DX: Is it harder for you to write a song for yourself than for other artists, because you know they say sometimes we are our own toughest critics?
Ryan Leslie: I say I never look at writing music as a difficulty; it’s always when you’re thinking about it too hard or trying too hard, nine times out of 10 you can hear it in the finished product. So for me, I really just let things flow. I’ve been fortunate that people respond to my music. It’s really not hard work. The real hard work is, ya know, promoting the record and exposing it and marketing it. But the actual creation of the music is something that’s so innate and something that’s so apart of me, to me now it’s like an extension of me. It’s like breathing almost.

DX: Earlier you said you’re an academic. I’m curious to know what made you choose Harvard?
Ryan Leslie: What made me choose Harvard? You mean besides the fact that it’s historically the best university in the world…

DX: Let me explain. I ask this because you are in the music industry and Harvard isn’t known for a strong music program... Did you go into the school knowing the music industry was one you wanted to get into?
Ryan Leslie: Well it was many different reasons for me choosing Harvard. First and foremost, just the historical reputation of the university was an immediate draw. I had applied to two other top tier private schools, Yale and Stanford; Stanford had accepted me. Yale had not, they felt I was too young and wanted me to do another year in high school. I got into Harvard as a Junior in high school. I had applied to several different medical programs. I went to college initially with the idea and aspiration of being a brain surgeon. I got into a couple other California medical schools as well, but my father suggested Harvard because he felt that Harvard would allow me to spread my wings as a young adult and get out of my parents hair, so to speak. We were just moving to Sacramento at the time, so if I went to Stanford I would be 45 minutes away from home, and probably, most likely, would come home every weekend. Now that Harvard is clear across the United States, my dad felt that it would give me a chance to learn and grow and much to their chagrin, with that independence came the realization that I wanted to pursue music. That was in my freshman year and after spending 30 hours a week in a rickety studio in the basement of my dorms teaching myself the basics, I was on academic probation three times during my Harvard career, I ended up changing my major. Which ended up having more of a focus on Political Science and Economics; they were also on the graduate level so we met once a week. This gave me more time to devote to music.

DX: Now that you have an album coming out, do you consider yourself Ryan Leslie the artist solely or are you still planning on being Ryan Leslie the producer, executive and artist?
Ryan Leslie: Yes, I think all of those things make me who I am. I would not be me if any of those things were missing at all. In my opinion I am all of those things in one. Producer, songwriter, entrepreneur, I am definitely exploring the boundaries of music and new media and what they mean combined in the changing industry. All of those things sort of play into how I express myself creatively; I am always just going to remain me, being myself and all of those things in one.

DX: Since you seem to be so well versed in the aspect of the music industry. You know many different aspects of the industry from an artist prospective and the business side. How do you handle yourself within the industry? Do you feel like you can manage yourself?
Ryan Leslie: I have a team around me and I also have an internship program where really I hand pick some of the most talented young people from around the world to lend their talent, time and creativity to what I’m building at NextSelection. Combine that with an attorney and manager whom I’ve worked with for quite a long time, I really feel like I’ve got a great team. The object for us is to create, at the end of the day, the best art that we possibly can create; and, also to really promote a positive role model, imagery or concept within music and art. My pedigree as an academic and sort of as a good kid, non-drinker, non-smoker and hard worker definitely had dealt with my own short comings and faults and I am aware of those. It has happened not even with music but just personally sort of exemplify this level of humanity that people can relate to and still entertain them with great art.

DX: On YouTube you have a video with one of your interns. How do you go about finding interns? What does it take to work with Ryan Leslie?
Ryan Leslie: It really just takes a degree of dedication, discipline, drive and desire. Somebody has to really want to understand all of the different aspects of the music industry, well, the entertainment industry and how it relates to technology. Social networking, whether it be through MySpace or YouTube, have been great tools in sort of giving young people a chance at creating virtual business cards. I am consistently inundated with messages, e-mails and different videos from YouTube that inspire me. When I see someone that is really dedicated, driven and has the desire and discipline that I think exemplifies or applies to what we’re doing at NextSelection, I reach out to those people, or sometimes they reach out to me and I’ll respond and I invite them to come and be a part of a 24 hour workday at NextSelection. There have been a few that haven’t really made the cut, but the ones that have made the cut have gone on to do some really incredible things. Continued on page 3 »