Marc Rebillet
Rebillet performing in a YouTube video
Rebillet performing in a YouTube video
Background information
Also known asLoop Daddy, leae
Born (1988-12-15) December 15, 1988 (age 35)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Genreselectronic, house, disco, experimental, rhythm and blues, funk, blue-eyed soul, comedy,
Occupation(s)Electronic musician, YouTuber
Instrument(s)Vocals, loop station, piano
Years active2016–present
Websitemarcrebillet.com
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2016–present
GenreMusic
Subscribers2.36 million[1]
Total views209.34 million[1]
100,000 subscribers2018
1,000,000 subscribers2020
Last updated: 20 Jan 2024

Marc Rebillet (French pronunciation: [ʁəbijɛ]; born December 15, 1988) is an American electronic musician and YouTuber from Dallas, Texas, currently based in New York City. Rebillet is known for his improvised funk and hip-hop electronic music with free flowing, humorous lyrics.[2] Rebillet distributes his work primarily through YouTube videos and Twitch live streams using a loop station, keyboard, vocals and percussion instruments to produce his songs in his apartment. He has released three studio albums under his legal name: Marc Rebillet, Europe, and Loop Daddy III; two extended play records (Loop Daddy and Loop Daddy II), and three projects under his "leae" moniker: Pod 314, the Rattlebrain EP, and the week | ep.

Early life

Rebillet's father was French and his mother is from South Carolina. His parents met in Paris. Rebillet started playing piano at age four; he studied classical music until age 15 while attending Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas.[3]

In 2007, Rebillet first went viral after being interviewed on Fox 4 in Dallas while lining up to be the first to buy an iPhone during its initial release. A woman paid Rebillet $800 for his spot in the front of the line, attempting to buy many phones to resell. The plan backfired because the store's policy only allowed one iPhone sale per customer. The video of the encounter received 4.7 million views.[4][5][6]

Rebillet dropped out of Southern Methodist University after studying acting for a year. During the next decade, Rebillet worked as a server, an executive assistant, and in a corporate call center while producing music under the name "leae." Rebillet moved to New York City in 2011 and back to Dallas in 2014 to care for his father, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.[7][8][5]

In 2016, Rebillet claimed on Reddit to have discovered an alleged unreleased 1998 Sufjan Stevens album in a dumpster outside record label Asthmatic Kitty's studios in Dumbo, Brooklyn, in 2014. A representative from the label who responded to the post was unable to confirm the album's authenticity, but requested that Rebillet not share it. A few hours later, Rebillet proceeded to upload the album and share it on 4chan.[9] In an interview with Stereogum the next day, he expressed regret for disrespecting the label's wishes, but stated he wanted to let the album be preserved online. When asked if the album was possibly a hoax, Rebillet responded, "I have neither the time nor the desire to prove its authenticity."[10]

Career

Online streaming

Rebillet performing at BrainDead Brewing in Dallas, Texas

Rebillet's professional music career began in 2016, when he began publishing YouTube videos (dubbed "Idealogues" by Rebillet)[11] and live streams of himself improvising songs in his bedroom, apartment, and hotel rooms,[12][13] often while dancing in his boxer briefs. These videos began to go viral through Reddit and Facebook, generating a fan base, and earning Rebillet tips. Many of Rebillet's songs are inspired by live requests from his fans, who call him on a phone number that he posts on social media, or comment during the live stream.[14] Rebillet's sessions can last from one to five hours. The content of the streams varies widely, from romance and sex to more frivolous topics, such as snacking.[15]

Marc's first paid performance was at the Festicle beer fest at the now-closed BrainDead Brewing in Deep Ellum, where Marc had previously waited tables. The brewpub owners also offered Marc a weekly Sunday brunch residency, which he maintained for eight months in addition to his regular appearances at other Dallas bars The Common Table and Twilite Lounge. After determining that Dallas was not giving him the reception he wanted he moved back to New York City, and after two months of performing at dive bars he secured a booking agent and two sold out tours.[16]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rebillet's tour of Australia and New Zealand was cancelled and subsequently rescheduled for early 2021.[17] In place of the cancelled shows, he scheduled four free live stream shows on Twitch named for four cities on the cancelled tour. He called this collection of shows the "Quarantine Livestream Tour," with the first show attracting over 1.57 million viewers and raising over $34,000 for coronavirus-related charity.[18][19][20] Explaining why he chose the streaming platform, Rebillet told The Verge, "I'm just trying to survive, and Twitch has the highest earning potential for livestreams."[21]

Also related to the pandemic, Rebillet recorded a song, called "Essential Workers Anthem," dedicated to essential workers, to thank them for their work.[15] Discussing the song for the Boston Herald, Jed Gottlieb wrote that "the tune he built in a minute had more moxie and magic than anything on the recent lo-fi network TV concerts".[22]

On December 9, 2020, in anticipation of hitting one million YouTube subscribers, Rebillet streamed live during and after hitting the milestone. He used the stream as an opportunity to donate to multiple charities.[23][24]

Rebillet has performed streams with Erykah Badu, Reggie Watts, Emily King, DJ Premier, Brady Watt, Flying Lotus, Madison McFerrin, Harry Mack, and Wayne Brady.

