That passion of continuing to make quality songs, as well as making sure that his place in Hip-Hop’s history is not forgotten, has pushed Lee to continue to be in step with both the business and the music. A passion that has not just resulted in a new album which showcases another selection of quality songs from the man, but also a reminder of both Tracey’s gratefulness for the talent he credits to God and for the opportunity to still be an active part of this art form; as both he and the art form reach their half century.
As Hip-Hop continues on its 50th anniversary celebrations, the laundry list of legendary heavyweights who have remained beloved throughout the decades remains noteworthy. When one discusses the many heavyweights who originated from New York, Jay-Z remains the dictionary example, and Snoop Dogg is often cited as the first person to come to mind when discussing California’s contributions to Hip-Hop, but Philadelphia is another place in Hip-Hop history that deserves its own chapter. Hip-Hop in Philadelphia has been legendary, and it is a region that has given us the first act to win a Grammy for a Hip-Hop record, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince’s “Parents Just Don’t Understand” (Best Rap Performance, 1989), as well as trailblazers such as Gangsta Rap pioneer Schooly D (in the 2016 documentary Hip-Hop Evolution, noted gangsta rap trailblazer, and longtime Law & Order: SVU cast member, Ice-T would claim Schooly D’s PSK as the main influence on his debut single, 6 in the Mornin’) and the prolific band, The Roots (who in their three decade run have amassed 14 Grammy nominations and three wins).
Among the shining talents of that region who created records of equal quality to those of other artists of that era is Tracey Lee. The previously mentioned contributions to Hip-Hop’s pedigree, courtesy of Philly, are so massive that the previously mentioned Fresh Prince and The Roots, would continue to be a beloved success outside of music, with Fresh Prince aka Will Smith and Roots co-frontman Ahmir K. Thompson (better known as Questlove) also being Academy Award winners for their work in films, with one being a Best Actor winner and the other winning for directorial work on the acclaimed documentary, Summer of Soul.
However, Tracey Lee, a shining talent from that region, without doubt has delivered on records that equal the beloved works of other artists from the same period. In January 2023, Tracey Lee released “Party Time 25,” a single that not only serves as a sequel to his 1997 beloved single “The Theme (Party Time),” but also serves as a look into a fully grown Tracey Lee, one who can still celebrate as vividly as he did in his younger years, albeit one who then wore more hats than he did in 1997. For this, Tracey Lee is no longer just an MC, but also a husband, father, as well as one more in control of his artistic destiny; and as the head of his company, LLeft TV. The song is a celebration of continued growth, not just for Tracey Lee but it also shows a celebration of still being in a place where 25 years later, the achievement of the Philadelphia bred MC are still beloved. The further celebrations, as well as it’s trials and tribulations, would be further reflected on in Tracey Lee’s recently released album Different. True to its name, Different reflects on the conflicting emotions following the years of living and becoming adjusted to the many twists and turns that have come as a result of living through a pandemic, as well as an achievement that was not easily led to, but one that remains worth celebrating.
A Howard alumnus, Tracey Lee found himself in the midst of a cultural renaissance within the school, where future industry heavyweights start their steps towards ‘said’ success. It is no surprise that the aspiring MC found peers with fellow music ambitions, such as Deric “D-Dot” Angellitie, Ronald “Amen-Ra” Lawrence and Mark Pitts, all men whose already strong ambitions were made even stronger when they rubbed shoulders with fellow Howard alumnus, and up and coming industry heavyweight, Sean “Puffy” Combs. Unsurprisingly too, following graduation, Lee relocated to New York, where his aim to make waves in the Rap scene grew stronger in an already vibrant Hip-Hop scene of the ‘90s. A scene that had its grab bag of quality major players, whether it was acts such as Mobb Depp, the Wu-Tang Clan, or Gang Starr; Tracey was in great company. Following his stint as an executive for Comb’s blockbuster label, Bad Boys records, Mark Pitts formed his own record company, Bystorm Entertainment, and following a recommendation from Bad Boys superstar, The Notorious B.I.G., Tracey Lee was to be one of the first artists on the nascent label; hitherto work began on Tracey Lee’s debut Many Faces.
Many Faces is above all else a stellar showcase of an artist who is determined to show his promise. His stellar rhymes are a commanding presence throughout the album, but it would be two songs from the album that would end up being noted as highlights, one of them being the lead single, “The Theme (Party Time),” that would have a music video subsequently found on major music stations such as BET. In an era when bombastic but soulful party tunes were a norm, “The Theme (Party Time)” can be considered a contemporary among beloved hits, such as Montell Jordan’s “This is How We Do It” or Blackstreets’s “No Diggity,” a guaranteed good time whenever played.
However, it would be another song on the album that, while not thought a success as it should have been, guaranteed the album a place in Hip-Hop immortality. When Tracey Lee was signed to Bystorm Records, a promise that he was given was that his debut album would feature a collaboration with The Notorious B.I.G. While securing this collab, a major chunk of the album’s budget was taken, and the promise got fulfilled when The Notorious B.I.G. joined Tracey on the song, “Keep Your Hands High.”
