Vol. 2 WE SOLD OVER 100 COPIES OF LECHE VOL. 2 AND THAT IS THANKS TO ALL OF OUR LOYAL LECHE MEMBERS AND TO THE NEWCOMERS! NOW WE’RE ON OUR THIRD VOLUME WHICH IS CRAZYTOTHINKABOUT,WHYSTOP AT 3 THOUGH? LET’S KEEP IT GOING. BUTFORNOW,ENJOY.-MUCHLOVE FROM LECHE TO THE READERS <3
Inside Volume 3
Hi everyone it’s good to be back for our third installment. In this volume, we had the great opportunity to meet and work with amazing new characters. Luckily for you, you will get to read about them and understand why they have gotten to where they are today. You will learn about a rising hip-hop artist from the DMV area that goes by the name of Ashlee White. Kathleen Heily, someone who has been modeling passionately in order to make her dreams come true. Lastly Hector, also known as Hex, talks about his personal life and how he started his brand Elusive Studios. In volume 3, we also decided to interact with our supporters in our Submissions by the People section. Everyone deserves for their work to be shown off! Thank you for opening volume 3 of Leche Magazine, enjoy!- Leche
Leche Photos
What are the people listening to?
Bad BunnyUn Verano Sin Ti
DrakeHonestly Nevermind
EurozDon’t Forget The Z
Brent FaiyazWASTELAND
Lil Uzi VertRED & WHITE
there to brainstorm new ideas with me. When I need
let anything stop me from achieving OUR dream.
LECHE canvas by Uyiosa Omoruyi/@yosas_atlas
The Peoples Place canvas by Matt Nolan/@tiquesandfleas
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.
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.
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
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!
by Gabe Bautista/@Hablao_
PHOTOGRAPHY: RAFA GOLD
WORDS: LUCAS FRANCO
INSTAGRAM: KATHLEENHEILY MSHA.KE/KATHLEENHEILY
Kathleen Hailey is a twenty-twoyear-old fashion model who grew up in Manassas, Virginia. She has now been modeling for over two years, and at her young age has already walked in several prestigious fashion shows. Since 2019, she has walked in New York Fashion Week, D.C Fashion Week, Richmond Fashion Week, and Foster Beauty Fashion, and will be walking in L.A Fashion Week in October of 2022.
She also had the opportunity to be on the front cover of Maxi Magazine in 2021, as well as being featured in Elegant Magazine and Glammier Magazine in 2022.
Her passion for modeling is one that she wishes to continue for years and years to come, as her love for it only continues to grow. With this passion of hers, Kathleen worked with Leche Magazine for their third installment to show off the various looks she can pull off!
FIRSTOFFLETMEINTRODUCEMYFIRSTGUESTHEX,THECREATOROFELUSIVESTUDIOS, ANDTHANKYOUTOLECHEMAGFORALLOWINGMETOCONDUCTTHISINTERVIEW.GO CHECKTHEMOUTONINSTAGRAM@LECHE.MAG,THEYDOINGBIGTHINGSOVERTHERE.
BONI:SO,LET’STAKEITWAYBACKTOTHEBEGINNING,WHERE’DYOUGROWUP,AND WHATWASTHEENVIRONMENTLIKE?
HEX: I grew up in Manassas Virginia and ever since I could remember, I’ve always lived in a household of 8 or 9 people. It’s practically always been like that my whole life, and just now am I getting out of that environment. Living with that many people is definitely hectic. I thought it was normal to live with that many people which included my siblings, uncles, and aunts, it was always a caring environment though.
B:WHATTYPEOFKIDWEREYOUGROWINGUP?
H: I always kept to myself, but I did my rowdy shit on the low. I wasn’t a known troublemaker, but if there was trouble then it was probably me.
H: It was more my early years, my parents weren’t really around so they wouldn’t see what I was getting into. I was just doing my own thing and trying to guide myself.
B:WHATWEREYOULIKEINMIDDLESCHOOLANDHIGHSCHOOL?
H: Definitely a lot less lowkey, I started getting a bit rowdier towards any type of adult, administration, or authority.
B:INHIGHSCHOOLYOUSTARTEDTOGETTHEVISIONFORELUSIVE,WHATWERE THOSEFIRSTIMAGESLIKE?
H: I’ve always fucked with clothes, but art in general. I’ve always liked certain designs or colors that stood out to me. As a kid I was always looking at the magazines and fast forward to High School, I start thinking that I could start up something myself.