In June 2021, Rebillet starred in a television commercial for German supermarket chain Edeka. The lighthearted commercial shows him creating music in the market by playing the produce and food products as musical instruments.[25]

As of August 2021, Rebillet has 11.8 million online streams of his music, more than 2 million YouTube subscribers, and over 127 million YouTube views.[26]

Rebillet was the host of a biweekly series "We've Got Company" that streamed on Twitch in early 2022, featuring Rebillet along with musical guests. Guests during the first season included Erykah Badu, Wyclef Jean, Tokimonsta, Alison Wonderland, Reggie Watts and Tenacious D.[27]

Live performances

Rebillet performing in Dublin in 2019

His first live shows took place in 2017 in bars in his native Dallas, Texas.[12] He subsequently moved to New York to further develop his music career. Describing how his online presence quickly increased his fanbase, Rebillet told an interviewer:

It happened very, very quickly...the whole online thing just took off in this very aggressive way. Like, people around the world just started sharing my stuff on Facebook primarily, and my audience on Facebook went from 7,000 or 10,000 followers to, within a week or two, 50,000. Then it was 100,000. And it just kept climbing! And with that spike came all of these booking requests from all over the world that I really had no clue how to deal with or what to do with.[8]

Starting in 2019, Rebillet has performed on tours in the United States and Europe, and ticket sales have become his primary source of revenue.[28][21] Rebillet's live shows are energetic, interactive, and almost entirely improvised, with very little material being repeated from show to show. Explaining his approach to performance, Rebillet said, "I think up a couple of ideas, make some observations through the day, think of something that's germane to the crowd I'm playing to, I use those things as seedlings for song ideas."[29] The Dublin Gazette called Rebillet "a man who's thoughtful far beyond his output. A considered artist, having fun."[29] The Irish Examiner called Rebillet a "DJ/comedian/one-person emotional meltdown" and called his live performance "unnerving and very engaging".[30] Tyler Hicks of the Dallas Observer said that "few performers can match the zealous intensity".[3]

In 2021, Rebillet embarked on the "Third Dose" tour, which included major American music festivals, such as Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits Music Festival and Lollapalooza.[5]

In 2023, Rebillet performed at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival.[31][32]

In the summer of 2023, Rebillet started "We Outside," a series of live streamed performances in unannounced public places across New York City, such as Union Square and McCarren Park.

Drive-In Concert Tour

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, in which all concerts were cancelled, Rebillet scheduled a "drive-in concert tour" in June 2020, in which he performed at twelve shows at eight drive-in theaters in the United States while attendees watch from their cars and listen over a local radio frequency.[33][34] The objective of these performances was to remain in compliance with social distancing regulations. In place of opening acts, short films were shown. Explaining how he planned to perform, Rebillet told CNN, "Since everyone is going to be forced to be in their cars, I'll be able to do a lot of running around, 'interacting' with the audience, just by doing my thing."[35] The tour was called the first of its kind in the United States, and was generally sold-out, grossing $523,000 with 12,132 attendees. Rebillet reached more fans on the drive-in tour than he would have on a comparable tour of indoor venues.[20][36][37][26][5]

Awards and recognition

In August 2019, Billboard named Rebillet as a "Billboard Dance Emerging Artist", writing that Rebillet creates "sexy hooks", "sensual R&B burners", and "hip-hop-tinged funk creations".[38]

In December 2019, Shacknews awarded Rebillet the "Do it for Shacknews Award 2019," saying that he rose to a "surprising level of Internet notoriety" in 2019. Shacknews CEO Asif Khan wrote: "The popularity of his very experimental style to creating music is inspiring to the countless part-time studio musicians who are out there on the Internet. Marc's ability to build a community has lead [sic] to pockets of cheerleaders appearing all over the place these days."[39]

In 2020, Clubbing TV named Rebillet No. 2 on its list of the top 40 live streaming DJs, saying, "No one can make you laugh and dance like Marc Rebillet."[40]

Music

Rebillet's music is defined by his use of a Boss RC-505 loop station, which allows him to layer his voice with keyboards, tambourines, and other hand percussion instruments. Most of his songs are improvised, and include elements of funk, soul, hip hop, and house music, as well as comedy skits. Nick Pagano described Rebillet's music as ranging "from soulful serenading piano ballads to funky bass licks to downright club bangers, and is always accompanied by his unique sense of humor".[41] His lyrics tend to be comical, silly, or vulgar, enough so that he has been referred to as a comedian. Rebillet's "goofy", "nerdy", yet "earnest" personality plays a role in his popularity.[7]

