Born in Newham General hospital and raised in Manor Park, East London - walking a path towards becoming a musician wasn’t originally on the cards for Yazmin. She was committed to working with young people. Inspired by the amazing youth workers who had helped support her, Yazmin was intent on being that for others. Yazmin has always been passionate about supporting young people, inspired by the youth workers who once encouraged her. “I’ve always had someone believe in me or shown me an alternative way to live or express myself in life - that’s why I got into this work.” It's taken her to new places: from helping with programming at a Leicester record shop, to working at a youth theatre festival in Amsterdam, and supporting pupils in referral units in Nottingham. Her time at the Nottingham Refugee Forum especially helped build the confidence she now brings to performing. “There’s nothing like standing in front of 20 young people expecting you to lead—it forces you to be creative on the spot. It’s a dif erent way of being creative but I’ve always found that really helpful and inspiring working with human beings who have not yet been totally tainted by the adult world.’ Whilst Yazmin was making strides in the youthwork space, life threw her a sweet curveball when after moving to the midlands for university, she met her then boyfriend who was a music producer. Although he kept pressing her on the idea of singing, outside of a short stint in her church choir she is quick to admit that was never something she dreamt of. But after multiple moments of cajoling and one late night studio session a strong-willed Lacey was finally in the mood to play with her talent. Much like her life, when it comes to music, Yazmin moves on intuition. After feeling less than confident with her first ever gig, she promised that she would never chase a career in music but instead lean on her inner compass to direct her as and when opportunities to perform came along. Although she claims that she came to music ‘late’ (she was 27 when she began her singing career) when listening to earlier songs like ‘90 degrees’ and her latest single ‘Ain’t I Good For You’ they both make brilliant cases for the fact that she wasn’t tardy at all but instead right on time. Yazmin’s journey proves that delay is never denial and there are positives to playing a slower game; ‘I wouldn’t have been able to handle this environment in my early 20’s. It’s good to know I had a sense of self outside of music and I still do now.’ But even when making music wasn’t her primary concern, she did notice that sharing good tunes was a way to inspire community. ‘My family comes together when music is playing’ and pulling people in is a natural gift for Yazmin and her songs are proof that she doesn’t have to physically be in the room to do so. With the notable music titan Questlove declaring he ‘Looooooves Yazmin Lacey’ it’s clear she has the admiration of her peers and this point is further proven by the undeniable success of her honey dipped vocals on Ezra Collective’s ‘God Gave Me Feet For Dancing’ a certified festival classic. Joining the band on stage to perform the hit song on Strictly Come Dancing and Radio 1 Live Lounge has not only been a career highlight for Lacey but has also widened the radius of audience and allowed new listeners to find Lacey’s healthy back catalogue. Whilst working on Teal Dreams, Yazmin also found herself in the midst of a new love of presenting, which saw her start her own radio show ‘Morning Matters’ on Rinse FM. Described as a ‘feel good wake up call’ it’s been a brilliant way for fans to gain insight into what music Lacey is currently enjoying. With guests including Kojey Radical and Katy B, Lacey is excited about the surprise guests still to come. Yet Teal Dreams is here to remind her earlier fan base that they need not worry, her music is still as soul soothing and authentic as ever. Where her debut album ‘Voice Notes’ felt rooted in a specific genre, ‘Teal Dreams’ is not to be tied down. Sonically, Teal Dreams easily oozes the influences of ska and lover’s rock - no doubt encouraged by Lacey’s Caribbean heritage. With tracks like Wallpaper feeling like a late night shoobs and lyrics like ‘Those who don’t hear they must surely feel’ (‘Love is like the ghetto’) reminding us that Yazmin’s music is unmistakably Black with a purposeful capital B, much like her inspirations. The album journeys feelings of completion for Yazmin, with singles such as Rear View “helped tie up loose ends.”, or the realities of relationships that hold more weight than can be taken for granted. While the lens is often magnified on romantic relationships she explores the needs of friendships as she remarks on the topic on the tracks Ribbons and Water to be “truly seen by your friends is everything.”. And it’s that authenticity that clearly informs Lacey’s confidence for taking any sound and making it her own is proven on tracks like ‘NO PROMISES’ which weaves through the speakers like an indie favourite that aligns with our current 90’s nostalgia obsession. A last-minute trip to Thailand really helped shape this album. Given that all her songs are written from real life experiences Yazmin shares how important it is to get quiet and to give space for her ideas to land. Working with talented musicians and producers like Miles James, Barney Lister, Jack Penate and Matt Maltese, Teal Dreams is peeling back the layers and sharing her growth with fans both old and new alike. Whilst she enjoys having a space to be creative Yazmin makes it clear that she is not chasing the validation of all the pomp and pageantry that often comes with being in the music industry. She is a believer that what is for her would never pass her by and given the fact she has had such fast-growing live success (she headlined Village Underground followed by KOKO and also had tracks synced on FIFA and on the Netflix hit ‘Dear White People’ it’s clear that Yazmin is a master at manifesting career wins on her own terms. Crediting Missy Elliot, Little Simz and even the visual artist Danielle McKinney as touchstones. Not just for what they produce but more so the fearless way in which these Black women won’t be pigeonholed by society’s ideals. With three EPs and now two albums under her belt, it’s glaringly obvious that Lacey is paving her own way and every step taken has been intentional and rooted in good feelings. And although she doesn’t need a confidence boost, she shares that her favourite feedback from her fans is that her music allows them to see themselves as it in turn makes her feel seen too. But with Teal Dreams we don’t just hear and see her, we also feel a change in Lacey’s vibration; one that she’s keen to highlight ‘With songs like Two Steps and Ain’t I good for you, you can tell I’m much more assertive on this album to go from ‘oh - he didn’t want me - to no sorry, are alright in your head?!’ She cackles I remember when I made morning matters, and it was more uplifting and everything before it had been more chaotic and I remember thinking right, everyone just going be like, Oh, now she's a bit happier has the writing gone south?’ But at this point in her career Lacey is clear that she is comfortable being seen as multifaceted. She is comfortable being herself. ‘I'm like…No. Everyone else gets to have all these forms of expressions so whatever I choose to write or whatever I choose to pick out of my life right now is an of ering, and that's all right. And given how reflective, candid and vibrant Teal Dreams is, it’s an offering that her fans; past, future and present will gladly accept. Speaking of society’s ideals, it would be remiss not to add that Yazmin continuously showing up in a space that typically only makes room for women who are deemed as commercially beautiful by western beauty standards, is a defiant and powerful act. A voluptuous beauty with deep mahogany skin, a halo of natural hair and a chic gap between her front teeth, Yazmin effortlessly represents women, who don’t often get to see themselves celebrated, be that on stage or in real life. Although it’s not her intention many of her female fans gravitate towards Lacey because she reminds them to be authentically themselves. Teal Dreams welcomes listeners into Yazmin’s world—one that embraces joy, truth and the beauty of being seen