The Harvard educated singer is adamant to make LES IS MORE a visual album, with tracks ‘Glory’, ‘Beautiful Lie’,‘5 Minute Freshen Up’ and ‘Good Girl’ already having music video’s released. Leslie has revealed that the album will feature seven music videos, which include three live performances as he aims to exhibit his skills not only as a visual artist but also as an aspiring filmmaker.
Instead of going the traditional major label route, Leslie is choosing to drop this album independently with Sony’s RED Distribution. The features are limited and the core of the album is produced by Leslie himself, the focus is one the talents of the artist and the honesty behind his music. One of Leslie's main focuses is on marketing himself correctly and the visual performances he is releasing are all to contribute to the ‘Ryan Leslie’ brand, with the aim to create a demand for his concert experience.
Leslie’s honesty is admirable; openly admitting that he has “never had a hit on the radio” is an aspect that he isn’t bothered by. Instead, Leslie has used his originality as a means of motivation, in doing so he has mastered the web. The star’s YouTube channel RyanLeslieTV boasts impressive figures including just over 54 million video views, which he owes to his 130k loyal subscribers. Leslie’s aim is to create the music for the people who ultimately keep him alive, his fans.
‘R Les’ got a foothold in the music industry within four years of his graduation; by the end of 2005, he had written and/or produced tracks for 702, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Carl Thomas, and New Edition. Leslie is also credited for Cassie’s rise as an artist; he was the architect behind ‘Me & U’, a number one R&B single that also reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
Leslie’s musical genius is immeasurable, the star is a record producer, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and occasional rapper who’s credits include a number of artists in a variety of genres ranging from R&B/hip hop to pop to gospel. The Grammy nominated artist is working independently after leaving Universal Motown and along with his media company Next Selection Lifestyle Group, Leslie has gained a sense of freedom, being extremely excited about his new venture "I saw it as a window to potentially branch off and try something that was going to be new and dynamic".
This will be Ryan Leslie’s first album in which he is showcasing a new style, predominantly focused on his rhyming. Leslie’s aim is to not only display the creative process on the musical side but to also give you a glimpse behind the thought process, which has inspired the project. The star is aiming to use the forthcoming album as art to paint the vivid picture, reflecting the message that ultimately, LES IS MORE.
