Daily Discovery: Vintage Lee

Image via Vintage Lee
Image via Vintage Lee

Image via Vintage Lee

Daily Discovery is a feature that highlights a new or recently discovered artist who we’re excited about. See the rest of our Daily Discoveries here.


Vintage Lee is a healthy reminder that nothing tops a great voice. Raw, unrefined, and new to the scene, the Boston-bred rapper’s only official release (last fall’s “Right Now”) proved her more charismatic than artists five years her senior.

Still a teenager, Lee began to funnel her focus toward music less than ten months ago. She quickly found herself on the receiving end of cosigns and compliments from the city’s crop of rising stars, and her latest emphasizes why.

“Hennythings Possible,” premiered below, is built for nighttime escapades. Vintage goes on the offensive, addressing life’s distractions before phasing them out and jetting toward progress. Virginia producer Tee-WaTT laces a strong bass line with chilling, isolated piano keys. The effect is one of suspense, making Lee’s loose flows and barbed lyrics all the more striking. Unpolished but brimming with potential, we’re looking forward to her next moves.

Head below for Lee’s second-ever single, “Hennythings Possible,” and read our interview with the rising artist while you’re at it. Stay tuned for what’s to come.


Image via Vintage Lee
Image via Vintage Lee

Image via Vintage Lee


You released your first official single last fall and it made some waves in Boston. What’s transpired in the months since, and where did your music journey begin?
Since the drop of “Right Now” last fall, I’ve been working on defining my sound and just figuring out what works for me. I’ve been rapping for a while now, like in middle school I would freestyle on the bus rides with all the homies or freestyle in the kitchen while someone made a beat on the table. I started hitting the studio here and there when I was a freshman in high school, but I didn’t start taking it seriously until last summer.

The play on pronunciation aside, what do you attribute the confident optimism to that’s shown in the hook? Have Boston’s recent successes inspired you as an artist and resident?
The optimism that came across in the hook came naturally because I feel it represents my personality. I’m a positive person and I like to crack a lot of jokes, but at the same time I’m always going to keep it player and do me. So hennythings possible. The success in Boston definitely inspired me as an artist. I get to see guys like [Big] Leano, [Cousin] Stizz, OG [Swaggerdick], [Michael] Christmas, and a bunch of other artists in the city pushing limits and really living their dream. So seeing their success gave me a little extra push to do my thing. As a resident it’s nice to see Boston’s reputation going up. That’s lit.

Real quick, do you have a go-to joke you’d be willing to let the masses in on? Or any memories of you being a prankster?
[Laughs] I can’t say too many online. My freshman year in high school, during physics class, I typed Three 6 Mafia’s “Slob On My Knob” lyrics into Google Translate, then we pressed play. The teacher came over while the computer was saying, “Check in with me and do your job, lay on the bed and give me head,” and then from there if you know the song, you’re hip to how it goes after. After the whole verse finished I was sent to the principle with the printed lyrics. My mom was tight.

Have those Boston artists offered you advice that you really took to heart?
Yeah, OG and Micheal gave me tips after my first show on how to control my own set, that was dope that they came out. Whenever I see them it’s love and they tell me to just keep doing my thing and to be excited about the journey. Stizz has definitely been hella helpful. If I have a question about something, he’ll hit me back with knowledge. Or if I just made a song, he’ll play it and give me his opinions. The feedback that I receive is what I take to heart the most, because I can always build from it.

“Right Now” and “Hennythings Possible” (low-key Kevin Garnett reference?) have different sounds but similar charisma and attitude. What do you want listeners to feel when they hear your work?
[Laughs] No KG reference. When people hear my music I want them to feel their inner player coming out. That feeling of “I can do anything.. if I want it then I’m gonna go get it” I want people to feel a different energy. Something to vibe out to and have fun with.

Do most of your influences come from a very modern era, or are some rooted in childhood or your folks’ generation?
I think most of my influences come from my childhood era. I was put on to Pimp C, Eazy-E, and Snoop really early, shoutout to my sister. That era definitely influenced me, they all had the juice and their styles were crazy. My mom played a lot of Rick James, big influence as well. Lil Wayne too.

Can you recount the story behind this song’s creation, working with Tee-WaTT?
Yeah, so before I went to the studio I had the first half of the hook done, and the second half came naturally because of the zone I was in. I had a cup of Hennessy in my hand while I was recording and I felt great so “Hennythings Possible” came out. I like to ride around Roxbury while I listen to beats, that helped the creation of the song as well.

Working with Tee-WaTT is always turnt. We were on facetime and ended up working on the beat. We started from scratch with the piano, worked on the bass, and then vibed out from there.

Do you feel any added pressure as one of the only woman hip-hop artists in Boston? Was there ever a time where people doubted you because of gender?
Nah, I don’t feel any added pressure being one of the few female artists in the city. People overlook my gender and listen to the music because I’m not what you would expect from the typical “female rapper.” My style and the way I carry myself isn’t what you would expect.

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