Ryan Leslie was in go mode as he arrived at NPR headquarters after an early morning street journey from New York. He bounced everywhere in the house even when the cameras weren’t rolling. I used to be curious to listen to how he would take his massive, synth-heavy sound and adapt it to the Tiny Desk, however then was rapidly reminded that at his core, he’s a creator. Leslie made songs like “Diamond Lady,” “How It Was Supposed To Be” and Cassie’s “Lengthy Approach 2 Go,” so to observe him recreate them right here with ease shouldn’t have been a shock.
After writing and producing Cassie’s debut album and hits for others, the singer-songwriter and entrepreneur determined to concentrate on being a solo artist. It’s not straightforward to enter a studio by your self and stroll out with a whole album, however R. Les is that artist. The viral video of him creating “Habit” is outstanding proof. In 2013, he walked away from the normal music trade, eradicating his music from streaming providers and created a brand new platform using his social media following to advertise and promote his work. In contrast to many in Leslie’s class of producers from the early 2000s, he crafted a particular fashion, branching out and creating excessive demand as a author and producer. It’s a mode, confirmed right here at his Tiny Desk, to be timeless.
SET LIST
- “Simply Proper”
- “One thing That I Like”
- “Diamond Lady”
- “Lengthy Approach 2 Go”
- “Fly Collectively”
- “How It Was Supposed To Be”
- “Habit”
MUSICIANS
- Ryan Leslie: vocals, keys
- Gabriel Lambirth: guitar
- Jason Huffman: keys
- John Younger: bass
- Jermaine Parrish: drums, percussion
- Charity Davis: vocals
- Samara Brown: vocals
- Latif Williams: vocals
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producer: Bobby Carter
- Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
- Audio Technical Director: Josephine Nyounai
- Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Maia Stern, Alanté Serene, Christina Shaman
- Audio Engineer: Josh Newell
- Manufacturing Assistant: Ashley Pointer
- Photographer: Zayrha Rodriguez
- Tiny Desk Group: Kara Body, Hazel Cills
- Govt Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Sequence Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
- VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
