Leo Lysius is a Haitian-American entrepreneur, who has created a very well-known music-media brand known as MusicXclusives. He has used his platform to highlight prominent artists and acts who have been growing throughout the music industry. Leo has highlighted some of your favorite celebrities throughout his platform, like: Nicki Minaj, Issa Rae, Bobby Shmurda, Chloe Bailey, Fivio Foreign, Lil Durk, Cardi B, Foxy Brown, Dream Doll and many more. We had the opportunity to sit with Leo and discuss the peaks of his success, his love for music, and his remarkable advice to entrepreneurs who seek on growing their own media brands.
1. You began your media brand, MusicXclusives in 2010. What inspired you to create MusicXclusives?
I came up with the idea to start MX back in 2009 at a turning point in my life where I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do professionally. I was already in my mid-20s and had acquired so much knowledge when it comes to the business of music just from being around it for so long. I always had a love for music early on and found myself always being ahead of the curve and discovering new talent, and around that time social media was just starting to enter the digital world. I started a page on there initially called MusicXclusives and would upload random new music from emerging talent, started writing blog entries in the form of reviews on them at the time, as well as posting photos. Twelve years later, I feel like I’ve built a reputable media brand that is highly respected and has covered so much ground in the past decade, from interviewing some of the biggest recording artists in music to covering the most elite and top tier events from: Grammy weekend in Los Angeles, to BET Hip Hop Awards red carpet, Hot 97’s Summer Jam, Rolling Loud, Essence Festival and so much more.
2. You are of Haitian descent – how has your community, culture, or your background played a role in your love for media and music?
Where I come from is so enriched in culture and talent, that I’ve been inspired since a kid to tap into my passions. Apparently, my dad was a musician back in Haiti when he was younger, so I guess it rubbed down on me. I grew up in Flatbush so I’ve always been around that environment, that synergy. I grew up in the 90s and one of the biggest groups during my era was The Fugees, both Wyclef and Pras are of Haitian descent. They were one of, if not the biggest Hip Hop Caribbean trio during that time. I remember Haitian kids being teased in school back in my day, and funny enough, when you look at our society today, a lot of entertainers are from Haiti. Usher, Young Thug, Mona Scott-Young, Dawn Richard, Tony Yayo, Maxwell, Jason DeRulo, Kodak Black, and the list goes on. I’ve definitely been inspired by a lot of those who came before me, as well as my peers. It’s empowering because we’ve fought so hard to get here. We’re extremely intelligent beings, hard workers, and have always defied the odds.
3. You are considered as a gatekeeper in the music business – can you share how you’ve played a role in breaking artists/talent by using MusicXclusives?
From the inception of MusicXclusives, my goal was always to nurture and provide new artists with a platform to be heard and seen. Whether it was through media training, a pep talk, styling, helping them find their sound, or simply listening to their story. I’m always open and receptive to embracing talent, it’s something special about introducing new artists to people. Their hunger and drive is what impresses me. It’s like growing a plant and watering the seed and watching it grow, seeing it blossom and catapult to new heights and reach success. It brings me joy in seeing the process from start to finish.
4. You are passionate about photography and videography – where you have used your talents to build a clientele in the entertainment industry. What has inspired your love for photography and videography?
I discovered my love for video production back in High School during my sophomore year at Edward R. Murrow. There was a TV production studio, and once I entered that room my second year there, I never left. There, I learned how to produce short films, using a hand-held camera (this was before DSLR’s). We were using analog to edit and VHS tapes (before memory cards), and I ended being the go-to person and what they used to call the “teacher’s pet” because I had become so sufficient in producing and editing. I didn’t find my passion for photography until later on. I fell in love with cameras, so I guess that’s where the passion came from. One of my very first photo shoots was with the late Jeremy Hutchins, who was a producer at BET back in the day. I met him during his days at 106 & Park, and it was one of my first experiences shooting in a photo studio and learning how to use strobe lights and my then Canon T3i camera. I had photographer friends, and would ask them for pointers. I was self-taught and never took a class on photography. I just kept practicing and doing shoots on my own, and eventually I became a beast at it. From learning my camera settings, to setting up lights on set, shooting in natural light, outdoors, playing with color gels, I figured it all out on my own. Of course, sometimes I used YouTube if I was unsure about something. After years of shooting, I can now add published photographer to my resume. I’ve shot countless celebrities professionally, and a lot of it I owe to me establishing MusicXclusives as a brand and building those relationships over time.
5. What has been your most memorable experience with MusicXclusives?
One of my most memorable and defining moments was when we interviewed Bobby Shmurda and GS9 at the Barclay’s Center for Powerhouse, back in 2014 before they got locked up. It was a very special moment for him because he was a then-19-year-old kid from the streets of Brooklyn, fresh off the success of “Hot Nigga” and signing to Epic Records at the time. His energy was through the roof, filled with excitement. I remember we were interviewing him, Rowdy Rebel, Fetty Luciano and their then crew member, Abillyon and here goes French Montana, the late Chinx, and Migos barging in during our interview to show them love. It was monumental. A moment in time I will never forget. It reminds me every day why I still do it. For the culture.
6. Which artist or talent, have you enjoyed working with the most and why?
In the past, I’ve worked with the likes of 112, Foxy Brown and Dream Doll individually and I took away something separately working with each of those artists during different periods in my journey. I loved my experience with Foxy, who happens to be my favorite female rapper. I went on the road with her for a show in Pennsylvania in 2014 and got to work directly with her. Another memorable moment was working with a newer artist like Dream Doll during her ‘Life in Plastic 2’ era in 2018. She was taking label meetings and doing press runs for her project. This is right before she rebranded herself so to see her growth from then to now is incredible!
7. Where do you see yourself or MusicXclusives in the next 5-10 years?
I want to be a wealthy mogul in the next 5 years, not in just media but music and entertainment overall. I want to continue expanding the brand of MusicXclusives to new heights, reaching different markets globally and turning it into a household name. I want MusicXclusives to do what Complex and REVOLT TV is currently doing, but 10x on a bigger level. I want to tap more into my A&R, artist development and management hat because I have an ear for talent, but I also want to continue creating. That’s where my photography skills and video production work come into play. Whether it’s podcasting, executive producing, experimenting in the film industry, I don’t want to limit myself. Who knows, maybe even branch off into fashion as well because I love style, clothes and looking fly. Call me the young Sean Combs [laughs].
8. What is some advice that you would give to people who are interested in taking the entrepreneurial route, or that may be interested in starting their own media brands?
One advice I can provide is to be ready to put in the hours of hard work and labor. There’s going to be a lot of sleepless nights building the foundation. The very beginning stages are usually the hardest because that’s when you’re trying to figure out what it is you want to do, and how you want to go about it. Have a clear vision on what you want to do, find the resources, start networking and building relationships with people in your field. What you know is important, but who you know can sometimes be more vital and your key to success. In the entertainment industry, it’s all about your connections and reputation. Remember to stay the course because it will be a difficult road but as long as you remain persistent and keep a tunnel vision, your winning season will come. Starting any brand is a task and a journey, but build a team who understands your overall vision to help you execute your ideas. Invest in yourself. Don’t expect anyone to give you any handouts. You may not be financially stable, so find out what you can bring to the table in exchange for someone’s services. Do your homework, do your research. Anything is obtainable if you apply yourself. The possibilities are endless.
Words: Nino Reyes
