Last night, I found myself on SoundCloud, listening to some new music as I got a little work done. What I've found over the years is that the SoundCloud sessions can be hit or miss - sometimes a gem falls into your lap and sometimes you slip down the rabbit hole of nothingness.
During my listening experience last night, my head was in the clouds and my focus was predominately on a new project I'm working on. In all honesty, the music was on for the background aesthetic; something to vibe to while I worked.
And then a record from Irie Lee started playing.
I can't recall, in recent or long-term memory, a piece of music catching my attention quite as powerfully as Lee's "Jenny" did. It was a whole vibe, his smooth flow radiating with heartfelt emotion, tugging at the strings of my own psyche as Irie told so vividly the story of "Jenny". In an instant, my entire focus was on the song - I sat up and replayed it a handful of times before realizing it would make sense to see what else Lee had available. With only seven songs posted on his page, I spent the better part of last night cycling through them, falling more and more in love with Lee's music each time a record came back on.
Eager to learn more about who Irie Lee was, I began doing a little research...and found next to nothing. He's got an Instagram and a SoundCloud, but no other socials from what I could tell. And then I hopped on Google to find some write-ups that may have been posted on other sites. Again, however, my search came up empty.
Whoever Irie Lee is, he has done a wonderful job at keeping the man behind the music private. As noted in some of his IG posts, he seems to favor anonymity over fame - an admirable quality, especially in today's "Like"-driven society. Regardless, the lack of availability of information pertaining to who Irie Lee is has certainly heightened my intrigue.
Bottom line is this guy is talented and, maybe selfishly, I want everyone I know to hear his music. For the first time in a long time, a new piece of music came to me last night that left me floored...and then every track I heard from the artist left me in awe. It might be cliche to say something like this, but I truly don't understand how Irie Lee is not a more widely known name in music.
While "Jenny" was the first track I heard and each joint from Lee left me feeling something unique, I've shared "Made Love" below.
"Made Love" is a beautifully blended piece of music that balances R&B, soul and some Latin vibes. Throughout the record, Irie Lee is flowing through the instrumentation with such smooth energy, his delivery illuminated by an authenticity that is felt by the listener. At it's essence, this is a love song, in the most raw, pure way.
"Made Love" and "Jenny" both find life on Irie Lee's Yellow Forest, which was released on December 8th. Yellow Forest is available now on all major streaming platforms, including Apple Music and Spotify. I've spent today with Yellow Forest on repeat and I would seriously suggest everyone takes some time to dive into Irie Lee's catalogue.
Maybe I just did a shitty job looking for info on this guy. But I have a feeling we'll be hearing his name quite a bit in the next year or two.
Press play on "Made Love" below.
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