Speaking about the lyrical content of Rebillet's songs, WBUR's Tonya Mosley said, "they’re actually really insightful. It’s sort of like social commentary."[14]

Rebillet has mentioned Reggie Watts, Nina Simone, Madlib, and James Blake as sources of inspiration.[12] Speaking about Reggie Watts, Rebillet has said, "I would not be doing this if he didn’t exist."[8]

Media

In 2021, Architectural Digest published a feature on Rebillet's apartment in Lower Manhattan. Carly Olson praised Rebillet's style and "killer eye for design", writing that his "light and airy two-bedroom apartment in Lower Manhattan is clean and pristine, featuring statement art, vintage finds, and even a couple trophy pieces that’ll give true furniture nerds hearts in their eyes." The apartment contains furniture by Ligne Roset and Pierre Paulin, and art by Verner Panton and Jack Youngerman.[42]

On September 10, 2021, Rebillet threw out the ceremonial first pitch in a Major League Baseball game in St. Louis, Missouri, between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds.[43]

Discography

Solo albums

  • Marc Rebillet (2018)[44]
  • Europe (2019)[45]
  • Loop Daddy III (2020)[46]

Extended plays

  • Loop Daddy (2018)[47]
  • Loop Daddy II (2019)[48]

Singles

  • Funk Emergency (2019)[49]
  • One More Time (2019)[50]
  • You Were There (2019)
  • Work That Ass For Daddy (2019)
  • Vaccinated Attitude (2021)

As lead

  • Pod 314 (with USooME) (2012)[51]
  • Rattlebrain EP (2013)[52]
  • week | ep (2013)[53]

Filmography

Year Name Role Notes
2019 Sway in the Morning Guest Marc Rebillet Creates Music Live with Special Guest Rico Love | Sway's Universe [1]
2020 Your Mom's House Self Your Mom's House Podcast – Ep. 576 [2]
2020 The Cave Self – Guest The Cave: Season 2 – Episode 11 [3]
2020 H3 Podcast Self H3 Podcast No. 191 [4]
2021 The Carlos Watson Show Self Season 2 Episode 50 [5]
2021 The Kids Tonight Show Self Season 1 Episode 16
2022 We've Got Company! Self – Host https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19733062/?ref_=nm_flmg_slf_2
2022 Disgraceland Self Disgraceland Talks with Marc Rebillet [6]
2023 80 for Brady DJ
2024 After Midnight Guest Super Bowl special halftime show
2024 Ricky Stanicky Himself Filmed during his Melbourne show in 2023

