This cat has consistently made dope production after dope production. It sucks that a lot of people are still sleeping on him, but it is what it is I suppose. I mean, a Harvard graduate at the age of 19, musician, songwriter, rapper, businessman, and early adopter of using Social Media as a means to really gain a fan base. What more can you say about that dude? I really get inspired from people that are truly passionate about the stuff they do, and aren't afraid to show it.
I can't even imagine how many times I probably watched "Ryan Leslie Makes Addiction". For me, the producers are probably the most inspiring. I love the emcees no doubt, but when I see a really hot production go from nothing to something magical, that inspires me. I remember first hearing Diamond Girl...actually, scratch that. I remember first hearing Ryan Leslie remix "Lollipop" by Lil Wayne..just hearing how he was matching the keys up, and fell right on the tempo and made it a beautiful piece of art just with a keyboard. I was like, "Wow, who is this cat? He's nice!!". Then a few months later, I'm watching MTV Jams, and "Diamond Girl" is the Jam of the Week. The production was cool, but the throwback to the Ed Sullivan Show for the video...it truly captivated me.
Then after I saw the making of "Addiction" I was sold. Not only did he have the passion for it, show us how he made it, he edited the video, engineered the song, and put it out there HIMSELF! I was like, "Wow, that's incredible!!". People are still sleeping on him..it's so whack, but you know what he will be a big artist just as big as he is a producer one day. Just like with blogging, I still get doubts, but I know I'll be really successful, and be able to turn this into a true living. Nearly 2 years, and I'm still here. Anyway, check a few of the clips that inspired me:
