Mychelle Lee

“I was scared...the only girl in a group of guys, my clothes way too big! Someone gave me the mic and even though I only remembered the first few lines, I freestyled the rest and got a standing ovation!” This is what D.C. based MC Mychelle Lee remembers of her first live show as an inexperienced 13 year old rapper with big dreams.

Influenced by music icons MC Lyte, Missy Elliot, Sade, KRS One, Lupe Fiasco, Nas, A Tribe Called Quest and Jay Z, a young Mychelle fell in love with Hip Hop when her mother gave her a book about the culture, suggesting she learn about the history of the art form she had begun showing a serious interest in. Inspired by DJ Kool Herc and other pioneers, Mychelle felt she had finally found a home in Hip Hop culture as graffiti, djing, breaking and rapping captured her imagination. It wouldn't be long before Mychelle put pen to paper and crafted her first song.

“For about a year, I had the Black Album, The Low End Theory, Nirvana, Nothing is Sound, City of Evil, The Absolute Best of the Doors and Hypnotize by System of a Down in constant rotation, one after the other. That was the time where I really started to understand how much I wanted to be in music.”

Over the next few years, Mychelle studied the culture intensively while paying her dues rocking shows at various school events. Honing her talent, she committed herself to being a positive voice for Hip Hop and wrote what she calls “Life Music”, tackling real issues that the average person can easily relate to. Over time, her hard work paid off as she began winning talent shows and building a small but dedicated fan base. It was now time for her to focus on producing her first mixtape.

“I didn't know what I was doing. I bought equipment and recorded everything myself. I went online, did my research and learned from those who were successful at it.” Unfortunately, during the recording process, Mychelle fell gravely ill and was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, which causes the body's immune system to attack the stomach. As if her world hadn't already been dramatically turned upside down, READ MORE