Lord T & Eloise Featuring Mister E= Rich Kid Rap

"We're kind of meshing today's decadence with old-school decadence," said powder-wigged Cameron 'Lord Treadwell' Mann. Bandmate Robert 'Maurice Eloise' Anthony (left) is clad in gold to suggest a rich history of inbreeding, while the other guy, MysterE, remains true to his name and question mark.


Think of every rapper you've even seen or heard, and then imagine something completely different. Meet (from left) Eloise, MysterE and Lord T.

Lord T and Eloise brings bizarre twist of well-heeled braggadocio to genre's 25over-the-top arrogance

By Michael Donahue

Instead of the baggy jeans, platinum medallions and icy-white T-shirts and sneakers favored by most rappers, members of Lord T and Eloise wear pantaloons, long hose, buckle shoes and tuxedos.

The group, which debuts Saturday night at the Hi-Tone, doesn't sing about how hard it was growing up in the hood; their aristo-crunk rhymes are about fine wines, Louis Quatorze furniture, Sotheby's auctions and shopping at the Guggenheim museum.

"It's stuff that was never meant to be in rap, really," said Cameron 'Lord Treadwell' Mann, 29, who sports a curly-white wig, ruffled shirt, broad coat and other 18th Century aristocratic attire. "Rap is like blues music. It's about the struggles, about the streets. I think that's one thing people have fun with: 'How can these guys be rapping about this stuff? It's ridiculous.' "

Their songs, including "I'm Rich," "Priceless," "Cashmere," "Designer Things" and "Gold Suede Shoes," will be included on an upcoming CD along with contributions by rappers Al Kapone and FreeSol, singer Muck Sticky and opera/pop singer Kallen Esperian.

Kapone, who is featured on "Million Dollar Boots," said, "They're bringing fun to the music game, but at the same time they're bringing quality. It feels good, it sounds good, they're entertaining and you gotta respect it."

FreeSol, who is on "Black Limousine," said, "I think it's really creative. It's something fresh. I think it's funny stories and silly, but it also has a kind of serious, more up-to-date type of music behind it, too."

Lord T and Eloise member Robert 'Maurice Eloise' Anthony, 29, wears gold paint, a tux and his hair in gold curlers. "We're rapping from the perspective of people who've been educated in private schools, have been cultured since they were children, been given all the finer things.

"Rap is a very arrogant form of music. It takes pride in itself for being a big braggadocio. (But) Some of the most arrogant people in the world are rich people, so there is something that meets there. You can brag about getting shot, but you (also) can brag about really having a profound understanding of world history."

Mann describes his character as "an insane version of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I wear period clothing. It's definitely derivative of Marquis de Sade's style. It's kind of frou frou."

Anthony's character, who is Lord T's twin brother, is "a mutation from a really wealthy family," he said. "They're so rich (that) after years of breeding they had twins and one of them was gold."

"I like to describe you as 'human currency,'" Mann said. "It's perfect that we're these kind of 18th Century aristocrats because if you look at the videos today, throwing money up in the air and cars and everything, it's so decadent and just about money and what you have. If you think about the Imperial aristocracy at that time, it was the same thing. It was through-the-roof excess and decadence. So, we're kind of meshing today's decadence with old-school decadence."

MysterE, who doesn't reveal his identity, is the third member of the group. "I'm probably the most hip-hop," he said. "I just wear a jump suit. And it might be a big mustache, a mask, a top hat. I have white gloves and a conductor's stick."

All the members of Lord T and Eloise are from upper middle class Memphis families. MysterE, who graduated from Rhodes, and Mann, who graduated from Tulane, are graduates of Memphis University School. Anthony, who graduated from American University, went to prep school at Groton near Boston. "We've done what every rapper does -- take their situation, taken who they are and embellished it to be more impressive," said Anthony.

Lord T and Eloise evolved from raps Anthony, Mann and MysterE sent each other on their computers at work. "We were just joke rapping about random stuff -- corporate life and stuff like that," Anthony said.

While interning at Young Avenue Sound, owned by Mann's dad, MysterE persuaded the recording studio executives to buy an MPC, a sequencer used in rap production. He, Anthony and Mann began experimenting with the machine. They came up with the Lord T and Eloise mythology and began writing raps.

MysterE, who is in several Memphis bands, coached the other guys in rapping. He's "definitely been the maestro of this whole thing," Mann said. "It wouldn't have been able to happen were it not for him because he engineers, put us through rapper boot camp."

Elliott Ives produced and engineered all but three songs, which were produced and engineered by Mario Burks.

Mann, MysterE and Anthony contributed rhymes to the songs. "Drastically Plastic" is about "plastic surgery in excess," Anthony said. The song begins, "I have seven faces for each day of the week. I've got nips and tucks and things to tweak. Riding these waves of the future, I wear my new skin like it's fine couture."

"Million Dollar Boots" is a "shout out to arms for all our peeps," Anthony said. The song begins, "To all my high-class gentlemen wearing suits, stand up. To the women in the million dollar boots, stand up. To the who's who, come on. We want to see ya. The world wants to be ya. Stand up."

They've gotten more than 17,000 plays for their songs on their myspace sight, http://www.myspace.com/lordtandeloise. "I get messages like, 'Are you guys really rich?' from 16-year-old girls in Texas," said Mann.

"A lot of people like the voices," MysterE said. "Like Lord T's voice is so snooty and so wrong people love it."

A limited edition pressing of their upcoming album will be available at Saturday's show. And, Mann said, Lord T and Eloise is planning to serve a special cocktail -- "French '75 champagne with chambord or something like that" in pimp cups decorated with rhinestones.

Scenestars Live! Lord T & Eloise Featuring Mister E - Million Dollar Boots




Lord T & Eloise on Myspace