B:WHEREDIDYOUGETTHEWORDELUSIVEFROM?
H: In my freshman year I had an English class, and they had the vocabulary of the week. It was Mrs. Stern’s class, shoutout Mrs. Stern even though I don’t think she liked me. But yeah, on the third or fourth week, the word Elusive came up and I thought it was so cool. It sounded cool and it looked cool, so I thought it would look perfect on a shirt.
B:WHATMUSICWEREYOULISTENINGTOBACKINHIGHSCHOOL?
H: Back then it was a lot of rap for sure and so many new Soundcloud rappers were popping up. The majority of the time it was A$AP Rocky though, but you also had 21 Savage just popping out the cut and the same thing with Kodak. On the side, you also had MadeinTYO, Comethazine, and all these underground rappers.
B:WHENDIDTHESTREETELEMENTPARTOFYOURLIFECOMEINTOPLAY?
H: By the time my grandparents were taking care of me I was already older. On the weekends I would wake up, go out, skate, come back home to eat, then go back out for the rest of the day until the sun sets. And honestly, I was getting into bullshit every day.
B:HOWWERETHOSEEARLYSKATINGDAYS?
H: We were skaters man, we just wanted to skate. Other people saw it as us making a ruckus but we were just doing our thing. Those days were fun though, the early skate scene in Manassas was pretty fire and it still is.
B:GOINGOUTTOSKATE,DIDYOUEVERSEECRAZYTHINGSTHAT YOU’VENEVERSEENBEFORE?
H: One time we were on the metro going to DC to skate since we had enough cash to make the trip. This lady was sitting next to me, and she was on full tweak mode. She starts tapping on me to see if she could borrow my phone. I’m pretty sure she was popping pills right in front of us too.
B:FASTFORWARDTOWHENYOUSTARTEDTOMAKESHITWITH ELUSIVE,WHATWERETHEFIRSTTHINGSYOUWEREDOING?
H: When I first started it was just basic screen printing on the blank Hanes beefy tees. That’s what was in my budget at the time. I was just making basic designs on photoshop because I was learning as I went.
B:IREMEMBERINHIGHSCHOOLPEOPLEHADTHELANYARDSAND THATWASREALLYPOPPING.WHENYOUSTARTEDTOMAKETHOSE, WHATWASYOURFIRSTREACTION?
H: Seeing the lanyards was pretty crazy because it was like “yo people are actually wearing this shit.” It’s funny because back then it was Elusive Clothing and now, I’m like “throw that away.” At first, it was just a throwaway, but then I wanted to see if people would fuck with them.
B:ANDEVERYONEWASFUCKINGWITHTHEM!
B:YOUMENTIONEDTHATITUSEDTOBEELUSIVECLOTHINGTHENYOUSWITCHEDITTOELUSIVESTUDIOS. NOWWHENPEOPLESAYELUSIVESTUDIOS,WHATDOYOUWANTPEOPLETOENVISIONWHENTHEYSAYIT?
Hex asks his friend, Christion , what he thinks of Elusive Studios when he thinks about it.
Christion: When I think of Elusive, I think of video production and being in professional settings where you create and shoot. At the same time trying to push a product but an elegant one. When I think of Elusive Studios, it means that not everyone knows about it, it’s underground and for those that are hip, are hip, and for those that aren’t, aren’t.
B:ONYOURINSTAGRAMYOUWERETRAVELINGTOSEATTLEANDLA,WEREYOUGETTINGINSPIRATIONFROM THESECITIES?
H: I was definitely drawing inspiration, but each specific city has its own culture. I wanted to pick something from each one and I see that as scrapbooking in a way.
B:NOWWITHELUSIVESTUDIOSBEINGONEOFYOURMAINFOCUSES,WHATISCOMINGNEXTFORYOU?
H: I just want to keep getting better with my pieces man. I want to keep improving and not lose my momentum. Something that has always been in my mind is quality over quantity and I want to keep it that way.
B: IF YOU EVER HAD ANYONE IN YOUR EAR BEING NEGATIVEABOUTYOURDREAM,WHATADVICEWOULD YOUGIVETOTHEPEOPLE?
H: Just keep doing you. If you know where your heart is at, then you just have to keep going.
