Lesane is in his own lane, creating his own sound on his own terms. Hailing from a small town called Handsworth in the heart of Birmingham, England, the rising star creates his own version of emo trap, with an undeniable knack for melodies and heartfelt lyricism.
Listing Chief Keef, Tupac, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent, and Michael Jackson as his biggest influences, LESANE made the conscious decision at 14 years old to commit to his music career, eventually dropping out of school and moving to New York City to pursue his dreams.
In describing himself, LESANE states he’s “the world’s best kept secret.”
Upon hearing any of LESANE’s songs, you’re immediately drawn and sucked into his musical soundscape. It’s refreshing, it’s unique, and it’s versatile. To date, LESANE has been releasing a slew of music for his growing fanbase, seeing much success with his breakout single “Don’t Do Drugs” which has accumulated over 8.6 million streams to date.
Fast forward to today, the 24-year-old returns with his newest single titled “Love (Boo Thang),” which holds fans over until the release of his forthcoming project titled GENRELESS.
AllHipHop: How are you doing?
LESANE: Still alive. Still breathing. Just drinking some tea.
AllHipHop: How is it over there in Birmingham?
LESANE: Mundane.
AllHipHop: How would you describe your sound?
LESANE: I try to be fluid. I don’t like to operate in the same realm so I try to do as much as I can in terms of creating different sounds.
AllHipHop: What was it like growing up in Handsworth?
LESANE: I always felt like an outcast. I always felt like I wanted to express myself differently from how people usually express themselves. It was a lot of character building. It was tough. It was rough, but it was a good story building moment.
AllHipHop: When did you fall in love with music?
LESANE: I remember one time when I was a kid, my cousin Chami saw me making melodies and tapping on tables. He said “Yo, one day you’re gonna be a musician.” When he died, that just replayed in my head so I said “okay, maybe I should become a musician.” I also knew I didn’t want to do the typical school route and figuring it out that way, so music just became the path that I was most passionate about.
AllHipHop: Talk about moving to New York City to pursue your dreams.
LESANE: New York was sick. It gave me perspective, because I was operating under the collective consciousness of Handsworth. I used to think that life was only as big as where I was from. Going to New York changed my perspective because it’s like, “Oh, there’s so many different people out there and everyone has their own perspective.” New York is filled with so many different types of people. When you’re having conversations with people, you can see the difference, especially when you’re from a small town. New York was a dope part of my life because it showed me that if you want to figure something out, you have to put your work in and eventually you’ll figure it out.
AllHipHop: How’d it feel to drop out of school? What did your parents think?
LESANE: My parents didn’t know I dropped out of school. I dropped out of school at the beginning of the year. I’d leave the house every morning and act like I was going to school, but I wasn’t. I was just going out, speaking to girls and stuff. But when my mom found out. she was going crazy. She didn’t approve of the music stuff in any way. Over time, she started hearing the music and she started seeing how serious I was. She just started supporting heavy.
AllHipHop: What inspired your song “Houdini”?
LESANE: “Houdini” and “Don’t Do Drugs” was me tired of not expressing myself the way I wanted. So those were the two records I made that were completely different from what I usually do. It was fun. It was sick. That showed I can make records outside of what I’m used to. Make it still sound cool, even though those two records are foundational in terms of my sound. “Houdini” and “Don’t Do Drugs” were the beginning of where the Genreless tape ended up sounding like. Genreless is like punk rock, pop music, but the foundation of it was “Don’t Do Drugs” and “Houdini.” Because that’s when I said I’m done expressing myself in a limited way. I’m a do whatever I want, whenever I want. [snaps]
AllHipHop: How was it shooting with Nicholas Jandora?
LESANE: Nicholas is a good guy, him and the team were great. They’re so easy to work with. We got the video done ASAP.
AllHipHop: How did you guys link originally?
LESANE: I think it came from Patrick. Patrick sent me some of his stuff and I said, “Yeah, we’ve got to get him on a video.” Patrick is marketing at UM (UnitedMasters).
AllHipHop: Talk about your new song “Love (Boo Thang).”
LESANE: It feels good man, it’s good. It’s always good to have new records out. I’m just excited to keep pushing music.
AllHipHop: Is there a certain female that inspired this record?
LESANE: I just wanted to create something that was wholesome for couples. I wanted to drop it for Valentine’s Day so couples could live with it. One day, it’s going to be the Valentine’s Day soundtrack.
AllHipHop: Is there rock influences in this record?
LESANE: I don’t think I’ve ever had any rock influences, that’s why it’s weird I make the type of music I make. Most of my influences are rappers:. Travis Scott. Kanye West, Bob Marley, Tupac. Biggie. Michael Jackson. It’s weird for me to end up making rock music. I used to see rock songs on the TV, but that’s about it. The first rock band I ever heard was Neck Deep and I was about 19.
AllHipHop: What can we expect from the music video?
LESANE: I’d rather not say anything. I rather people watch it and create their own perspective on it. I’m just excited to get another video out. I’m excited to get all the videos out.
AllHipHop: What do you want fans to get from your story?
LESANE: That I’m just a kid that’s expressing himself in his bedroom. Just a normal guy, making normal songs. Talking about how i feel in hopes to find people that relate.
AllHipHop: 3 things you need in the studio?
LESANE: Just a laptop and microphone, and we’re good to go.
AllHipHop: What can we expect from your new album, Genreless?
LESANE: Music that you wouldn’t expect from some who’s from where I’m from. Genreless is expressing yourself through different sonics and sounds, without being restricted to anything specific.
AllHipHop: I think I saw you play the guitar too?
LESANE: I’m actually learning to play the guitar. I’m still in the early stages trying to figure it out. It’s hard, but it’s a fun process.
AllHipHop: What do you like to do when you’re not making music?
LESANE: Think about what song I want to make next. [laughs] There’s literally nothing else that I do apart from make music.
AllHipHop: How’s the independent grind?
LESANE: It’s fun. It’s a lot of character building. It’s a lot of trials and tribulations… Life’s a process, everything always unfolds how it’s supposed to. What I’m learning is you can’t really expect to reach greatness without going through the grind. You gotta put the work in to build a foundation that will last.
AllHipHop: Do you have any goals for yourself?
LESANE: I hope to find myself one day outside of music, just find myself. That would be a personal goal. Right now, it’s just about music. Hopefully one day I can change the world, but right now the focus is getting these records heard, making people relate, and inspiring people.
