Beyond fame and the passion to create, lies faith and a drive to succeed — a candid conversation with an epic Philly talent.
This month, Philly poet and hip-hop artist Andre Saunders features his friend and fellow artist Lee Mazin for Spotlight Sessions, a series where he interviews inspirational local people. Known for her grit, determination, and community focus, Lee Mazin has established herself as a powerhouse in Philly’s hip-hop scene. Andre’s interview delves into their mutual respect and the shared sense of purpose that defines both artists.
LEE MAZIN is a rapper and hip-hop artist who has been making waves in the music industry for a while now. Born and raised in South Philly, she started gaining recognition around 2011 with her distinct flow, lyrical ability, and bold, gritty sound that’s deeply rooted in her hometown’s musical tradition. Popular songs like “She Got It,” “I’m Her,” and “Yesterday” (RIP Lil Snupe) showcase her versatility as an artist, switching between aggressive rap bars and catchy hooks. In 2013, she was dubbed the First Lady of Meek Mill’s Dreamchasers collective and in 2016 she was a regular on the hit show, “Sisterhood of Hip Hop“.
These days, Lee produces music independently through her own label, @Chosen1.records. She’s known for using her platform to speak on issues important to her, especially uplifting youth in underserved communities. She’s been friends with Andre for years — in addition to their music connection, the two have worked together on fashion shoots (pictured above) and other local events. 🎤 leemazin.com 🎶
ANDRE: Lee, when I reached out to you about this interview, I tried to explain how I didn’t want to focus so much on your fame, because to me that’s just a small part of who you are. Lately, it’s been inspiring watching the spiritual side you’ve been showing. What’s your connection to faith these days?
LEE: It’s something I found after a long time. My dad’s Muslim and my mom’s Christian, so growing up sometimes we were in the mosque, sometimes it was a church. I was really kind of confused. About six or seven years ago, though, I began to connect with God in a real way. Now I pray daily — it’s my foundation. It keeps me focused, and I know that whatever I go through, I’m just in the backseat while God drives.
A: I respect that. I grew up around different religions, but I’m open to what all faiths have to teach us. Daily prayer grounds me as well. And then the other side of this that I think is so interesting, is that you are also really into fitness and nutrition. You do training and classes and meal plans – how did you get into all this?
L: I lived in Los Angeles for almost a year — this was like 2015, and LA was like a whole other world. And everyone eats so consciously there, everybody works out. You got high rise gyms with big windows. Just walking down the street, you’ll look up and see all these people walking, running, lifting, spinning… You got the mountains, and all these trails. So I just tapped into it.
At first I was just winging it, then got a trainer and everything clicked. I was hooked. It’s still the best therapy ever. When I work out, I de-stress, I feel better, and it even helps me manage my asthma. So in 2020, I got certified as a personal trainer, and now I love showing people that even with health issues, there are ways to feel strong.
A: That’s crazy, I love it. Most people workout to look a certain way, I appreciate how you’re all about just living life more fully and connecting it with a higher purpose. And I admire your hustle, too, even how you have this whole fitness and nutrition business now. So as an artist in your position, leading all these different projects, you carry a lot of people along with you. And that’s a lot of expectations, all resting on you. I gotta ask, where’s that drive come from? How do you handle the pressure?
L: Well my mom handled a lot, raising four kids on her own. She never complained, and we never went without but at some point I was old enough to see and begin to understand how hard she was working to provide for us. That motivated me to a lot. I got my working papers as soon as I could, got a job, got two jobs. I graduated high school a semester early, so I could focus on making money.
To this day, I can’t turn that feeling off. It’s not that easy, it’s a process to train my mind how to slow down and be patient, although I’ve learned that prayer and spirituality helps. Still feels like a big part of me has been in survival mode my whole life, and I think maybe that’s not so uncommon in our communities. We face a lot of systems that are often pitted against us, and when you grow up pushing back on that, it becomes ingrained within you.
