We were lucky to catch up with Andre’ Lee recently and have shared our conversation below.

Andre’, appreciate you joining us today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

If I could go back in time, I would have definitely started my creative career much sooner. I started around my sophmore year in college. That was my first time ever going to a studio and actually recording a song. An artist named Ace NH took me to The Sound Gallery & the rest was history. I became addicted. I was always into music well before college though, since a baby really. I remember rapping into the fan trying to sound like Lil Wayne & T-Pain when I was in the 1st or 2nd grade. I just never had the confidence to fully pursue it. I was afraid of what my mother would think mainly. She was working three jobs to put me through college, I couldn’t call back home and say I wanna be rapper, that would’ve been insane to me. I guess college gave me the freedom I needed to actually even start to think about pursuing it. Starting sooner would have been extremely beneficial for me I feel like. Let’s say I actually started in high school. I was on the basketball team, I won best-dressed my senior year, no cocky shit but I was pretty popular. I feel like that popularity could’ve been used to my advantage especially at that time because everybody and their momma wasn’t rapping at the time. and then on top of that simple fact that i would’ve had 4 extra years to experiment, find my sound, reach new fans, etc.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is DreLee863. I am a 29 year old artist born and raised in Lakeland, FL. I’ve been into music my entire life, but was late bloomer when it actually came to recording my own art and actually putting it out to share with the world. If I had to describe what sets me apart from the rest in one word, AUTHENTICITY would be my answer. I pride myself on saying things people need to hear in my music, not what they want to hear. Since this is my approach, I understand that it may take me longer to get to where I want to go. Substance means everything to me. Lyricism means everything to me. I stand firm on a lot of morals and values that are damn near nonexistent in today’s time. With that being said, that’s what im the most proud of. Being a stand up guy, never compromising my art or what I believe in for monetary gain or internet fame. Using my platform for positive messages, healing messages.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is being a voice for the voiceless. Being a voice to a group of people who relate to you or feel the same way you feel, but just didn’t know how to express it. I will never forget the night I performed in Winter Haven, FL at Jesse’s lounge. When I got off the stage a woman came up to me crying, just off of the lyrics and how deep the song was. From that moment on, my whole perspective changed. That’s what it’s all about for me, creating moments like those. Once in a lifetime moments. Moments that move you. Anybody can make a song talking about money & bitches that they don’t even got in real life. Not everybody can do what I can do.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Resiliency is everything. Everyday you wake up, you have to dig deep and keep going. As time goes by, sometimes I feel myself getting more and more discouraged. I start to question if my dreams will ever really come true. This where resilience kicks in. There was a time in my life where I wasn’t in the position to create anymore. This was tough for me because I was so used to going to the studio weekly, dropping projects monthly, and so on. Financial hardships started to kick in, I loss my grandfather, I loss an unborn child, & one of my closest friends was battling a very serious legal battle that took a toll on me as well. All of those things happened in like a 4 month span. I even had to move back into the momma’s crib to get my money back right. This time span required the most resiliency from me for sure. I never stopped writing, I just couldn’t afford a studio or proper marketing for the music so I was kinda stuck.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: DreLee863
• Facebook: Dre’ Lee
• Twitter: DreLee863
• Youtube: DreLee863
• Soundcloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/DreLee863

Image Credits

@RosePetalGoon