“Someone took a chance on my photography for the first time”
VICTORIA CAMPOS
“This photo expresses self love for all women who do not represent the stereotypical European beauty standards that society pressures us into. Growing up in a predominant white environment it is hard to not compare yourself to a white barbie. I pray the lack of representation of women with different cultures, identities, disabilities, body types in schools, society, and social media diminishes.”
NICHOLAS WONG
INSTAGRAM - THE NWONG
EMAIL - NWONG5566@GMAIL.COM
“This is south riding skate park, it isn’t the best park here in virginia but it’s still home. The people here are the highlight of this place, i’ve seen locals come and go but all of them hold a special place in my heart. I came to this place at a time in my life where I had no where to go. The people were accepting of me and anyone else that came by, so I stuck around and skated with them. They taught me a lot, they introduced me to new music, art, and even got me into photography. So if you ever have the time to swing by, we’ll be happy to skate with you. This is a thank you to south riding skate park and its locals, old and new.”
MARCUS HAWKINS
EVILINFERNOSTUDIOS
“This picture means a lot to me because it shows my friends enjoying themselves at an event, also they supported me during a performance before I took that picture so it means a lot that they were there for me to give a great performance with their support while also enjoying themselves.”
“This photo was taken on the first “nice” day in Ohio after a long winter. Life was beautiful. Taken in a park, there were families all around enjoying the 70 degree weather. Everything was perfect in Ohio. Yet... Russia declared war on Ukraine days earlier but life felt so blissful. Hunde, the model in the photo, and I have been friends for a while before this photo, but on this day we had conversations about existence and the frame of society. This photo means so much to me because it symbolizes reality. Two teenagers enjoying a peaceful day while the world is in shambles. Although having a dark story, this photo always makes me smile because it symbolizes myself trying to make the best out of every day, despite the events of the world.”
Paola R. Flores
INSTAGRAM - PAOLA0429
“This picture represents how we are standing in the center of changes, new beginnings, and still choosing to rise, stand tall, and music being what touches, the hearts, and souls of many. In 2018- I met Cali. A latino, with a story of passion, hardship, grit, and just needing a chance to begin again. His passion to create, and make music. Cali dreams that one day his music will be played on the radio, and to bring people of all walks of life together. “When you find what ignites your soul you live it out completely.””
Bucky Malone
INSTAGRAM - BUCKYMALONE703
Willie Gomez
INSTAGRAM - WILLIEDEANPHOTOGRAPHY
“This photo was taken of Bucky Malone wearing a rare EarthAAngel mask. It was shot by Willie Gomez. The significance of this photo is the intensity of Bucky’s stare, even with his face being mostly covered his presence is felt. It went on to become the photo used for the cover of his single “FR.””
Devan Duarte
INSTAGRAM - DEVANASHLYPHOTOGRAPHY
EMAIL - DEVAN.DUARTE@YAHOO.COM
“This photo means a lot to me because it was the first session I had after choosing to leave my steady full time job and follow my dreams of being a full time photographer. For the first time in a long time I chose my joy and my truth over fear. It is so easy to become comfortable in what you’re in and what you have been used to for so long. This was at a time in my life when I knew I needed to be honest with myself about what truly fills my heart and part ways with the parts of myself that had grown callus to life. I think we all find ourselves in the “phone booth” at some point in our lives when we have finally had enough mediocrity. With courage we find ourselves ready to make the call to God to get us out of where we are so we can finally begin to create the life we’ve always wanted. This is a representation of that. Of calling on God and stepping out in faith.”
“Leche is art”
Caitlin Crowe
Josh Dungo
- JAW.SH
“The sun will always rise. No matter where you are in the world. We are all under the same one. Everyone on this planet has the same 24 hours. You always have a choice on how you want to view the world around you. It starts with every morning and applies to every moment. Even on cloudy days, the blazing ball of energy is still above us. It is no blessing in disguise - just a Great Gift from God for the world to share. It is all connected somehow - the energy flows throughout the universe. We are all blessed in this life. An everlasting changing experience.”
Josh Dungo
“There is an art and power to acceptance. To flow like water is a concept worth thinking about for everyone. Being able to understand that you have a choice to control your emotions and mind at any given moment brings immense strength. Flowing like water - is the way I’ve learned how to handle what ever life throws at me. It is not easy. It is an everyday challenge. Instead of resisting whatever it is you’re dealing with (the good and the bad) - I’ve learned how to sharpen my focus on the things that I can control. The current situation you’re in - will pass. No wave is ever the same. What may seem rough at first can turn into a beautiful lesson for your future self.”
