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NEWS
07
ICYMI: GET TO KNOW IZZY LEE
KELLY CORDINGLEY @KellyCordingley
Mac Miller and Cody Simpson are just some of the artists Izzy Lee, 21, has toured with.
Lee's first song was a hit on the radio station Hot 103 Jamz 103.3 FM and he had already been offered a record deal in the U.K. before he had even graduated high school. His resume of accomplishments is only the beginning.
After positive reaction from radio listeners, Lee sent his song "True Love Story" to producer Toby Gad who flew him to L.A. to work with singer Jessica Jarell. Since then, Lee has worked with various artists and began modeling and acting. Moving forward, Lee said deciding where he wants to take his music is the hard-
wants to take his music is the hardest part.
"It's complicated," he said. "I've been thinking about it a lot. I've had so many opportunities that came and went because I thought too long."
In addition to holding down a job and working on his music for his label, Lee is also striving be the first
in his family to graduate from college. He said he turned down a deal from Vibe Entertainment in the U.K.in order to stay in school.
"I would have had to quit school and that is one big thing with me," he said. "I can always continue with music. I'm graduating next year, so I'll have more than enough time and more knowledge to write about."
Lee said having a strong work ethic built up in college is crucial to knowing how to persevere in the difficult music industry.
"That's what I want to be about," he said. "Education is a big part of it; it builds you up."
Lee has stuck with his passion even when times were tough, from dry spells in writing music to no call-backs while still learning how to balance all he has taken on. His mother, Angie Lee, said she's proud of how her son handles the trials that come from being in the music business.
"The opportunities I've had, I'm very excited for, but I'm hungrier for more."
"I love the way he handles setbacks,"she said. "He
pushes through and doesn't linger on them; it's part of life. He rolls with it. I'm glad I was able to have a hand in instilling that. He sets his mind to do something, and he makes it happen."
She said she always knew he was talented but never expected music to be what her son wanted to pursue in the long run.
"I thought it was like all little boys who stand in front of the mirror with his mic," she said. "It became a passion for him, and I realized it was more than playing in the mirror. I really don't think he has a cap. The sky's the limit."
IZZY LEE
Rapper, Performer
Lee's barber, Otis Johnson from Shawnee, has known Lee for eight years and shares similar sentiments. Johnson compared Lee to artists like Drake and J. Cole and said Lee is one of the most talented young men he's met, both musically and personality-wise.
"He has such a wide range of abilities," Johnson said. "He's extremely talented. A lot of people are into electronic stuff instead of a real art form. He's a true artist. You get a lot of artists who all talk about their work and their success, but he's so humble. I can't say humble enough." While Lee said he's grateful to his
fans and for all the opportunities he's had, he said he knows he has to stay grounded to make it in this competitive business.
"It makes me hungry because I've been told before that my songs are at a point where they need to be higher in acclaim because they sound like artists that you see at the Grammys or something like that," Lee said. "The opportunities I've had, I'm very excited for, but I'm hungrier for more."
Lee's mother said the example he sets for his two younger sisters and the way he carries himself at a young age is enough to make any mother proud.
"For such a young man to have learned balance at such a young age, I'm so proud of him," she said. "As long as you can maintain balance, your life can be on an even field. I raised him to be a man, and I'm very proud of the man he is today."
EDITOR'S NOTE: This portion of this article ran in a previous edition of the Kansan.
IZZY LEE FROM PAGE 06
Lee said he anticipates he'll have to struggle as an up-and-coming artist moving to Los Angeles next year, but he'll persevere through it.
"The best advice I received is one thing I heard from a mentor of mine, a professor in COMS 301, and also from Mark Cuban, owner of Dallas Mavericks. It's one word: 'hustle.' This applies to everyone everywhere, you go out there and you hustle.It's all patience," Lee said.
He said social media acts as a double-edged sword for people seeking to be noticed.
"It's hard and it's easy because of the medium you have and how open it is," he said. "If you want to find anything, you can; if you want to be anything, you can be it, it's a click away. How many people do you see on Facebook, Twitter and Sound-cloud trying to be in the music industry, trying to open a business or be an actor? They're thinking the same thing you're thinking."
KANSAN FILE PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
lzzy Lee said he recognizes the difficulty of choosing to become a performer. He plans to move to Los Angeles after he graduates.