A: I hear that sense of purpose in a lot of your stuff, not just from talking to you but also when I listen to your music over the last few years. I definitely relate. Another thing I’ve noticed is, I see you have these two chains that spell out “Chosen One”, what does that really mean to you.
L: Yes. My label. The name goes back to my great-grandma. She was the heart of our family, and she’d always tell me that I was special. She made me believe it, so I’ve taken that on as part of who I am. Out of all my siblings, I’m the one everybody calls for advice or to get out of jams or whatever. Same with my friends and the people I work with.
And to be honest it’s not always easy being this person. I used to get overwhelmed until I learned to embrace it. We all have gifts, and I think mine isn’t just music but more like showing up for people 100%. Saying the things that need to be said, and just being there present with what’s going on, validating these experiences. I know why I’ve gone through some of the stuff that I have, I know my purpose now.
A: I know music is just one medium where you can express all this. So how is that going, have you been in the studio lately? What are you working on these days?
L: I’m gearing up to drop music! I took a break for a while to focus on artist development – we started our own label, which has been amazing. We had Corvette Corvette, we had Popp Hunna, we blew that song up. We had Pettylevels, bless her soul. She just passed this summer, July of this year. It’s been a lot going on.
Now I’m excited to be making music again. And I’m really proud that I am finding success as an artist and also as a business owner – it’s taken me so many years! And I’ve wasted time, and money. More than once I’ve wanted to give up, and I’m glad I stuck it out. This inspires me to accomplish even more. My grandmother used to say, Life’s gonna kick your ass, you just gotta kick it back.
A: I feel that. Most times there isn’t any specific guidelines or blueprint for us to follow. We have to figure out what works best for us. What keeps you focused in the face of challenge?
L: I love when I see African American people proving all the old narratives wrong. With so much that’s stacked against our people, I really look up to those who find a positive way forward. Who persevere through barriers to create generational prosperity for their families.
For real. Whether through music, entrepreneurship, fitness, or building connections in Philly’s creative scene, Lee Mazin is all about making a positive impact. She’s a remarkable artist who puts her whole self into everything she does, and a real role model for community pride and professional hustle.
Please check out all her links and videos, we hope her story inspires others to dream, work hard, and achieve their goals. For Spotlight Sessions, wishing all readers the brightest of seasons!
⭐ EDITOR’S BONUS ROUND ⭐
Andre tagged us in, so we turned the spotlight on them both for their local views and memories.
First question, what does Philly mean to you?
L: I always get this out of town! People always say, Yo, y’all like different in Philly. Yes! I agree with that, Philly gave me my grit, and my hunger. A lot of us got talent, a lot of us want to get out but at the same time there’s so much we’re learning from each other on the way. Especially within the hip hop culture, when I was first coming up in my career, I was tapped in with so many artists in many different forms.
A: I agree, it’s hard to really breakthrough in Philly, because we all got talent. Philly is a legendary place for music. Wherever I go, people recognize our slang, the way we talk, I love that about where I’m from. I feel like being from Philly puts a certain fire inside me to succeed. One thing I wish though is that we could be more about lifting each other up than gatekeeping.
What local Philly spot that help do you go to when you want to reconnect with your roots?
L: South Street! Growing up, South Street was THE place to go on the weekends. We would have fun window shopping, and if we had money we’d buy food. Sometimes there’d be 3 of us, sometimes there’d be 30 but we always had a ball. Then of course as I got into music, TLA was a huge part of that.
And Ishkabibbles right across the street. Omg those cheesesteaks. When I was a kid, my grandfather had this drink he’d make for us, it was lemonade and grape juice. And of course Ishkabibbles has the Gremlin, and to this day he swears he’s gonna sue them for stealing his idea!
South Street looks so different now, but it’s still like one of those core spots for the city, and I have so many memories there. Going back to your old neighborhood, though, is always a powerful experience, I think. When I think how far I’ve come, it fires me up to do more.
We used to go to The Lakes all the time – we called it “chicken bone beach!” – and sometimes we would try to fish but we’d only catch tadpoles. I remember when the skatepark there was really lit, too, back when I was a kid.
