AN INTERVIEW WITH LEELEE YOTP - LA UNDERGROUND ARTIST
In a time when many people focus on the wellness of their own mental health, boosting positivity and shunning any whisper of negative thoughts, California-based-musician Leelee YOTP stands against the crowd. For the Fullerton-native, her beat-heavy music is a conduit for all the shit in her life, and a vehicle for the darkness within; a form of expression that takes no prisoners in its honesty. From playing guitar for Rico Nasty and hip-hop trio City Morgue, to twice going on tour with Ghostemane, Leelee YOTP is making moves within the industry and showing no signs of letting up.
Growing up in a culturally diverse neighbourhood of the west-coast of America, and the daughter of Mexican and East Indian parents, Leelee was surrounded from a young age by “Chicano” culture, and interestingly metal and hardcore music. It was this baptism in traditionally masculine and machismo environments that formed a hardened talent that was resistant to the “normal rules”.
Her music is a coalescence of influences, much like the melting pot of culture, which she grew up in. From metal, hardcore and underground rap, to strong visual aesthetics formed from 90s MTV icons like Marilyn Manson and Aaliyah—Leelee YOTP is a feisty presence who is forging her own path in the LA music scene. She plays by the rules that she agrees with, otherwise, she just makes her own.
GATA had the opportunity to catch up with the artist in her home of Los Angeles, sitting down to talk about her creative journey up to this point. Alongside this interview are exclusive images created by LA-based photographer Natalia Mantini and make-up artist Selena Ruiz.
From the early teenage days of garage band practices to Gaspar Noé’s hallucinatory cinema and accepting the source of negativity; the story she has to tell is raw and real—in a land that is often just the opposite.
GATA: First of all, could you please introduce yourself to the GATA audience?
LL: My name is Lee-lee, YOTP ["year of the pussy”]. I am an artist, producer, guitarist and performer.
GATA: Can you tell us about your background? Where are you from?
LL: I am originally from California; I grew up in Fullerton, that's basically north Orange County. My mum is East Indian, and my dad's family are Chicanos—Mexican Americans.
GATA: We love Chicano culture!
LL: I know; I have seen you interview many people from east LA and Chicano artists. I think it's really cool that people of that background are kind of cleaning up shit. That's what I want to do because I don't see any girl of my background remotely doing what I am doing. Even in metal bands, there wasn’t a single woman that I thought was cool.
I feel that the artists out there are mostly white women that look like "Avengers", and I don't wanna look like that; very corny shit, no style, no sauce, nothing. So I feel like everything I do genuinely wants to inspire brown girls to do heavy, pick up an instrument, and create cool shit.
Featuring Leelee YOTP
BTS Video by Max
Creative Direction & Photography Natalia Mantini
Make-Up Artist Selena Ruiz
Hair Stylist Joc
GATA: When did your relationship with music start?
LL: OMG, I grew up on all kinds of music. I have very young parents, so I grew up around a lot of oldies, shit like the GAP band, west coast gangster rap, Korn…
My parents are so young, so they always had MTV on; we had a lot of CDs, so I always went through them.
They are very musically open-minded, so that was such a plus for me to be around so much shit. Also, one of my aunts was in a punk band in the bay, so I also feel that I have metal in my blood. I have always been exposed to stuff like that. I grew up around music constantly.
GATA: When did you start playing or practising music?
LL: I started in 6th grade, that was when I got my first guitar, and I was just practising on my own, writing my little songs ... but it was in high school when some kids approached me like, "we are in a band, we need a guitarist", then I went and checked their practice base, and I said, "Wow this is legit.”
Their dad had built it in the shed; they had AC, it was isolated, they had top-of-the-line gear …they were good, so I joined them. They were my first introduction to actually making music and being in a band playing shows. It was metalcore/hardcore, and I was in my freshman year of high school. I did that for a year up until I was 19.
GATA: You are also a composer, right?
LL: I would say I like writing beats and producing for sure. We had to stop the band because there was no money in it, so I started writing beats for heavy hip-hop stuff. It took me years to find my sound, but I feel that now I have my sound. I do heavy rap stuff and hate the term “trap metal”. I hate corny shit, so I do aggressive music and things that feel good.
GATA: How would you describe your music/style?
LL: I don't know, someone said once that my music is similar to Crystal Castles, but this is not fucking Crystal Castles. The shit I have out doesn't have metal instrumentation or anything that heavy. But the things I will be putting out in the future will be straight metal. I like to think of it as "rap and metal touchy".
Back in the days, you had bands like Korn, Ice-cube, and Missy Elliot at the VMAs; there was no single term, maybe “new metal”; it was more like a vibe. I would say underground rap.
GATA: Who were the first artists that inspired you back then and figures you used to look up to?
LL: I would say, for example, Lady Gaga, it is not that I musically love her, but I think that the energy she brings is amazing. The way she performs, I want to perform like that. She is amazing.
Aaliyah is also a great artist; visually, I think we don't have many women like that anymore. So I always wanted to come out like that. Aaliyah is street style, but she is also kind of soft and kind of dark. I always thought that was super tight, and she has always been such a good inspo for me. All my inspirations are not really musical but about the energy and how they feel.
