Big Lee

On the outside, Big Lee doesn’t look so big at all. When you hear the name you’d probably expect either one of the two things: a guy that’s overly fat or overly muscular. But Adaryll Lee aka Big Lee is neither. “My name symbolizes how I do everything, I do everything big. My music is a big deal; my image is a big deal. Hell, my life is a big deal.” Lee says. And that’s what Big Lee gives his audience through his music, a big dose of his life.Picture the charisma of Terrence Howard with the confidence of Chad Johnson (the braggadocios NFL wide receiver), and finally add the playfulness of Cedric the Entertainer and you get Big Lee. There’s an aurora around him that says be in a good mood. His friends would tell you that his presence brings about a certain atmosphere. It seems as if there is very little that can bring this Quincy, Florida native down. His music is a reflection of his character, a normal guy in a special way. “I go through adversities just like anybody else, I just choose not to let the negative things outweigh the good”, Lee says. While most tend to dwell on the negatives, Big lee sees living his life the way he sees fit. This type of personality has made Lee the center of attention every since his freshmen days at high school and has followed him over into his music career.As an artist, Big Lee can be described as creative, yet relevant. Lee says he tries to stay in tune with the different trends in music, while at all times putting his own spin on things. While growing up he listened to everything from Eightball& MJG to The Jam Pony Express (a legendary group of Florida DJs that pioneered a new style of Dying and rapping simultaneously) to Soul Legends like Bobby Womack. Lee attributes these legends with influencing his style. What makes him different from other rap artists is that his personality combined with his style makes him relatable to so many different audiences that the normal rapper wouldn’t be able to reach. “I can rock a show with any of the hardcore rappers, with any of the mainstream rappers, or if I want to I can collaborate with a pop star and still be in my comfort zone” says a confident Lee. “I’m not like a bunch of these dudes, who put limits on themselves and what kind of music they can and can’t do. I’m going to push the limits every chance I get,” says Lee. His personal music collection reflects just that. On any given day you may find Lee with a Hot Boys CD playing at his home, Norah Jones’ latest in his car, and Nina Simone in his iPod. Not a usual mix, but to Lee it all makes sense. For the average person it’s hard to understand, but to Lee it’ his way of life. So maybe that explains why he’s able to step out of the boundaries of rap and try to carry a tune every now and then in a rap song and at the same time keep his street savvy image. What makes him different is what makes him interesting and Big Lee hopes that what makes him interesting makes him a legend. Hearing his music is like enjoying his company. The different influences show from song to song. Big Lee’s diversity is enough to make him stand apart from the average rapper, his swagger is enough to attract an audience, and the combination of the two is enough to make him a renaissance in rap music.