A: For sure! I’m from South Philly, 16th and Catherine, the area is so different now. I wasn’t really a big nature kid growing up though. I did not fish. I’m gonna be honest, when I moved to Mount Airy, it confused me having all these trees around. I couldn’t understand what people were doing going out to the parks all the time. Are y’all looking for something or going somewhere or like what was the reason? I just didn’t get how you were supposed to enjoy nature. I think I had to live with it to really appreciate how peaceful and grounding it is. I’m always out in it now.
Next question: what’s one thing that about you that people would be surprised to know?
L: You know, I feel like people expect me to be mean! I don’t know if it’s my resting face or what but it’s definitely not a conscious thing. I think I get it from my dad, we both do this scrunchy thing with our eyebrows, that I guess can come off a little unapproachable. I have had so many people tell me, “Wow, you’re actually a nice person” like it’s a compliment and I’m like “Huh?” They are genuinely surprised that I’m not stuck up.
A: Professionally, I tend to come off reserved – and a lot of the time I’m wearing headphones when I’m working, which puts me in my own little world outside everybody else. But when I’m with my circle of friends, I am like the most playful person, I joke around all the time.
L: Yes! I’m like introvert and an extrovert at the same time. My family always jokes, “You gotta catch Lee when she’s hot” meaning that I have like a two-hour window – max! – when I will be just the life of the party but then my social clock will go off, and boom. I disappear. I won’t say nothing to nobody, too, I know just how to slip out the door before anyone notices. I actually have some friends who count on this, and we have an agreement at events that I will tap them on my way out so they can follow me.
So you both are super active on the local scene, in the community scene, and the creative scene. So let’s say you’re going to create something totally out of the box together. Would it be like a music project, a community initiative, some kind of fundraising drive…? What do you think would be the ultimate collaboration between your two superpowers?
L: Dre, let’s do it at the same time. Just 1-2-3, and then we’ll say it. You ready? 1… 2… 3 – go!
L & A (together): Community!
L: I knew! See, musically, that would be so easy to go to the studio right now. But what we both really can never get enough of, is building community. There are so many different resources out there, and so many ways we can help each other engage more people to make the most of these opportunities.
Philly has so much talent, not just musically, but fashion, art, food, culture, business, sports. When Philly parties, it’s a real festival for the people. We’re a lit city! I want to see more recognition for that positive spirit here. For me, this starts with youth. Pretty much all my give-backs are geared towards kids, teens, and young adults.
And, Dre, I think you do a lot for them, too. So I think if we were to, like, put our brains together and come up with something to team up on, it would focus on getting young people the skills and tools they need to find good jobs and build a good life. But of course when we do this it’d be really fun! We’d get all the right people together, for a big party that opens doors and makes connections.
A: That makes me so happy, I’m on the same page. It would be great to get a grant or something, for sure we could make that happen.
OK here’s my last question and it’s just for Lee, it’s about her printing business. Can you print newspapers? Our printer is in Delaware, but we’re always looking for ways to keep it local.
L: That is a great question. Our motto has always been “We can print anything” but no one’s ever asked us to print a newspaper before. I don’t see why we couldn’t attempt it.
TRUE STORY: Lee Mazin owns a print and design shop! A Mazin Print & Designs is a local Philly business that specializes in expert custom graphics, logos, labels/cards/flyers/etc plus apparel printing, websites, and more. Striving to be the creative force behind each customer’s vision, with exceptional and, indeed, AMAZIN results every time. Ships nationwide! amazindesigns.com
ANDRE SAUNDERS is a multifaceted artist from Philadelphia who blends spoken word poetry with hip-hop. He has a strong presence in the local creative scene. In addition to performing and producing music, he also works with city youth, helping them find their voices through words. Much like his poetry, Andre’s latest music project “Better Late Than Never” is layered with introspection, emotion, and a drive to remain authentic. Andre recently kicked off his intimate “The Pop Up Live Concert Series” with the Free Library Of Philadelphia.
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