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ASHLEE WHITE

INSTAGRAM: @thecureeee @ntune.co TIKTOK: @_thecureeee LINKTR.EE/NTUNE

LECHE MAG’S NEWEST

HOTTEST

MUSCIAN

Photography by Rafa Gold

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Ashlee White, born and raised in the DMV area, has always used her surroundings and life experiences to express her inner emotions. As a poet, this came naturally to her, but one day she decided to take advantage of her natural talent. With her debut album, Chameleon, released in July of 2021, she used this as an outlet to share the words that were being written down but not being spoken out. Chameleon is not only an album that evokes pathos by putting all feelings on the table but also expresses ethos in the sense of building up the character and courage to do the right thing in a relationship for the long-term outcome. Songs like “Chameleon” emphasize trusting the intuition and not settling for less while using soft intimate sounds; this reels you in on a personal level that unlocks memories that were once forgotten despite the situation. On the other hand, songs such as “Temptations Tongue” and “Heart of Gold” explain that love is simply a byproduct of both parties sharing mutual feelings. Love is inevitable no matter how hard you fight it, and Ashlee makes sure to relay this. Despite the obstacles that were being presented to her, Ashlee just saw this as her golden ticket to do what she was meant to do, express herself. “The pen was always quiet,” says Ashlee, but now Chameleon is a body of work that is screaming for all the words that were staying silent. With now over 200,000 listens across all streaming platforms, we got the opportunity to get on a Zoom call with Ashlee White to get an insight into her past, present, and future. ________________________________________________

LECHE : Ashlee White, this is big this has been in the

works for a VERY long time. We’re super excited to learn more about you, welcome!

ASHLEE : Yes, I’m so glad to be here, thanks for having me. LECHE : We won’t hold you for long so let’s get

straight into it.

Q : GROWING UP, WHAT MUSICIANS WERE AN INSPIRATION TO YOU? A: I love this question, I grew up listening to musicians

like Jamie Foxx, Chris Brown, Usher, and Erykah Badu. I was listening to these musicians as an extension of my family and of course growing up in the DMV we were listening to Go-Go music. But my favorite musician has to be Drake.

Q : WHAT WAS THE FIRST SONG YOU WROTE AND WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE?

A: The first song I ever wrote was in college. I wrote it

alongside one of my best friends and he’s an artist as well, his name is Geesus Shuttlesworth. He’s the reason that I started music in the first place. We wrote a song called Love and Other Drugs that is still on SoundCloud. It’s about love and what love feels and felt like at the time. It was a concept that we wanted to build on and have fun with.

Q : HOW DO YOU THINK YOUR SOUND HAS EVOLVED SINCE YOUR FIRST TRACK?

A: When I first got into rapping, I was around a lot of people

freestyling. So, when I started, I began to rap really wordy and also mix in my own poetry. But now, I learned the difference between freestyling and making a song. That is something that changed me as an artist as I learned how to go more into depth with my words. Taking the backseat also helped me evolve, I would just listen to my friends and listen to their style of rap. I took what I liked and made my own out of it. 34

Q : IT CAN BE HARD BEING VULNERABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND “MAMA’S PRAYER”

WAS THE FIRST SONG ON YOUR SOUNDCLOUD, HOW DID IT FEEL RELEASING THAT?

A: You know what, I don’t think that I’ve had a fear of putting myself

out there. When I dropped “Mama’s Prayer,” I felt like it was for myself, and I just wanted a place where I could hear myself. It was also a place where I could keep track of my progress. At the time when I released it, it gave me the affirmation I needed when people were saying they really loved it and calling me a poet. It was really cool being a part of that.

Q : WHAT WAS THE PROCESS LIKE WHEN YOU STARTED WORKING ON YOUR DEBUT ALBUM CHAMELEON ?

A: I actually wasn’t planning on making an album when I came up with

Chameleon until Spady, my manager, and I met this guy named Ken from WeAreVA. He introduced us to the idea of possibly getting bigger and so he told us to produce as many songs as we could. From there I began to book studio time and I learned what it was like to be comfortable and learn how to maneuver there. We finally had 35 songs that my team and I looked over and we picked the ones that we loved the most. I learned that moving forward I want to be more strategic with the sound I am producing for my album.

Q : WHO WOULD YOU SAY THE AUDIENCE IS FOR CHAMELEON ? A: The audience is anybody who is open to discovering and being honest

with themselves. Also, anybody who is excited about the process that love is, whether it’s good or bad. A lot of the album is just about the different stages or the different parts of the spectrum that love is. I think a lot of people go through a lot of different things that they are not honest with themselves about, and this makes love harder and prevents people from enjoying the part of love they’re in. I want people to be excited about learning what love is. 35

Q : IS CHAMELEON A NARRATIVE OF YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES? A: Most of it is about me and I want to say there’s a couple of songs

in there where I kind of incorporated experiences from very close people around me. I also included conversations I’ve had with my friends. In the skits, it was my friends talking about the things they would personally tell me.

Q : WE WERE DOING OUR RESEARCH ON YOU AND WE RAN INTO N’TUNE. WE

WERE SUPER IMPRESSED WITH HOW ALL THE ARTISTS IN YOUR GROUP HAVE THIS OUTLET TO PRESENT THEMSELVES TO THE PUBLIC. HOW HAS N’TUNE HELPED STAYING CONNECTED EASIER?

