French recording artist Lord Ivan doesn’t mind taking a gamble. In fact whether it comes to pushing the envelope and experimenting with his music, or playing cards (he’s a professional poker player who participates in major poker tournaments worldwide), or owning multinational corporations that deal in luxury items, he’s equally at ease. You name it, yachts, jets, sitting at a card table in a casino or standing behind the microphone in the recording studio he’s certainly well connected to them all. I guess you could say he’s part Renaissance man with a dash of international playboy thrown in for good measure. 
Currently he’s released two singles that have already landed on the hip-hop radio charts. “Looka”, the first of the two, is a chill tempo bass heavy number that allows Lord Ivan (https://www.facebook.com/lordivanblessed/) plenty of opportunities to demonstrate his lyrical skills and talent using clever wordplay. His flow is clean and crisp as he ducks and weaves between the beats like a prizefighter going for the title who scores that powerhouse knockout right before the end bell of the first round can sound.
“Chips”, the follow up to “Looka”, rhythmically and instrumentally has the same laid back and textured vibe as his debut tune, but here he pulls the proverbial rabbit out of his hat by shifting gears and switches from English to French, then back to English again. It’s an unexpectedly nice touch that helps Lord Ivan stand out and apart from other rappers in the game. The message I’m reading from these two early releases from his still untitled and upcoming album is that this crafty maverick has his sights set on giving the entertainment business a complete makeover.
In case you’re wondering, Lord Ivan is an actual Lord. Having the blessing from the Prince of the Khmer Kingdom, rightful descendant of the legendary Mu Empire, he is additionally affiliated with royal families across Europe, Asia and Africa. So, his title is genuine and those bona fides are as real as you can get. If you’re interested in seeing if he holds his own on stage as well as he does in the studio’s vocal booth he’ll be part of Nelly’s Canadian Promo Tour, so and you can enjoy performances by the both of them if you’re in Montreal, Canada appearing at the legendary L’Olympia Theater in March. From what I’ve heard so far from Lord Ivan I believe that it’s a show you wouldn’t want to miss.