References

  1. ^ a b "About Marc Rebillet". YouTube.
  2. ^ O'Reilly, Seamas (January 22, 2019). "Is Marc Rebillet the funniest man on the planet right now?". The Irish Times. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Hicks, Tyler (September 27, 2019). "Marc Rebillet Discusses Returning to His Native Dallas After Becoming an International Artist". Dallas Observer. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  4. ^ "Woman's plan to get rich quick blows up in her face". Wimp.com. February 2, 2009.
  5. ^ a b c d Perkins, Nichole (August 17, 2021). "They Call Him Loop Daddy". Vulture. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  6. ^ Last years iPhone Release Some Lady gets burned, retrieved March 4, 2024
  7. ^ a b Jones, Christopher (August 1, 2019). "Viral sensation Marc Rebillet on touring the world with his "insane" new job". DublinLive. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  8. ^ a b c Freedman, Pete (September 18, 2019). "[Q&A] Marc Rebillet Is Wildin' His Way To The Top". Central Track. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  9. ^ "A Reddit user found an unreleased Sufjan Stevens album called "Stalker" in a bin". diymag.com. July 8, 2016.
  10. ^ "An Interview With The Guy Who Says He Found An Unreleased Album In Sufjan Stevens' Dumpster". Stereogum.com. July 7, 2016.
  11. ^ "Idealogue - YouTube". YouTube.
  12. ^ a b c Roberts, Joe (November 6, 2018). "Get to know: Marc Rebillet". DJMag. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  13. ^ Lindsey, Craig (March 6, 2020). "Dallas comedian/musician Marc Rebillet sets internet on fire with racy track". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  14. ^ a b Mosley, Tonya (March 9, 2020). "Musician Marc Rebillet Wants To Make You Laugh — And Maybe Buy A Robe". WBUR. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  15. ^ a b Thomas, Dexter (April 28, 2020). "Marc Rebillet Played His 'Essential Workers Anthem' Live for Us (Including the Swears)". Vice. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  16. ^ "Electronic Provocateur Marc Rebillet Returns Home to Dallas with an International Following".
  17. ^ Bruce, Jasper (March 30, 2020). "Marc Rebillet reschedules Australian tour dates". NME. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  18. ^ Bruce, Jasper (March 16, 2020). "Marc Rebillet announces Quarantine Livestream Tour". NME. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  19. ^ Knopper, Steve (March 26, 2020). "How Artists Can Stay Afloat Amid the Coronavirus Crisis". Billboard. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  20. ^ a b Borba, Ryan (May 5, 2020). "Marc Rebillet's 'Drive-In Concert Tour' To Hit Multiple Cities, Kicking Off In June". Pollstar. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  21. ^ a b Deahl, Dani (March 19, 2020). "Tours are canceled, so musicians are turning to Twitch". The Verge. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  22. ^ Gottlieb, Jed (April 26, 2020). "Indie acts perfectly suited to low-budget, online concerts". Boston Herald. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  23. ^ "Marc Rebillet Announces Marathon Stream For Charity". This Song Is Sick. December 8, 2020.
  24. ^ Stone, Katie (December 9, 2020). "Marc Rebillet is Streaming Live—Nonstop—Until He Reaches 1 Million YouTube Subscribers". EDM.com – The Latest Electronic Dance Music News, Reviews & Artists.
  25. ^ Scilippa, Phil (July 1, 2021). "Watch Marc Rebillet Perform Using Fruit in a Zany German Commercial". Edm.com – the Latest Electronic Dance Music News, Reviews & Artists. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  26. ^ a b Frankenberg, Eric (July 2, 2020). "Marc Rebillet Quadruples His Reach With Drive-In Concert Tour". Billboard. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  27. ^ Gonzalez, Alex (June 8, 2022). "Marc Rebillet, Now a Star on Twitch, Found Viral Fame 'Bizarre'". Dallas Observer. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  28. ^ Hicks, Tyler (April 12, 2019). "Electronic Provocateur Marc Rebillet Returns Home to Dallas With an International Following". Dallas Observer. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  29. ^ a b Hendicott, James (July 25, 2019). "Marc Rebillet: The funnyman with a serious side, balanced by brilliance". Dublin Gazette. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  30. ^ Power, Ed (August 9, 2019). "Beatyard review: A convenient and mud-free setting with some great music". Irish Examiner. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  31. ^ "Coachella 2023 Full Lineup Announced". Pitchfork. January 10, 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  32. ^ Yopko, Nick (April 18, 2023). "Watch Marc Rebillet's Coachella 2023 Set, the Most Chaotic of Weekend 1". EDM.com – The Latest Electronic Dance Music News, Reviews & Artists. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
  33. ^ Rowley, Glenn (May 19, 2020). "List of Drive-In Concerts in Wake of Coronavirus". Billboard. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  34. ^ Borba, Ryan (June 3, 2020). "Marc Rebillet: The 'Loop Daddy' Improvises An Innovative Post-Corona Touring Model". Pollstar. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  35. ^ Ries, Brian (May 7, 2020). "Marc Rebillet, electronic dance artist, plots first known US tour at drive-in theaters". CNN. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  36. ^ Rossignol, Derrick (May 6, 2020). "The US Is Getting Its First Drive-In Concert Tour". UPROXX. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  37. ^ Steele, Anne (July 5, 2020). "With No Summer Concerts, It's Garth Brooks at the Drive-In". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  38. ^ Bein, Kat (August 6, 2019). "Billboard Dance Emerging Artists: August 2019". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
  39. ^ Khan, Asif (December 31, 2019). "Do it for Shacknews Award 2019 – Marc Rebillet". Shacknews. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  40. ^ "Top 40 Live Streaming DJs". Clubbing TV. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  41. ^ Pagano, Nick (October 14, 2019). "Marc Rebillet put on a one-of-its-kind performance at The Rex Theater". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  42. ^ Olson, Carly (March 18, 2021). "Musician Marc Rebillet's Manhattan Apartment Is Sleek, Sexy, and a Little Nerdy". Architectural Digest. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  43. ^ "2021 Busch Stadium Homestand Highlights No. 11". MLB.com. September 6, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  44. ^ "Marc Rebillet", Spotify, retrieved July 8, 2019
  45. ^ "Europe", Spotify, retrieved September 9, 2019
  46. ^ "Loop Daddy III" – via open.spotify.com.
  47. ^ "Loop Daddy", Spotify, retrieved July 8, 2019
  48. ^ "Loop Daddy II", Spotify, retrieved July 8, 2019
  49. ^ "Funk Emergency", Spotify, retrieved September 9, 2019
  50. ^ "One More Time", Spotify, retrieved September 9, 2019
  51. ^ "POD 314", Soundcloud, retrieved September 25, 2019
  52. ^ "Rattlebrain EP", Bandcamp, retrieved September 25, 2019
  53. ^ "week ep", Bandcamp, retrieved September 25, 2019

External links