Bio

Ben Lasky adopted the moniker Quadeca during preschool recess in an attempt to name his imaginary superhero alter-ego. By the age of ten, he had taken on the heroic task that would become the central focus of his multi-hyphenate creative career: building one-of-a-kind worlds through self-produced music and visuals.

Now 24 years old, Quadeca has garnered over half a billion streams and views, attracting an intense, cult-like audience that obsessively theorizes and analyzes his work communally. His first forays into concept albums, Voice Memos and From Me to You, made impressive debuts across streaming platforms—especially notable for an independent musician.

In response to this early success, Lasky turned his attention toward achieving artistic greatness, focusing on the craftsmanship of his LPs and stepping away from his viral YouTube roots, where his channel had amassed nearly two million subscribers.

In 2022, the release of his spectral and impressionistic album I Didn’t Mean to Haunt You marked a watershed moment. With contributions from Danny Brown, Thor Harris of Swans, and the Sunday Service Choir, the fully self-produced project was accompanied by a film and received widespread acclaim from fans and critics alike. The album topped many year-end lists and won over influential critic Anthony Fantano (theneedledrop), who named the lead single “Born Yesterday” the 7th best song of 2022.

The release spurred intense discourse about the validity and evolution of multimedia creators in the internet age—a conversation that only grew louder with the arrival of his 2024 mixtape SCRAPYARD. A genre-bending blend of experimental hip hop, neo-psychedelia, alternative R&B, pop, bossa nova, and indie rock, SCRAPYARD was marketed as a collection of “leftovers” yet became his most celebrated release to date. It earned a coveted 9/10 score from Fantano and currently holds the #28 spot on RateYourMusic’s highest-rated mixtapes of all time.

Lasky’s recent collaborators include Danny Brown, Kevin Abstract, Lil Nas X, brakence, and Sky Ferreira. Looking ahead to 2025, Quadeca has set his sights on the rollout of Vanisher, Horizon Scraper—a sailor-themed concept album that has stirred cultish anticipation since its title was revealed during his performance with Kevin Abstract at Coachella. In recent interviews, Quadeca has described Vanisher as his “most musically ambitious album,” promising listeners: “There’s never been anything like it.”