He formed and became a member of rap group Four Deep until he decided to relocate to Houston where his favorite rapper Scarface resided in 1995.
On a mission to slang beats, Mr. Lee was only offered a meager $50 for his work and doors continually slammed in his face until another major one was opened. After meeting with Big Chief, the VP of Rap-A-Lot Records, he landed a deal on the very same imprint as his idol Scarface. After receiving validation from Face during a studio session, he went on to lend his talents to Tupac and the Outlawz’ “Black Jesus” and Scarface’s Last of a Dying Breed album that included the track “Get Out” with Jay Z.
Unfortunately, it was difficult for him to revel in the fruits of his labor with drug and burglary charges hovering over him since 1997. On the run and unable to attain a license or a bank account, he violated probation by traveling until he was arrested in 2004 for a traffic violation. With a myriad of platinum records under his belt and letters of character from Willie Nelson and Randall Jamil, his accomplishments outweighed his criminal past, and his charges were dropped.
One of the first producers to switch over to the digital medium, he ditched his ASR-10 in favor of an MPC drum machine and Korg and Roland keyboards to create Bun B, Pimp C, Jeezy, Z-Ro and Jay Z’s menacing “Get Throwed.” On MySpace, he corresponded with then up-and-comer Iggy Azalea and helped her sharpen her rap skills when she moved to Houston.
Over the past two decades, his soulful and synth heavy sound has not only been emulated, but has allowed him to rack up 9 platinum albums, 6 gold albums and singles on the radio for 13 consecutive years. He has had the opportunity to work with an array of artists including Paul Wall, Slim Thug, Mary J. Blige, Nipsey Hussle and Dwele. Now currently working with LL Cool J, he hopes his new XMG label will not only help break on-the-rise stars but serve as a hub for new artists to be heard in the future.