La Mar Taylor
Born
La Mar C. Taylor

(1990-09-17) September 17, 1990 (age 33)
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
EducationBirchmount Park Collegiate Institute
Occupations
  • Artist
  • creative director
  • entrepreneur
Years active2011–present
Known for
Notable workCreative direction for House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence

La Mar C. Taylor (born September 17, 1990) is a Canadian artist, creative director, and entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of XO Records, and the creative director for the label's primary artist, singer the Weeknd.[1][2] He is also the co-founder of the incubator HXOUSE. He was first recognized for creating the cover for the Weeknd's debut mixtape, House of Balloons, in 2011.[3]

Early life and education

La Mar C. Taylor was born on September 17, 1990, in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, and was raised by his mother. He is of Jamaican descent.[4] He attended Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute, where he met Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye. He dropped out of high school in 2007, and moved to Parkdale, Toronto.[5]

Career

Main article: XO (record label)

Taylor started his career by taking up creative video projects for Tesfaye. In 2011, he created the cover for House of Balloons, by calling in his ex-girlfriend and sneaking into the Ontario College of Art & Design University to gain access to the school's Adobe software.[3][2] He also took charge of creating artistic and visual aspects for the Weeknd's other new projects, Thursday and Echoes of Silence, all of which were released under, XO, where Taylor serves as creative director.[6][7][8] He also manages marketing and branding for Tesfaye, including album artwork and merchandise, and oversees live shows for the singer.[9] His professional relationship with Tesfaye put him on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Music in 2017.[3]

In 2018, Taylor co-founded the incubator, HXOUSE (pronounced "house") with Ahmed Ishmail. Tesfaye is a sleeping partner at the company.[10][11] The facility is a 30,000-square-foot space located near Toronto's waterfront which provides studio rooms and offers equipment needed for recording, designing, and producing at a low cost for young artists.[8][12]

Personal life

Tesfaye is Taylor's best friend. When the two first met in high school during a business class, they immediately bonded over their love for music and creative photography. Tesfaye successfully convinced Taylor to drop out of school with him in 2007.[5]

References

  1. ^ "La Mar Taylor In The Hxouse". www.magzter.com. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
  2. ^ a b Marin, par Sam (2019-10-05). "La Mar Taylor : Secrets de la réussite du directeur créatif de The Weeknd". Esprit Motivation (in French). Retrieved 2020-05-08.
  3. ^ a b c Klich, Tanya. "The Weeknd And Forbes Under 30 Alum La Mar Taylor Launch Hxouse, An Incubator For Toronto's Emerging Artists". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
  4. ^ Bain, Katie (January 28, 2021). "The Weeknd on the Crew That Boosted Him From 'Basically Homeless' to the Super Bowl". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  5. ^ a b Williams, Ryan (March 24, 2017). "Meet La Mar Taylor, The Weeknd's High School Friend Turned Creative Director". Complex. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  6. ^ "Creative Class: La Mar Taylor". Cassius | born unapologetic | News, Style, Culture. 2019-10-22. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
  7. ^ Rattan, Chris (2018-05-24). "The Weeknd's XO crew discuss new creative incubator Hxouse". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
  8. ^ a b "La Mar Taylor introduce "HXOUSE" - A new home for Toronto Artists". Sidedoor Magazine. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
  9. ^ "The Weeknd's Creative Director La Mar Taylor Talks New Project HXOUSE". Highsnobiety. 2018-05-24. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
  10. ^ Witmer, Phil (2018-05-25). "The Weeknd and XO Creative Director La Mar Taylor Launch Toronto Art Space". Vice. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
  11. ^ "Bringing Up the HXOUSE". NUVO. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
  12. ^ "The Weeknd's Creative Director Is Building a Community for Toronto's Emerging Artists". www.adweek.com. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
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