Kaiya YuBeyond the bright lights, the spectacle of lasers, and the pulpit of the DJ booth, there’s an enigmatic mystery emanating from within the culture of L.A.’s vibrant electronic dance music scene. Explore it with us in eye-opening bursts as we put the city’s finest electronic music producers under the microscope to better understand their greatness in addition to their contributions to the industry in our new, electronic music-dedicated series, “Not Another DJ.”
From an early age in Torrance, Jennifer Lee was never the sort of girl to let a circumstance get her down. With Wu-Tang in her roots and a nothin’-to-fuck-with attitude, her early approach to music was unrelenting and tenacious, much like her zest for life. Even when she started topping charts with songs like “Go With It” (2013) and “Put It Down” (2015), it wasn’t clear just how far her fierce work ethic would propel her.
Now with about 16 years cooking soulful bass music, drizzled with hip-hop and seared to perfection, plus a Grammy nomination for best electronic album, Lee has gone from household name to undisputed icon in the bass music genre. Unbeknownst to most, Lee’s rarely seen range and style was almost lost entirely after two recent brain surgeries crippled her speaking and musical abilities. Fortunately, she bounced back with miraculous determination to achieve a sort of iron chef-caliber. Now, she delivers sophistication and technique to transcend any ‘boxes’ the industry would put her in.
Coachella 2016
“I don’t make dance music,” Lee declared. “But, I have been very welcome into dance spheres, so when I DJ it’s more about my taste in music.”
I’m really proud of this city and where I’m from.” Lee told the L.A. Weekly while en route to get her favorite Korean Spicy Tofu with her friends at Ktown Beverly Tofu.
We asked for hints about new music she’s currently crafting in the studio.
“I’m not supposed to say too much.” She said with a smile and a twinkle in her eye. “Let’s just say I’ve got some new music coming very soon.”
