Keep it Positive, Sweetie - Your Will w/ Lee Vasi

Episode Date: March 9, 2025

Lee Vasi, a dynamic Christian R&B singer and songwriter, to discuss her inspiring journey of surrendering to God’s will. Lee’s path has been remarkable, transitioning from a childhood career in singing and acting to embracing her calling in Christian R&B music. Her story exemplifies how one can break free from conventional molds, dedicating their talents to glorify God while navigating the challenges of pursuing Christ.

Calling all my sweeties to the forefront, I'm your host, Chris Renee Hazlett, and this is the Keep It Positive Sweetie Show. Welcome to another episode of the Keep It Positive Sweetie Show, a safe space where we heal, love, and grow together. I'm your host, Chris Renee Hazlett, and I'm super excited about this episode because I get to talk to one of my new favorite people, Lee Vassie.

Lee is a triple threat singer, songwriter, and actress who is shattering genre barriers with her unique blend of Christian and R&B music. The incredibly talented singer, songwriter, and actress Lee Vassy hails from Fayetteville, North Carolina, beginning her career in entertainment at the age of nine years old on Broadway as young Nala in The Lion King.

Lee has since released multiple singles making her one of Christian Music's most exciting new stars and Amazon Music naming her as the 2025 Artist to Watch. Guys I am so excited she's here. Welcome Lee. Thank you so much for coming. Thank you for having me. You look beautiful. Thank you. How you feeling? I feel great. How you feeling? I'm good. I'm good. Yeah.

It has been a long week. We just finished with Fashion Week. Yes. That was my first one. Was that your first one? Yeah, it was my first one. Girl, when I say exhausting. Girl, I'm not built for that no more.

I gotta get back at there. You know what I'm saying? You really had to like, like the same way you get ready for tour. I feel like you had to be prepared for fashion week. Yeah. Because it is a marathon. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a whole production.

But it was great though. I loved it. How was your first experience? You know, it was, it was full of surprises. I had no expectations. But it was great. I got to meet people like you. And it was awesome.

I would definitely do it again. How was yours? Me too. It was amazing. But the first day we got there, Delta lost my luggage. No! Yes, all my day one looks were left in Atlanta. No!

Yes, you should have seen this girl. We were literally, Ashana and I, we landed and the guy came out and he's like, yeah, I'm only seeing six bags. And we were like, well, there was definitely seven. And so as we're running close on time, because I had press here in Atlanta for BET. So I hopped on the plane, well I had like maybe three hours before Sergio Hudson's show.

Got in the car, I was like, we have to head towards the hotel. So I'm literally in the back, on top of suitcases, unzipping to see what made it. Because I didn't know what my spouse or my assistant Herman had put into each suitcase. And I was like, it's not in here. We opened it And I was like, it's not in here. We opened it, I was like, it's not in here.

I was like, we got one more. And then if not, we gotta figure this out. So the pivot is powerful. And A'Shawn ended up calling a girl at Bergdorf. She had one piece from Sergio Hudson. She literally threw it in the car as we were driving past Bergdorf, headed to the hotel to get ready.

I love the, honestly, I love the drama of it all. It's like, you know, you can't beat a good memory. So, and it worked out, you looked fab. Without that, you know? Thank you. So yeah, it was fun. It was a lot of fun. I've met a lot of amazing people like you.

Like this is my first time meeting you. I was first introduced to your music on Instagram. Okay. You had a bar moment with GPS, which I absolutely love that song. Oh, thank you. Like everybody was posting and I was like, oh my gosh, I love this girl. And then when Simone was like, oh she's one of my clients, I was like, oh my gosh, I was super excited to meet you. And happy that you are on the show. Yeah, man, thank you for having me. Absolutely. I want to

know more about you because it's our first real chit chat because everything in New York was like, so like, hey girl, hey girl. Yeah, yeah.. But I wanna really learn more about you and your journey. So you're from Fayetteville, North Carolina. I am, yeah. How was that growing up? Isn't that where J. Cole is from? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm a huge J. Cole fan.

Definitely was hometown here growing up. But yeah, originally from Fayetteville, North Carolina, but also kinda spent a lot of time in New York as a kid, chasing my dreams and doing things. So, so but yeah I'm from Fayetteville. And then you did Broadway. I did. How old were you then? I was nine. I was nine when I booked it and I did it until I was 11. And was Nala your first, was that your first role? It was my first professional role but I was definitely theater kid growing up. I started performing with my siblings actually at the local theater when I was seven and my brother actually used to get me ready for auditions. Oh and he

actually found the Lion King audition and I ended up booking it off an open call. I didn't have an agent or anything at that time and so yeah pretty quickly it turned into you know my my career and what I was pursuing. Now I'm always interested, what is it as a child? Because I know Broadway can be a very rigorous schedule, demanding, and it's not as glamorous as people think it is. You get to TV and film, you have hair stylists and makeup artists, and you're just kinda

sitting there learning your lines, and it's still a lot of hard work, but with Broadway, you have to do everything. It's not like, you don't have the team of people. How is that at a very young age? Well, so I actually did have hair and makeup. Oh, you did? Yeah, there's no way I could have done it.