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The simplest way to describe the song is a battle of the titans. B.I.G. was well considered as a superstar for a reason, and his rhymes on the song show why. In a career that is romanticised for many reasons, Hip-Hop aficionados gladly talk about his famous one-on-one features, whether it was with Method Man on “The What”, Jay-Z on “Brooklyn’s Finest,” or “Keep Your Hands High” with Tracey Lee. In an instant, B.I.G. showcases his gift of being able to transition smoothly within lines that not only show his talent as a rhymer, but also his understanding of melody; that same understanding that was shown on many of his own stand out hits, as Tracey puts it, “every song he did you could practically sing. He always had this balance with wordplay that was simultaneously intricate and simple. It’s easy for MCs to think they have to jumble a bunch of words together to make something memorable. But BIG did the opposite, he could keep a rhyme scheme going for up to five lines, and create something that folks of all walks of life could get into and that is a gift.” And yet, in spite of the major star that he shared the song with, Tracey more than held his own in said presence, and delivered his share of stellar rhymes, such as:
“Down your flow lax,/just so you know that/We could battle for days like old cats Black,/you dealin’ with a throwback/Winnin’ like straight jacks,/with a wide range of rhyme teams./My lyrics they bang like migraine.”
While the collaboration with B.I.G. proved a successful one, due to a provision from Bad Boy records when they signed off on the collaboration, Lee and Bystorm entertainment were legally not allowed to advertise that the Many Faces album had a song that featured The Notorious B.I.G., and the only way to find out about the collaboration would be through buying the album. And sadly, the death of B.I.G. on 9th March, 1997, two weeks before the album’s March 25th release, made any further negations impossible.
In speaking on his eagerness to show he was every bit B.I.G.’s equal on the mic, Tracey has spoken about his experience working with Biggie multiple times, from being wowed by the business expertise that he showed just a few years into his career, to his amazement that on the day of recording the song, B.I.G. waited up to the 11th hour to record his verse – everything said in freestyle, it’s an experience that has stayed with Lee to this day, not only due to the monumental song created, as well as its continued relevance in Hip-Hop history, but also because even when growing up among certified superstars, Lee was still determined to hold his own.
While the collaboration with B.I.G. proved a successful one, due to a provision from Bad Boy records when they signed off on the collaboration, Lee and Bystorm entertainment were legally not allowed to advertise that the Many Faces album had a song that featured The Notorious B.I.G., and the only way to find out about the collaboration would be through buying the album. And sadly, the death of B.I.G. on 9th March, 1997, two weeks before the album’s March 25th release, made any further negations impossible.
Unfortunately, in spite of the talent on display in the album, which outside of the collaboration with B.I.G would also feature a collab with Busta Rhymes on the track “The After Party (The Theme II),” the Many Faces album became a commercial disappointment peaking only at number 111th on the Billboard 200 charts, though still a modest success on the hip-hop and R&B charts. Further shake ups with the label and its distributor partner, Universal Records, caused Tracey to be separated from Bystrom, while still remaining on the Universal imprints. Undeterred, Tracey went off to work on what was to be his sophomore album, Live from the 215.
The more one heard about the album, the more one expected Live from the 215 to be one of the big standouts of year 2000. With impressive productions from a then unknown Kanye West, a year before his big production breakthrough with Jay-Z on “The Blueprint,” collaborations with respected standout MCs such as Kurupt, and Black Rob, and a music video for the lead single “We Like” that featured cameos from future megastars of the 2000s, such as Ludacris and Lil Jon, all seemed to be well on the way for Lee’s sophomore album. “It was ready to go. They were packaging and promoting it in various magazines like The Source and Billboard. Units had been shipped, it was really ready to go,” Tracey said, but just as promotion was about to hit full gear, a bomb was dropped. Universal records decided to shelve the album, and dropped Tracey Lee from the label. It is worthy of note that after 20 years, the album has been made available and can be purchased on Tracey Lee’s website.
A change in circumstance also led to a change of atmosphere, relocating from New York to Atlanta, with Tracey left wondering, “What’s next?” A very spiritual person, it was at this time that Tracey found himself leaning further and further to his faith, and a chance encounter following a heavy prayer for guidance, with an offering plate and his last seven dollars to help guide him to the new path, and after a series of circumstances, made his path clearer. Tracey Lee enrolled in Southern University Law Center and graduated with a Juris Doctor degree in Law; a degree that would serve him well, as he ventured into entertainment law.
In transitioning into law, it was clear that the same active mentality that had helped him pave a path as an MC also served him well in the world of Law. “I love a challenge. That motivates me to the umpteenth degree.” But with this also came a better understanding of the music business that had eluded him at the start of his career. “It used to be that your main priority was just to get signed to a record label, but you also need to understand that the music aspect is really one per cent of the industry. But there’s also the political aspect, the business acumen that you need to have to be successful. I made great albums with Many Faces and Live from the 215, but without the right marketing, the right promotion, and the right people in your corner, especially an entertainment lawyer, you end up learning the hard way how much they’re needed.” But his reasons for venturing into law school were not entirely self-motivated. “I started to realise that they’re a lot of people in this industry who don’t have a proper entertainment attorney, who understand how to reconcile the business side with the artistic side.” He elaborated, “this business is not for the faint of heart, it’s always been about who gains and takes advantage. The more you understand that, the better you are prepared for what gets thrown at you.”
