Ezekiel Shem Asuk Lasbury, known professionally as EZ-Q Universe, is a Nigerian-born independent UK based hip-hop artist, rapper, producer, and lawyer. Born on October 15th, 1978, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, he is the son of the late Honorable Chief Shem Ezekiel Asuk, a prominent Nigerian legislator, and the late Mrs. Helen Shem Lasbury-Asuk, a medical practitioner based in New York City.

Early Life and Education

EZ-Q Universe relocated to the Bronx, New York, in 1981, where he attended elementary and part of his high school before returning to Nigeria in 1992. His formative years were spent in areas like the Bronx, Spanish Harlem, and Queens, where he excelled academically and showcased exceptional talent in acting.

He began his musical journey at the age of 14, starting to rap in 1992 but did not release any music until 2018. His educational journey includes pursuing mechanical engineering at the Federal University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, before shifting to law. He obtained an LLB honors magna cum laude from the University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, between 2003 and 2006.

Career

EZ-Q Universe's foray into music production began through his childhood friend, Bibi Lawrence, also a lawyer, who introduced him to FL Studio in 2008. While tutoring Bibi in law, he received guidance in musical production, igniting his passion for creating music.

He remains an independent artist, refusing to sign with any label due to his legal insights into the industry. His debut release, "Soulvolution" in 2018, achieved over 500k streams on Spotify without major promotional efforts. He has since released several EP albums, including "Souled Out" (2021), "The Soul Lounge" (2021), and "Funkalogic" (2021), in addition to over 50 singles.

Musical Style and Influence

EZ-Q Universe draws inspiration from the Native Tongues collective and experiments with various genres within hip-hop music. He distinguishes himself from traditional East Coast hip-hop producers by using original musical samples not subject to third-party copyright ownership. His style blends a 90s vibe with modern sonic sound production and engineering. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.