Perfect SAT score, graduated Harvard at 19, and receiving a degree in economics usually isn't a resume that leads to someone being a Grammy-nominated multiplatinum-selling producer and songwriter. For Ryan Leslie, he just couldn't be put in a box. This week he performed on NPR's Tiny Desk and reminded new fans and old fans of some of his catalogue. What's interesting about the Tiny Desk concert series is that sometimes an artist comes on, and people realize their impact may have been more than they realized. Ryan Leslie's Tiny Desk was one of those moments where that happened. His musicality is on full display especially as he transitions from Diamond Girl to Long Way 2 Go to Fly Together. He found a way to show the music he's done for himself and remind the audience of the music he's worked on for others.
While at NPR, he performed music from Ryan Leslie and Transition (received a 2011 Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album), which are his first and second projects. He also performed a couple of songs he wrote or produced. For a performance that lasts about 20 minutes, he like every artist that does Tiny Desk, has to pack enough in there that the audience here's what they like. Ryan started off as a producer and songwriter, started working in the early 2000s with Diddy at Bad Boy, and ultimately left the mainstream music scene altogether to pursue other pursuits.
What drew a lot of people to Ryan in the early days were his videos on YouTube. In 2024, most producers have producer tags that are used as identifiers when their music comes on so we know who worked on the song. In the early 2000s, it wasn't industry standard for producers to have tags, so normally people would either look it up or guess who worked on the song based on the uniqueness of the sound. Ryan Leslie left nothing up for interpretation by publishing multiple videos on YouTube of him making the music from scratch.
This method of delivering the in-studio experience changed how the audience viewed music production and elevated his public profile at the time. By watching him make the music from scratch, which at the time wasn't something that many high-profile producers were doing, once his music started to be released, there was an added level of excitement and engagement.
Notable Songs Ryan Leslie Produced/Written
Hot 2nite by New Edition
Me and U by Cassie
Addiction by Ryan Leslie
You Be Killin em by Fabolous
So Forgetful by Lloyd Banks
Check out his NPR Tiny Desk performance below.