Obviously, also Korn, Deftones, Timberland and symphonic metal bands from Orange County… A lot of my guitar playing was influenced by them.
GATA: This question may sound too general or complex to answer, but what does music mean to you?
LL: Music is everything; it is language, expression, and culture. It's probably how we communicate with each other. When I am performing and creating, I thrive on a lot of things that piss me off, these things inspire me, so I would say music for me is definitely communication.
GATA: On one of your IG posts from last year, we read you saying “RIP to Leelee”; what has 2022 meant for you?
LL: I love that you’re asking this question; I think it's important to ask it. When I am producing, I am very much in service and want to help; "I am Leelee, your producer”. But when I am an artist, I have to be by myself. There are no boundaries. And when I started doing videos, and songs, I was like, I don't like all these random people calling me Leelee. That's what my friends and family call me. I don't want anyone to call me Leelee like that; I have to build a new character.
So, my new project is full of heavier stuff and things I enjoy doing more, and it will be released under a different name. It will be my narcissistic character. I am not a narcissistic person, but I feel like as an artist, you have to. You have to love yourself; you can't be humble, it doesn't get you anywhere; I tried it but it doesn't work.
There is where the RIP Leelee comes from.
GATA: When are you planning to release that project?
LL: I don't want to say anything about this project yet, because I want people to be surprised. But I would like to release it in July or August this summer. If I had to describe it, I would say it is "experimental metal shit".
GATA: Can you tell us a little bit about the process you follow when you are creating? Do you have any rituals, places where you feel more comfortable, free etc.?
LL: I love tracking at night. I like to work at night, and I like to have a gin drink with some sort of cucumber base. I feel the most inspired when I feel annoyed or frustrated. I don't write when I'm happy; maybe I will get to that place someday.
Like Tyler, the Creator; all his early songs were like "kill people, fuck school", and now everything is "bees, flowers". Maybe I will get to that point one day, but right now, I am starving. I am over shit, I have been fucked over so many times, so I feel like that is where I pull everything from. I pull from many struggles when I am pissed and feel emotional. It just comes naturally.
GATA: Yeah, we need to be nice for the most part of the day right?
LL: I had this conversation with my mum, and I hate that I was raised to be a "nice" girl, to be nice to everyone, because I suppressed a lot of that shit. I posted this on my story today; it says, "I thrive off negativity" that's me, that's literally me. I know we are in the space right now trying to push "positivity", but no, I am charged to write when I am pissed.
GATA: Tell us a little bit about the creative scene in LA and the differences from the place you are originally from. Do you feel that LA is a place where you feel free and able to express your true self?
LL: I think it's tough because I have such a love-hate relationship with LA. I love LA and the culture, but when it comes to the "industry", I feel like everyone comes here to make it. So I feel like you can get lost in the sauce. It's interesting because I think in LA, you can "fake it until you make it", and it's hard to be around that because you have to deal with a lot of that “fakeness” where you have to play the game, but I have my boundaries. On the other side, for example, NY is more like, if you are not real, people are more on your ass.
Still, I love being in LA; I love the style that we have, the swag and that it will always be in my music, even if it's a metal song; when someone sees the visuals, they say, "this bitch is from LA".
I love the LA scene when it comes to the punk scene, there is nothing like it because when you go to LA punk shows, you have the Cholos, the punk rockers, and the OGB punk rockers; you have the older heads and some random club kids. It's so cool. It's an explosion of all these people coming together; I haven't seen anything like that anywhere else.
GATA: Is there any other form of art you practice or would like to try in the future?
LL: I would love to curate the show's soundtracks. Also, It would be cool to do something like acting one day; not in movies or series, but maybe in some kind of dumb show like "Broad City”.
I would also like to do more fashion designing; I used to have a small fashion brand when I was 16, but it was more like screen-printing, so I would love to do it more seriously if I had the time.
GATA: This is one of my favourite questions because I know that cinema can be a source of inspiration for many artists. Is there any movie that has inspired you?
LL: Gaspar Noé! I fucking fucking love him. The lighting of everything he does is so cool; this inspires me so much when it comes to videos. For example, in “Climax”, when the drugs hit the main chick, and she starts screaming, I was like, "omg, I feel like this so much.”
I love music videos that are like short films; I would love to do something like that.
Also "Hereditary" by Ari Aster. There is a scene where the woman is hitting her head against the wall over and over and over; that was so cool!
I love a lot of “exorcist” shit because when I'm on stage, I do this thing (I know it is not original because many people do this shit), but I have been doing this since I was 15. I always bend backwards while playing the guitar. I feel like my character is that demonic little bitch. I love scary stuff that is comical.
Also, I know he is so problematic and controversial right now. Still, I'm going to say it—Marilyn Manson was super inspiring. His videos would come up on MTV when I was little, and I love that he would bring a lot of the scary stuff and sick shit with the glamour and bring everything together. I don't like anything too serious.
I love it; that was a great question.
GATA: Last question; Is there anything else you want to say?
LL: I don't know; I think everyone should just stop capping and be yourself. Thank you for asking me questions.