Meet Leo Lysius: An Afrobeats Pusher And Music Executive

Leo Lysius, a Brooklyn raised lover of music, has created MusicXclusives, LLC and ImagesbyLeo. A full service platform to give talented unknowns of today a space to become your favorites of the future. At his Brooklyn location office, an artist can drop by for an interview, receive consultation, book studio or rehearsal time, or even possibly be a featured guest on their new podcast. In this article, Leo reflects upon his eye for emerging talent and his development plans to help further an artists’ career. Having already worked with artists such as: 112, Foxy Brown, DreamDoll, Day26 and Ron Suno at the start of their careers. Leo Lysius, shares how he is always looking to develop the next star.

MusicXclusives, LLC., the brain child of Leo Lysius, started 12 years ago with a MySpace Page. His dream was to showcase his love of 90s R&B music, where he was captivated by everything from the sound, to the fashion, music videos and the personas. Leo cites Sean “Diddy” Combs as one of his role models, and he used the business acumen that Combs portrays to help him develop his own dream. Though the initial vision of MusicXclusives was to feature the 90s R&B artists such as Brandy, Mary J.Blige, Total, Faith Evans, and 112. Leo saw there was room to grow and he sought to connect with others who shared his love of music. This prompted Leo to work in the music industry interning at various labels, becoming a songwriter, holding management positions and building his own industry relationships from the ground up.

Who is Leo Lysius?

I’m a Haitian-American born entrepreneur from Brooklyn, New York who grew up with an affinity and passion for the arts at a very young age. I fell in love with music as far as I can remember and began as a creative as an early teenager. I went to school and was a Fine Arts major dabbling in Television Production by my sophomore year of high school, where I fell in love with the camera, film and editing. My eye for photography also cultivated over the years, which also transitioned into me becoming a songwriter and understanding the music business, I tried my hand at being an artist and being in boy bands at one time, which later turned into artist management and talent scouting. Overall, I’m a pretty well rounded individual and have gained so much knowledge being in the entertainment industry. Most importantly, I’m a passionate person, I enjoy music and I have an eye/ear for talent when I come across it. I grew up in a single-parent household raised by my mother and two sisters. My father left when I was a teenage so I didn’t have his guidance as a young black boy growing up. I had to do a lot of soul searching on my own. We didn’t grow up in poverty but we weren’t rich or wealthy either. I was always self driven and went after the things I wanted in life. Never had any real support system outside of what I created. I’m just a young Caribbean black man who had to figure things out on his own. Luckily, I never did or sold drugs, didn’t experience peer pressure as a child and kept a tunnel vision on my dreams and aspirations growing up.

What was growing up like? And in what city did you have your early beginnings?

I didn’t have a silver spoon growing up. I wasn’t a spoiled child. I had a pretty simple up bringing. My mom was very big on education and getting a degree in order to become somebody one day. If that meant going to school to be a doctor, lawyer etc. My dream was never to do neither. I was always into music and being creative. I used to draw back in school, which later developed into my talents today. I grew up in Flatbush, a part of Brooklyn where a lot of famous people got their start. It’s also home to a lot of West Indian and Caribbean families from the islands.

What motivated you to delve into the world of entertainment?

Great question. I’m not exactly sure what motivated me, but I know my dad had a background in music growing up in Haiti. He was part of a band and was a musician. I’m guessing it was inherited so maybe that’s where I got my inspiration from as a kid. I just knew early on that I wanted to be in the music industry and as time progressed, I started to find my calling and purpose.

What is the toughest part of your job?

Well, I can say that being an entrepreneur and a boss isn’t an easy task at all. When you’re a leader of a team, you call all the shots but everything falls on you at the end of the day. For me, the hardest part of my job is sometimes the strategic decision making and having to micromanage an entire staff at times. Although, having your own business can be rewarding overall, there are still days where you have to be sold person to hold it together in order for the operation to run smooth. And at times, when you have little to no help, it can be pretty tough and draining on you. But you have to wake up everyday with the eagerness and drive to keep going no matter what is happening.

What’s your favorite album and why does the project standout for you?

