Ryan Leslie- Inspiration & Innovator

Who is Ryan Leslie?

Shot taken from 5 Minute Freshen Up' Video

In summary, all you need to know about Ryan Leslie is listed here. Why enthuse so much over a once relatively unknown artist to the popular music World? The secret to Ryan Leslie (R-Les's) success started by subtly drawing in lovers of music (true music fans), those that dedicate hours to browsing online radio, forums, blogs, audio snippets, and video. A Harvard graduate, an intellect and a scholar, Ryan Leslie sussed the change in musical direction to the digital age and acted on it, maximising YouTube as a portal and hub to demonstrate his musical ability. Still you may ask, why has he not hit the mainstream charts? The secret to Ryan Leslie's success is in music production, producing for a range of popular (mainstream) artists such as Cassie, Fabulous, 50 Cent, Britney Spears, Chris Brown, Mary J.Blige, and the popular French R&B singer Matt Pokora. Watch how it all started for him below:

What Innovation?

Ryan Leslie was one of the first artists to become acclaimed by peers and fans through use of YouTube and MySpace, then (latterly) Facebook and Twitter. Not only does Ryan interact with fans, but he offers incentives, rewards, and raw studio talent. We don't tend to see this from many other artists/producers in the industry. One of the best marketing strategies was R-Les's invite via Twitter to his followers to take part in a studio session for the video '5 Minute Freshen Up'. One lucky girl got a studio session, and a feature in the video for the studio production of this tune, which can be seen below:

Studio Cut

Official Video

Check out Ryan Leslie's Next Selection Lifestyle Group site, founded and established by Ryan Leslie.

Why is Ryan Leslie Such an Inspiration?

Ryan Leslie has breached the bounds between music and the digital age, taking the initiative and thinking out of the box to give us all a taste of his genial musical attributes. Whether it be playing a wide range of instruments, using insane objects to create new sounds, utilising incredible vocalists, or using his incredible marketing acumen to hit his demographic (target audience) like a nail with a hammer! I've been a fan for over 6 years, when I first followed Ryan's MySpace page. 

So there you have it, even if R&B isn't your flavour, you can still have full admiration if you yourself are a grafter or social media enthusiast for how Ryan Leslie makes his living. If it pulls the birds (i.e. Sports Illustrated models), there's little need for many more words.

You don't need to be the most famous in the World to be the most admired.

As we say in the UK "Proof is in the pudding people!"

My Favorite Video Below!

Up and Coming Album

'Les Is More' is due to be released in late October 2012, with some fantastic arrangements and some songs already in the public domain on Ryan's YouTube channel. Check out songs such as 'Beautiful Lie' featuring beautiful girls and the stunning Mercedes SLS . Although this latest album has a lot of rap (not my cup of tea) compared to his previous more soulful R&B flavours, there's no doubt in my mind as to the quality of output from his work. I'll be one of the first to download from ITunes or import the CD Album from the United States to the UK. By chopping and changing his style somewhat for this latest album, it's more refreshing than regressing, showing us an even more versatile range of work.

As Ryan Leslie famously proclaims to his fans "“They try to put me in a box—it's impossible!" 

Trending- #LesIsMore