March 25, 2017

'Many Facez' of Tracey Lee in Billboard (1997)

Tracey Lee Many Facez Billboard Magazine 1997 Hip-Hop Nostalgia

T.R.A.C.E.Y.L.E.E... he had me open off his intro - short as it was, it caught me. Tracey Lee is an MC originally from Southwest Philadelphia, who released the smash single, 'The Theme,' in 1997. His debut album, 'Many Facez,' was released 20 years ago today on ByStorm/Universal and boasts collaborations with Biggie, Busta Rhymes & heavy production from D-Dot of the Hitmen. Billboard (above) describes the layers behind Tracey Lee and his come-up in greater detail, but the story doesn't end there. I certainly remember the adverts for his follow-up release, 'Live From 215,' which I'm guessing was shelved because all I've ever heard from it was a sampler. Am I wrong on that? Tracey Lee went on to become a successful attorney, run an entertainment company, and released an album as recent as a few years back called 'Esq: The Revelation' on LLeft Entertainment (co-run by his wife). I'm certain the Howard Grad is a wealth of knowledge to artists coming up, as he's been on both sides of the table, which makes for a unique tale of any artist coming out of the 90s. The 12" for 'Showtime' he mentions above, which wasn't included on 'Many Facez,' can be heard below and 'Yo, it's March somethin...', Craig G, Metho & Tracey Lee on Rap City in '97 can be seen HERE.