Wow. Okay, I’m a huge 90’s kid. There were a few favorites growing up. Mary J. Bilge’s ‘My Life’ is one of my all-time favorite R&B albums, then there’s 112’s self-titled debut album, so I can’t really choose one. But since Mary was the very first artist I discovered as a child, I’ll go with her.

What advice would you give to youngsters who would love to chase a career in music?

I love this question. I’m very big on the youth and educating them on the business. I would have to say make sure this is a career path you truly are passionate about and ask yourself why. There’s nothing wrong with chasing a career in music as long as your heart is in it, but most importantly you have to study the business of music cause that’s where your success will come. These days, talent alone will only get you so far, but if you’ve done your homework and research, then you’re setting yourself up to win. Pick up a book and learn about record contracts and what they entail, find out about performing rights organizations, royalties, how to find a good lawyer, copyright laws, etc. The more you know about business, the better you will succeed in it.

You’ve become a strong supporter of Afrobeats. How did your love for the genre come to be and where do you see the genre heading to globally in the next five years?

I caught onto the Afrobeats wave a little late in the game. Once I realized how big of a niche market it was, and how a lot of the music was actually good, I was sold. I recently help curate a playlist for my platform MusicXclusives and saw the impact the culture had on its kind. It was very impressive. The genre has been rapidly evolving and crossing over into mainstream where the artists are now getting global recognition on Billboard and Grammy nominations as well as BET Awards and more. I believe in the next five years Afrobeats will become one of the biggest genres out of Africa and do what Latin has been doing for quite some time now. I can definitely see more American artists collaborating and incorporating the sound into their music the same way R&B and Hip Hop merged over the years.

Are you a religious person?

I’m not a religious person. I consider myself spiritual more than anything. I certainly believe in God and that there’s a higher power, who is the creator of all things and hence why we’re here. I’m thankful everyday because of that.

What’s the highest point of your career as an industry player?

That’s a very interesting and loaded question. Hmm. I’d have to say the highest point of my career could be at this very moment or maybe at a later time. I feel like I’ve reached a few milestones but still have ways to go. I’ve inspired a lot of people on my journey but I still have aspirations to do so much more in my career. I’m humbled by that. I’ve put in so much work and grind over the years, but I’m really just getting started. 2023 I feel like will certainly solidify my position in this industry if I continue on the path God has me on. I really want to make a major impact on lives and leave a beautiful legacy behind.

I see you have a great background in music, can you tell me what led to the creation of MusicXclusives?

The idea of MusicXclusives came around during the MySpace era in the late 2000’s. I launched the platform in April of 2010 with a website and YouTube channel at the time to help support new talent and provide a space where they could be heard and seen. With the expertise I had already accumulated, I knew how to promote and market talent to an audience that I built. The internet just made it easier to get the message across to the world. We started out interviewing artists and featuring them on our blog early on. Once we started to build, we then developed relationships with publicists, managers, labels which lead to covering various events, release parties, festivals etc. But the idea I initially started with my love for music and talent discovery.

When writing about artists, what is that it-factor/trait that you look for in an emerging artist before covering them?

I’m looking for talent first then image, but overall, the complete package. You must have the star ability and “it” factor in order to gain my interest. Your presentation has to be on point. If you’re a singer, can you really sing and hold a note. If you’re a rapper, what is your storytelling and songwriting skill like? Are you relatable? Are you marketable? I’m looking for appeal and if there’s room for you. Ultimately, you have to be unique and not a replica of someone else. Be authentic. Be yourself.

What advice would you give to emerging creatives?

Keep dreaming. Keep striving. Build a tough skin. This industry isn’t easy. You’re going to get a lot of no’s but don’t give up if this is something you truly want to pursue. Wake up everyday with the drive and tenacity to go harder than the day before. When you’re an African American or minority, you have to work twice as hard so don’t crumble. Put the work and effort in. Timing is everything. If you feel in your heart and soul this is your destiny, your time will come. Keep God first and foremost and he’ll take care of the rest.

Before we round up our chat, I’d like to know if you’ve had any weird or awkward moment while covering any music event?

[Laughs] I’ve covered so many events over the past 12 years but I’d have to say awkward moments are when my team and I are backstage and a fight breaks out between artists, entourage or if we’re somewhere we’re not supposed to be and have been told by PR that we can’t be there in that designated area, even though we’re trying to get the best content possible.

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