Brisbane rapper Lee EmCee has recently released his debut EP 'Society Trap', a record some five years in the making.
Lee EmCee has been writing and rapping since 2005 and released mixtapes in 2010 and 2013. But it's the release of 'Society Trap' where he feels he's developed his own voice and style as an artist.
“To be honest, I don’t think I found myself until this recent album,” Lee says.
"I'm happy with where I am as an artist and this sort of style is what I'm going to keep doing."
“The two mixtapes were really personal and stories about stuff that has happened in my life and this new record, I guess you could say I had a bit of an awakening and I saw the world in a different light when I started writing it a few years ago.
“I went through a bunch of sh*t to get there, and for me I try to bring a more positive approach to hip hop and try to have positive messages throughout each song. That's mainly what sets me apart.”
For 'Society Trap', Lee has built the record around what's becoming a well-trodden conceptual path – a commentary on the ills of the modern world.
“The EP is called 'Society Trap', so it's more about how the world we live in is run by corrupt governments and politicians that are hypnotising everybody to believe in the things they want us to believe in and doing the things they want us to do.
“The main message to the album is to open your eyes to see what's actually going on, question everything and not to take the word of the television [sic],” he explains.
Lee also says he took advantage of the opportunity afforded by making an EP to develop further, and further formulate a direction for his art moving forward. “A lot more thought and time went into planning for the EP because for the mixtapes I just found a beat I liked and wrote to it.
"I didn't even think or plan or brainstorm any subjects, I just got the pen out and whatever came to my head I wrote down on the page and that was the end. I didn't really review, I just recorded it.
“For the EP, I didn't know the album name until the last song, but I knew I wanted to build a concept for the album and build songs around that concept. It started with conspiracy theories and corruption, and that grew into 'Society Trap'.”
Working in this way meant the EP took a lot longer to make than originally planned, but has resulted in a final product that Lee says provides a more realistic vision for the type of music he wants to produce. “I think I started writing this project in late-2013, so it's been going a long time to be honest because I've developed so much in that period,” he says.
“I think I rewrote one of the songs six times just because my skills kept developing and getting stronger as well as my flow and lyrics. I can safely say I found the point where I'm happy with where I am as an artist and this sort of style is what I'm going to keep doing.
“I'm definitely still growing and every song that I'm writing is better than the last one maturity-wise and skill-wise, so I definitely wouldn't say I've reached my pinnacle but the sort of style I'm going with I'm pretty happy with that; I just need to develop the lyric skills and flow skills even further.”
With the EP released last month, Lee is currently looking forward to the live record launch in Brisbane, which will be his first-ever headline show after years as a support act. “The show is a long time coming and I'm super excited to be honest,” Lee says.
“I [booked] the show about a month later than the album release, so I could continue the hype for it and give everyone a chance to listen to it. It's technically my first headline event because I've only ever been the support act, so the fact I'm going to be the last one on the bill to play is a good feeling as well. It's going to be a great night.”
