Exclusive Interview with Disturbing the Peace/ Def Jam's newest recording Artist...LE-LE

" I want to Dare Females to Dream...Especially Black Women"

A few weeks ago, Keeping Up got a chance to speak with one of Disturbing the Peace/ Def Jam's newest recording artist LE-LE. Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, LE-LE is a female rapper that says, "I'm just trying make it in a mans world". Through her songs, such as her current single, "I'm the Shit", she wishes to spread her message of self-esteem and female empowerment. Keeping Up wanted to chat with LE-LE and find out how she is Keeping Up!

Keeping Up: Can you start off by telling us just a little bit about your music background and how you got started?

LE-LE: I come from a musical family, my daddy always sang in groups. I think professionally music started for me when I went off to college, Howard University. I majored in radio television and film and that is really where I started to cultivate the music and learn the programs to put everything together. But musically I've been in it all of my life.

Keeping Up: What makes you different from other female rappers in the game?

LE-LE: I think that one difference is the fact that in I'm not trying to be anything other than LeLe. I feel like its a lot of people musically out here trying to be and do things that aren't real to them, but all of my fans and anybody who listens to my music can always note that anything that I say I've done it or I do it. Anything that comes out of my mouth is true to me. I think the second one would be the fact that I'm from Jackson, MS. There has never been a female rapper out of Jackson; really all we have is David Banner to be honest with you. That in itself I feel like sets me apart.

Keeping Up: Makes Sense. Earlier you said that you attended Howard and I also heard that you were a member of Delta Sigma Theta.

LE- LE: Yes Mame!

Keeping Up: Do you think that this also separates or makes your different from other rappers that do not necessarily have a college experience or a degree, and are some of these experiences incorporated in your lyrics?

LE- LE: Absolutely! Delta in itself is like a world of its own. I think back to my process and going through Delta and how its prepared me for not only my career but life in general. I have a different spin on the business side of life; I'm not going to just seduce it to just music. College definitely, especially coming from Jackson to Washington DC was crazy. Jackson is a capitol city, but its nothing like an East coast New York city or DC, where I had to learn to grind. I had to do everything on my own. Jackson was home and I had to come out of that comfort zone. That definitely prepared me for the rap game, because there is no comfort zone; its cut throat and to the point. You have to be on your grind and both of those institutions definitely prepared me for what I am doing now.

Keeping Up: By the way I went to Howard University also and was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

LE- LE: That's what's up! when did you come out?

Keeping Up: I crossed 05' and graduated 07'

LE- LE: OK cool! That's what's up!

Keeping Up: I read your bio and your Myspace page; you speak a lot about empowering women and it seems to be an ongoing theme in your songs. Can you explain to us what major changes you want to actually see happen with Black women through your lyrics?

LE- LE: First and foremost, I feel like women are misrepresented in the world as well as in the music industry. I feel like a lot of people put their dreams on hold, because it doesn't seem like it can really happen, especially women. We chose the latter instead of doing what we really want to do. I want to dare females to dream, especially black women. We are at the bottom of the bottom in everything and I feel like we sell ourselves short at the expense of being comfortable, and comfort isn't cool. I feel like life is too short and look at the economy, its so much going on, you should being doing what you want to do and what makes you happy every single day. That's the only thing I want to press in my music, ladies lets get it! All of my songs are geared towards promoting female independence and promoting female empowerment.

Keeping Up: I love it! I love the Dare female to Dream thing.

LE- LE: Its not even on some back to school special stuff. Its on some real day to day stuff. It's what real women like myself go through.

Keeping Up: It makes sense. Like you said we have a lot of dreams or we have a lot of thoughts in our minds, but so often we put it to the side. Mainly because we feel like we can't make it or we put other things before it, i.e. a man, children, things like that.

LE- LE: Right, Exactly!

Keeping Up: How do you think that your current single, "I'm the shit", will inspire and empower women?

LE- LE: Probably the chorus itself, I'm the shit. That song was really inspired by situations that me and a lot of my home girls go through in regards to women haters. The people that I roll with are really cool and laid back, but your would never know it. Its always something going down with some other chick, that's not warranted by us. That's how that song was inspired. So I want people to take away from this song confidence and also let the hate cease. We are all out here trying to make it, so what's the point of hating. Those are the two reoccurring themes in that song.

Keeping Up: Yeah a major problem that we have in our community is that Black women go against each other so much and we never can truly come together.

LE- LE: Exactly, and because we are the bottom, its like a crab in the barrel type of situation. We need to really be about sisterhood. Its time!

Keeping Up: I read that you said that you are trying to make it in a mans world. What obstacles have you faced as a woman trying to make it in this industry?

LE- LE: I'm a professional and because I'm a female, even in professional settings men tend to come at me wrong. I can draw off this weekend; I did a show back at home. I have a very close friend that's is in the rap industry heavy in Jackson. So we all roll up to the club and they let him walk in, no questions asked. With me it was a big situation. I was about to go home and they were about to call the police. I did pop off, because they didn't stop him, he walked right in. Because I am a female, you have to question me. I have to sit out here and wait for the promoter, because you can't take my word that I am performing tonight. That happens quite often. The main things that pop in my mind, is men coming at me on some sexual stuff, which is bound to happen. Delta prepared me for that, Howard prepared me for that, Jackson prepared me for that, so I'm good. But its still a hassle trying to deal with it. Its still a hassle when you have to take bigger strides just to have the basics, because of the way the world is in regards to men and women.

Keeping Up: What female rappers do you look up to and may have been an inspiration to you?

LE- LE: Salt and Pepper! I'm the youngest of a lot of aunts and cousins that grew up in the same house, so they had me on that heavy. For them to have been legendary and have done what they did, when they did it, now that I'm really in the industry and I can see what it is, I now have a new found respect for them. I now know the struggles, not even trying to sound cliche' or nothing. I know the struggle now and that was 20 plus years ago. Hip Hop itself was struggling just to make it, so imagine some females in Hip Hop trying to make it. Salt and Pepper are number one on my list.

Keeping up: After female rappers like Salt and Pepper and Queen Latifah, the female rappers that started coming into the industry were females that had a sexual image. Many people say that their sexual image is what made them more mainstream. How do you feel about their sexual image just to get to the top?

LE- LE: I can't knock any ones journey, because that is their journey. I respect it for what it is, but its not for me. I understand that females are sexual and definitely sex sales, but I think that we have something in us that is more valuable that should be focused on rather than sex. Don't get me wrong, you will see me in some scantily material possibly, but that's what I do sometimes. It doesn't deviate from who I am. If that's who they really are, then I'm cool with it. My only issue is doing something that's not who you really are.

Keeping Up: What are your up and coming plans? What can we see from you very soon?

LE- LE: Well I'm working on an album, so that's the next big thing to come out. I'm going to put out the next single in December, so the album will probably come soon after that. Not trying to rush it, trying to get it right, because of the fact that what I'm doing, I want it to be taken seriously. So were taking our time in putting it together; It should be coming out early next year.

Keeping Up: Ok Ok. Any possibility that we might see you during Howard's Homecoming?

LE- LE: Absolutely! We are in the works with that. definitely going to be on the yard in Atlanta and possibly Jackson, so we will keep you posted on that.

Keeping Up: Definitely do! One more thing, what advice would you give to people trying to "Keep Up" in the industry?

LE- LE: DON'T STOP

What else can she say? Anyone out there trying to make it....LE-LE says Don't Stop!

Check out LE-LE's single "Im the Shit" and her myspace page at the link below:

myspace.com/leleonthemic

" Howard and Delta Sigma Theta prepared me for what I am doing now."