Che Noir

Che Noir is a Buffalo, New York-based emcee and producer who delivers strong, uncompromisingly direct lyrics over production inspired by mid-'90s East Coast rap. Albums such as 2020's As God Intended (with Apollo Brown) and 2022's Food for Thought demonstrate her range of styles and techniques, from nostalgic reminiscences to crime-driven narratives. Marche Lashawn was born in Buffalo in 1994, and grew up listening to rappers like Foxy Brown, Jay-Z, and the Notorious B.I.G. A friend taught her how to make beats while she was in high school, and she started rapping soon afterward. She began taking music seriously when she was 21, building recording studios in Buffalo and Niagara Falls to work on her first songs, and releasing her debut mixtape, Poetic Thoughts, in 2016. After connecting with the storied Griselda Records crew, she recorded the track "Tyson" with Benny the Butcher in 2017. She also began working with Rochester-based rapper/producer 38 Spesh, appearing on his 2018 Kool G Rap collaboration (Son of G Rap) as well as his solo releases. 38 Spesh produced Noir's 2018 release The Thrill of the Hunt and its 2019 sequel, as well as 2020's Juno. She worked with Detroit producer Apollo Brown on her second album of 2020, As God Intended, which was issued by Mello Music Group and included guest appearances by Black Thought (the Roots), Skyzoo, and Planet Asia. Her EP After 12 appeared at the end of the year. She released the self-produced album Food for Thought in early 2022. Noir produced Jynx716's EP Careful What You Wish For. Later in 2022, Noir released the live EP Poetic Sounds and The Last Remnants, which included tracks like "Wash the Dishes" with Benny the Butcher and "Bidding War" with Ransom. A compilation of sorts, parts of the release were recorded in early 2020 as well as during the Food for Thought sessions. ~ Paul Simpson, Rovi