Getting To Know Derrick Lee: Music Attorney & Blogger Extraordinaire

MusicofMyMind14

 

 

Sometimes your day job, even though it’s completely emerged in Untitledmusic, just isn’t enough to satisfy your passion. That’s when Doggy Style Records / Snoopadelic Pictures attorney Derrick Lee started his own music blog, Music Of My Mind, to express his voice on a broader range of music.


 

Q: Tell us about yourself, Derrick!

A: Well, I graduated undergrad in ’99 from Cornell University, and then took a year off to work as a paralegal at a boutique entertainment law firm in Santa Monica while trying my hand as a singer. Having limited success as singer, I took the LSAT and went to law school. After passing the bar, I became an associate and worked at the firm until ’07 when I was approached by the VP of Doggy Style Records to work in-house for them. I have worked for Snoop ever since while also taking on several other clients. Then, a year an a half ago, I started an LA based music blog (www.MusicOfMyMind14.com) which is really just a hobby that I am extremely passionate about.

 

Q: Out of everything you do, what gets you the most excited every morning?

A: MUSIC! I’ve always been able to work/study with music in the background. Virtually everyday, I put together a “soundtrack of the day” of albums (to be listened to in their entirety), and it keeps me going through heavy drafting and contract review. Right now I’m going through my vinyl collection to weed out the LPs I want to keep. Usually, the music I listen to depends on the mood I’m in. Sometimes, I’ll “Genius” an artist on iTunes and let that play all day. When an artist passes away, I’ll usually spend the day listening to the music that I have of that artist. It all depends.

 

Q: Who was the first artist you fell in love with? The one you just couldn’t get enough of, and why?

A: Well, I named my blog after Stevie Wonder’s 14th studio album, so I guess you can say that he’s the artist that I act like a groupie around. Trust me, I have several stories of me “fanboy-ing” out. But my tastes cover the entire spectrum. The first cassettes I purchased in the 4th grade (with money I earned doing household chores) were the “Back To The Future” soundtrack, Bruce Springsteen’s Born In The USA, Run DMC’s Raising Hell, The Beastie Boys License To Ill and a compilation of early The Beatles hits.

 

Q: Who are you listening to these days?

A: It all depends on my mood. A lot of the music I listen to these days has been on vinyl and my Rival Sons LPs have been getting a lot of spins. Joe Cockers’ Mad Dogs & Englishmen got several spins when he passed away. The 2 CD deluxe release of Jeff Buckley’s Live At Sin-e has been playing me to sleep these days. And in my car lately, based on my iTunes play count, Jellyfish’s first album, D’Angelo’s latest album and Lake Street Dive’s Bad Self Portraits have gotten multiple listens.

 

Q: What do you think you’ll use Fluence for? Who would you like to hear from (what kinds of artists, etc)?

A: I’ve always liked giving constructive criticism about music. If I can offer advice, I’m always willing to give it. Also, discovering amazing new music always give me a rush.


Send music to Derrick Lee here on Fluence.

Derrick Lee on Fluence

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