Ryan Leslie is here. But you may not know who he is.
Back in 1992, at the age of 14, Ryan was attending public school in Stockton, California. But because his parents worked as Salvation Army officers they were required to move frequently. And they were expecting to move again soon. But Ryan didn’t want to this time so he decided he was going to enter college after his sophomore year.
He takes the SATs and scores a perfect 1600. He then writes letters to four University of California schools as well as Stanford, Yale, and Harvard, explaining his unique situation. He’s accepted to all except Stanford (which “thought he wasn’t socially mature enough”). In the fall of 1995, at the age of 15, Ryan begins his freshman year at Harvard.
In 1998, at the age of 19, Ryan graduates from Harvard with a degree in government with concentrations in political science and macroeconomics. During his commencement, he gives the prestigious Harvard Oration.
But if I were to guess, Ryan’s academic achievements aren’t what’s most important to him.
You see, in his commencement speech he announces that he’ll pursue a career in “the arts.”
His interest in “the arts” — specifically music — began at a young age. As a child he started playing cornet in the Salavation Army band. But because he had an overbite, it made it difficult to play. So he taught himself how to play the piano.
His passion for music continued to develop during his Harvard years. He’d spend many hours per week in a studio basement of Pforzheimer House, teaching himself basic production skills, trying to develop a distinct sound and style with the help of Sandy Green — then a grad student at Harvard Business School and resident tutor at Pforzheimer House. (Today, Sandy is an assistant professor at the University of Southern California.) In fact, Ryan was spending far more time in the school’s studio than in class. And as a result, his grades suffered and he was put on academic probation three times. Green, a former aspiring musician, had to plead with the school not to expel him, which it ultimately did not do.
After staying in Boston for awhile upon graduation, working various jobs to support himself, Ryan decides to move to Phoenix to live with his parents. While there, he convinces them to take out a $15,000 loan for a production studio. He vows to pay it back no matter what, even if it means giving up on his music dreams.
After receiving the loan and leasing a studio, he begins working intensely for several months, still working to find his own sound and style — his own identity.
In the summer of 2003, he takes advantage of a key opportunity. He gets a production internship with producer Younglord.
Being the opportunistic person that he is, he produces the record “Keep Giving Your Love To Me,” which would later be performed by Beyonce for the Bad Boys II soundtrack.
It so happens that Sean “Diddy” Combs supervised the production of the soundtrack. Impressed by Ryan’s work, Sean offers him a managerial contract.
As a result of this new partnership with Sean, Ryan works on numerous projects with notable artists, including New Edition and Britney Spears.
Through this work, he meets American music executive Tommy Mottola, co-owner of Casablanca Records, a joint venture with Universal Music Group.
Mottola offers Ryan a recording contract.
In late 2003, Ryan begins recording his debut album, entitled, “Just Right.” But the album never made it to market because of creative differences between he and Casablanca.
But he moves on quickly and starts his own imprint, NextSelection, which signs its first artist, Cassie Ventura. Together, the two of them go on to produce the hit “Me & U” in 2005, which rose to #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. And it didn’t leave the top forty for almost five months.
But he still wanted more. He still wanted to be an artist. So, he went back to the studio in 2006 to work on his “new” debut album. It hit the market in 2007, featuring the hit single, “Diamond Girl.” If you’ve heard of Ryan Leslie before, there’s a good chance it’s because of “Diamond Girl,” as this was his “breakout” record.
But he hasn’t stopped there. He’s continued to work hard and has come out with numerous records.
And he’s earning the respect of his peers. Artists he’s admired are admiring him.
Here’s a recent video (April 2nd, 2009) where various artists show their gratitude:
Here’s another video which displays his natural passion for music; it’s the “Making of ‘Addiction’”:
On behalf of the world: Hello, Ryan.
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You can find out more about Ryan here.