The evolution that Lee has shown in his work coincides with the growing conversation of the art form’s maturity. As many of Hip-Hop’s heavyweights, a good deal of Lee’s contemporaries have also reached their golden years. The conversation on Hip-Hop’s more introspective and reflective outlook has also been given voice to, with works that seek to reflect more accurately on getting older, moving away from negative mindsets, and being more conscious of the personal challenges many face on a daily basis.
As Tracey continued in a new career output, the rap world continued to strive, with quite a few of his contemporaries moving from early upstarts into superstars, not only in Hip-Hop but also in the general pop culture. The same Ludacris and Lil Jon who had cameos in his “We Like” music video, became chart topper sensations themselves. The same Kanye West who produced a song on his shelved album, experienced his own rise to fame and notoriety in 2001, with his production work on Jay-Z’s 2001 multi-platinum success The Blueprint, and then 2004 when he would release his Grammy winning debut, The College Dropout. But arguably the biggest push that firmly made Lee’s rightful place in Hip-Hop immortal, would come in 2003, when Jay-Z made what was to be his final album, The Black Album, and a track on the album would help bring back attention to the works of Tracey Lee. On the song, “What More Can I Say,” Jay-Z crafted a solid comment on his legacy in Hip-Hop. On a song that happens to share the same sampled record as “Keep Your Hands High,” Jay-Z gave tribute to the same song he once witnessed his deceased friend and Tracey Lee collaborate on, by referencing in the biggest way, a repetition of B.I.G.’s line:
So the rings and things you sing about
Bring ’em out
It’s hard to yell when the barrel’s in your mouth
This line on the album was later sampled by Swizz Beatz when he produced TI’s major hit, “Bring em Out,” further bringing attention to the song Lee and B.I.G. had created. Attention that Tracey more than welcomed years later. “You can’t detach that that line comes from a record that B.I.G. and I made, a record on my album.”
While Tracey’s interest had shifted towards law, as well as starting a family, his passion for rapping remained strong, because he still worked on songs on the side. No less defiant than he was in the ‘90s, Tracey didn’t see a reason to let his love for rap be deterred. Come 2014, Tracey Lee dropped Esq: The Revelation. With songs such as “It’s About Time” and “Vision”, the new Tracey Lee had emerged, both reflective of the hard times he dealt with in his journey before going to law school, but grateful nonetheless for the art form he fell in love with, and with the chance to express his love again.
Expect the Unexpected soon followed in 2019, with Glory following in 2020, all through his independent LLeft imprint. With these releases all leading to his recent album, Different, Tracey Lee has continued his trend of defiantly standing on his skills as an artist, with no plans of slowing down. As an independent artist, Tracey Lee has been able to exercise control on not only his career, but also his artistic legacy, in a way that does not only compliment the promise he showed on Many Faces, but also celebrates the personal evolution of the man responsible for it. An evolution that can be seen, even in the celebratory atmosphere of “Party Time XV,” or the introspection of “My Feelings” or “Reflection.”
The evolution that Lee has shown in his work coincides with the growing conversation of the art form’s maturity. As many of Hip-Hop’s heavyweights, a good deal of Lee’s contemporaries have also reached their golden years. The conversation on Hip-Hop’s more introspective and reflective outlook has also been given voice to, with works that seek to reflect more accurately on getting older, moving away from negative mindsets, and being more conscious of the personal challenges many face on a daily basis. With the conversation on what’s referred to as “Grown Man Rap,” also comes acclaimed works such as Jay-Z’s 4:44, fellow Philadelphia native Black Thought’s Cheat Codes and Glorious Game, as well as respected Hip-Hop group Little Brother and their recent album May the Lord Watch. These are albums from artists who are less interested in keeping up with present trends or chasing past glory, as they are in honestly reflecting present times. “I’ve always been about the art, about being creative even during Many Faces; I’m less interested in chasing a crowd, than creating something that can create my own.”
That passion of continuing to make quality songs, as well as making sure that his place in Hip-Hop’s history is not forgotten, has pushed Lee to continue to be in step with both the business and the music. A passion that has not just resulted in a new album which showcases another selection of quality songs from the man, but also a reminder of both Tracey’s gratefulness for the talent he credits to God and for the opportunity to still be an active part of this art form; as both he and the art form reach their half century. An occasion that calls not only for continued efforts that great talents can continue to shine, but also celebration that in this time the people who have made the art form what it is, can show that there is still more magic to explore in Hip-Hop.
Tracey Lee’s recent album Different, as well as the other subsequent release from his discography can be found on his website.
Aramide Olorunyomi is a writer and videographer.
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