the island.  As of late, I have been listening to vinyl as much as I stream music. I was heavily inspired by the percussive progression on  Aretha Franklin’s Who’s Zoomin Who?

Now that your song is out in the world, listeners will bring their own perspectives to it. Do you feel confident that the message you intended will come across, or are you open to different interpretations?

I think most people are going to take the song at face value and I expect that to happen. Streaming has caused us to not let songs marinate enough. But the few that look for meaning will find it. And I am open to new perspectives. I like when people reveal something about my art that wasn’t intended and I’m like holy fuck I didn’t even think of that while making it. 

Recently, you performed at a place like Supermarket in Toronto, alongside artists like Blackout Paradise and Jayniac Jr. When performing “The Sacred Is Not For Sale” on stage, did you feel that the audience would perceive it the same way as on the recording, or is it more interesting for you to just feel the moment?

I think they just felt the moment for sure. They were just enjoying the vibes. It serves both purposes. Whether you wanna get up and dance or 3am in the morning and you can’t sleep.

Photo by Justin Friesen

After listening to “The Sacred Is Not For Sale,” it feels like you’re searching for answers to your internal changes. Perhaps you’re no longer the same person who wrote this song. How does it reflect where you are in life right now?

That’s an interesting take. I’d like to think it reflects my present. I constantly question everything as a defence mechanism given that I can be naive sometimes. To your question, I think it’s the opposite where I’m adapting to the constant changes around me and I’m realizing that everyone’s doing the same. We’re all just winging it. As a friend once told me, “nobody knows what they’re doing”. 

In “The Sacred Is Not For Sale,” you talk about freedom and transcendence. What about earthly pleasures – are they important to you?

 It would be great to have all the physical things I want out of life. I want my family to never have to worry about money again. I want to travel the world whenever I want and experience different things. I want a black Porsche as an everyday companion like Hank Moody in Californication. What I want more than these is the ability to achieve such things by doing what I love, which is healing my side of the world through music.  

They say, “Where does art end and commerce begin?” Is it important for you to be successful, or is the most important thing to be understood?

Success is nonnegotiable for me. If I am to continue making songs that people enjoy, I need to be able to afford to do so comfortably and without financial restraint. Even though its art and expression, I like to compete on a healthy level. I think competition is a natural phenomenon and none of us would be here without it. 

Is the future of LzRDofOz a continuation of the path you’ve already walked, or are you ready for radical changes and new experiments?

I’m always ready for something new. I don’t want LzRDofOz’s audience to expect to hear the same thing twice. We are ever-evolving. 

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