A: It helps venues or teams to take us more seriously. It also helps us

as a group to take ourselves more seriously and when the time comes, we have something to offer. N’TUNE has also just helped me to learn how to lean on people because I started off by myself and I tried to do everything by myself. I didn’t do too well. As soon as I was surrounded by people who I trusted and who were honest with me I was growing, it became a family, and everyone was eating.

Q : WHAT WAS IT LIKE MAKING THE DECISION TO DROP A D1 BASKETBALL SCHOLARSHIP?

A: It was the hardest and best decision I made. I was a gifted basketball

player, but to be honest I didn’t work that hard to get there so it didn’t feel like I truly earned where I was. At the same time, I was discovering my voice in music, and it sounded like the most rational decision to make to get more into it. It was super hard because I was throwing myself into a world that I wasn’t used to. But it’s funny though because I didn’t stray away that far from basketball, I’m still a full-time trainer hahaha 36

JORDAN SPADY

INSTAGRAM:JRDNSPDY LINKTR.EE/JRDNSPDY

In the music industry, a lot of praise is given to the artists. Where are the manager’s flowers though? Here at Leche Mag, we are big believers that anyone contributing to the success of a team, deserves a round of applause. Jordan Spady, Ashlee White’s manager, is a person that has allowed Ashlee White to grow as an artist and as a person. When it comes to managing, Spady executes tasks such as booking shows, finding videographers, and finding artists that can be featured on Ashlee’s tracks. Not only does Spady manage Ashlee White, but he also manages Pari Blanco, another musician in the Virginia area. What makes Spady stand out though is that he doesn’t simply manage artists, he is also associated with a creative collective called N’TUNE. N’TUNE is an official business that houses creatives such as musicians, photographers, and videographers. This allows Spady to work with like-minded individuals and gain a different perspective from the various mindsets around him. This also helps him in his own career of managing.

Spady shared with us that his major goal with Ashlee is to continue to allow her to express her ideas freely and for her to have a sustainable career. We asked Spady if he thought his work as a manager is valued and he said, “Hell yeah, I get reminded often. It can be as simple as a thank you from Ashlee.” Jordan Spady may be lowkey and hidden away, but just know that he is constantly working behind the scenes giving his 100% so he and his artists can succeed and eat. Spady closed off with some words for the people,

“You have to be your biggest supporter.”

LECHE : ALRIGHT SO NOW WE’RE GOING TO GET INTO a SPEED ROUND, I HIT YOU WITH A QUESTION AND YOU GIVE ME A QUICK ANSWER.

ASHLEE : Alright let’s do it Q : WHO DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE THE STRONG CENTER OF YOUR TEAM? A: Spady, definitely Spady. Q : WHAT ARE 5 ESSENTIALS YOU CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT? A: I hate saying my phone but I’m going to say my phone, my car, my family, church and my camera.

Q : ONLY ONE ARTIST FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE… WHO? A: Drake, easy. Q : ONE SONG FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE… WHICH ONE? A: One song for the rest of my life? That’s a hard one. But if I had to choose from my instinct, Drakes “Not You Too” from Care Package.

Q : OKAY, LAST QUESTION… WHAT’S YOUR ZODIAC SIGN? A: I’m a Virgo.

Q : I WANT TO ASK A QUESTION THAT I THINK MANY ARTISTS STRAY AWAY FROM, BUT HOW STRONG OF A ROLE DOES GOD PLAY IN YOUR CAREER?

A: Everything I do is by inspiration of God. I consult with my faith for every decision

I make. My belief has taught me balance, when to create and when not to, how to be good to my friends and team, and when to be a businessperson. When I first started, people saw me as a Christian artist because of a gospel freestyle I had posted, and I got the most views from this. Something I had to learn though was how to translate my faith without throwing it into people’s faces. I think people don’t like to acknowledge God because of the perception the Christian church has formed. But overall, God is my go-to for whenever I need to make a move or need council.

Q: NOW I HAVE A QUOTE FROM YOU AND IT SAYS. “I AM NOT A BELIEVER OF LUCK. BUT I AM OF MANIFESTATION.” WHEN DO YOU BELIEVE MANIFESTATION CAME INTO EFFECT FOR YOU?

A: I believe that manifestation is at the beginning of every big vision someone has.

My big vision is for us to all have big buildings around the world where people can come and create, play basketball, perform, or whatever it is. So, manifestation will look like us saving our money or getting into touch with people that have achieved those things. Manifestation is simply us moving on the thought. When you move on something, it’s already done.

Q : BEFORE WE END THIS INTERVIEW, WHAT DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE BRINGING TO

YOU?

A: The future looks like wealth, and that isn’t me talking about money. I

mean that everyone around me will be taken care of and that the generation after me that is attached to me will be taken care of as well. I think that us as a team will have something that will last a LONG time. People will come to us for things, it can be advice or council. We just want to serve and help others.

LECHE : ASHLEE WHITE, FROM LECHE TO YOU, WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR HAVING

THIS AMAZING CONVERSATION WITH US. WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT COMES NEXT FOR YOU!

ASHLEE : Thank you for having me, it was a pleasure!