Artist Spotlight: Lee Charm

I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing an up and coming artist by the name of Lee Charm, at his NYC listening party not long ago. This young man is the rising star of tomorrow and I believe will have longevity in the music industry. Ladies and gentlemen meet Lee Charm.

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C.K:When did you know you wanted to singer?
L.C: I actually grew up in church and was surrounded by singers who inspired me. I always knew that I wanted to have a career where music was involved some how. It’s my drug.

Who inspired you musically?
Well, as for gospel singers I’d say the Clark Sisters and Fred Hammond. Secular artist, it’ll have to be Michael Jackson, definitely, Ne-Yo, Justin Timberlake and The Neptunes and Timberland for producers.

How many places have you lived? I see on your My space fan page that you’ve listed NJ, NYC, ATL, and LA.
Haha… those are just places I’ve visited frequently. I was actually born in New Jersey. My entire family moved to North Carolina where I grew up for most of my youth but I moved back to Jersey to pursue my music career. I performed a lot in Atlanta at one point. I’m kinda based in New York now, it’s where I am most of the time, performing, networking, building my brand and working on my upcoming EP to be released on Oct. 19th.

What makes you different from other artists? What can you bring to the table?
I would say that most artists are a product of management, a product of the label. I have a lot of creative control because I’ve worked for myself. I have a great management and PR team now but before they existed I’ve managed myself, created my style. I’m the business.

Do you write and produce your own songs?
Yes, I co-write and produce. I work with lots of great writers and producers such as Jamelle Jones, Kevin “KJ” Johnson, Midi Mafia, The Bundies, The Inkrediblez, Brian Neal among others.

With album sales decreasing and a saturated music industry, do you feel any pressure to be better than other artists? To beat out the odds?
Yeah, I do feel pressure but I want to be among the list of artists that are selling. Its about supply and demand. I have a growing fan base. The demand already exist. I’ve gotten so many people give good feedback, people wanting more music. It there’s a following I believe the album will sell itself.

Where do you see yourself in the music industry in years to come?
I want to be someone who stays in their lane. I respect other artists who are out right now but I want to be different. I wanna cross over.

Who would you like to work with, as far as artists who’ve inspired you?
Brandy, definitely Brandy. Vocally, I compliment her. There is no one who sounds like her. Others, Jay Z, Rihanna, Kanye, Lady Gaga, Fall Out Boys and Maroon 5.

You wet to this year’s Hip Hop Honors. What was that experience like?
For years, I watched award shows on television but to be at one and be sitting behind people like Rick Rubin, Russell Simmons, Grandmaster Flash, and DMX I was like a kid in a candy store.

What would you like people to know about you that they don’t already know?
That I’m left handed, haha… I like to draw, I’m a people’s person, and that I’m a down to earth person.

Any closing statements; bits of information?
Download “Detox”, it’s the leading single off the EP. You can find it on I-tune, Amazon, Yahoo, My Space. You can hit me up on Twitter, My space, and Facebook. Look out for my EP dropping October 19th and thank everyone whose supported me. Tell your family and friends about me, haha…