Because it's also very intricate, makeup and hair. Like, they attach a thing to your hair. Like, it's this whole thing for young Nala. So I did have great makeup and hair team and dressers and everything. So, you know, I love the production of theater. I love, you know, I love the production of theater. I love, you know, the pace of it.

And you have to be on, it's live. It's, you know, eight shows a week. So Tyler, he comes from the theater world. So I understand, like, we have one shot to get the take. What is that pressure like day in and day out, knowing that you're performing in front of a live audience and you gotta get it right in that one shot? Yeah, well, so I think something

that I really love about theater is the preparation that's required because you're doing the same show every night, right? And so you get to a point where it's kind of in your muscle memory. Obviously you have to improv and you know there's different things that come up every night, you know maybe a technical difficulty or what have you, but it really just kind of lives in your body at a certain point and so for me, especially as a kid, it really just kind of lives in your body at a certain point. And so for me, especially as a kid, it really wasn't pressure because I just felt so prepared and I loved it.

I was really just having so much fun. What was like, can you remember what was a moment where it was like, whoa, like you had your first technical difficulty or you had to improv, where you kind of like, what's happening? Did you kind of have to learn like how to pivot or was that something that just came naturally?

So actually the first technical difficulty I had was not in the Lion King. It was in my first show, I did the Wizard of Oz. Wow, that's another big one. Yeah, yeah, in my local theater. So that was my first show and I was a munchkin and we were wearing these huge munchkin land shoes and one of wearing these huge you know munchkin land shoes and my one of mine came off in the middle of us like ring around the rosy

situation and my sister was also in the show with me and my sister kind of just kicked the shoe off off stage and so and I was just so happy to have my sister there for me in that moment because that was my first time I was seven I didn't know what to do but you know you keep going you keep rolling with it. Absolutely so yeah, so that that definitely was like a Core memory for me to just keep swimming, you know Yeah, I had a moment like that my first pageant I wasn't as young as you I was probably like 13 and I did my first pageant and I was such a tomboy

growing up. Okay. But you know how like they do like the parade where all the girls walk out, all the contestants and I literally lost my shoe and I had to like stand on the hip like on my tippy toes on one foot and had to keep going. Make it work. My friend she was behind me and she kicked the shoe out of the way like similar to yours so that is funny but that's good that you had to wear with all just keep going. Yeah. Yeah and that's life man. Yeah. so that is funny but that's good that you had the wherewithal just keep going yeah yeah and that's life man yeah no that is something you can literally take with you for the rest of your life just keep going yeah I love that you ended up how long did you continue this pursuing this career as you got older I kind of like never stopped I just shifted my focus so

when I was in the Lion King, I became interested in songwriting. And I was like a huge like music nerd since before I can remember. And so I used to watch all the MTV VH1, like behind the music, like those kinds of episodes. And I'm a huge Mariah Carey fan. I was really big on Neo growing up too.

And I was like, okay, they're songwriters, so I need to learn how to write songs. And so I asked for a guitar for my 10th birthday, and I got one, and I started writing songs on my guitar when I was 10, and so that kind of opened the door for me, really just thinking about music as what I wanted to pursue, because before, I was really young, know the world was kind of my oyster and I was like I could do theater I can do movies and you know music I wanted to do all of it and still

do you know but I really started focusing on music when I was 16 and I was like okay this is this is the one thing I'm gonna focus on for now before I branch out you know yeah yeah yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That is dope. You talked about how once you got a little older, you took a hiatus from everything. What prompted that shift to be like, I need to take a beat? Life just started lifeing, and I didn't know how to manage it, right?

And I think that because I was so young and in this constant pursuit, right? Of my goals and of these visions that God had really shown me about what my life would look like, I got kind of lost in that at a point. And God didn't show me all the mess that would happen in with screen. He does not.

Right, and so, I was at a really tough place with my mental health. I kind of was ending up in toxic relationship after toxic relationship. You know, things got tough in my career and I just didn't really know what was next. I just felt like I was kind of on this downward spiral that I couldn't see the end of how to stop it. You know? Yeah. that I couldn't see the end of how to stop it. You know? And so I had to like make a decision to take a beat and it was tough to kind of come to that place of like,

you know what, this isn't working out. But God used it, you know? And so, yeah, there was a, just kind of like a whirlwind of just mess. Yeah, oh my goodness. Do you mind sharing? Cause I liked for our audience to see that like we are just like them. A lot of times they see us in the spotlight and they think, oh, they don't go through anything. just mess. Oh my goodness. Do you mind sharing? Because I like for our audience to see that

like we are just like them. A lot of times they see us in the spotlight and think, oh they don't go through anything. Are you comfortable sharing anything that you were going through that moment that may help someone else? Sure, yeah. So it was really just a combination of honestly like being naive. Yeah. Because you were young. I was young. Really, like when I went to college is when everything kind of just fell apart. And I think that I also, in the midst of all of these things happening in my family life, like things that were really traumatic happening in my family, and then me falling in love for the first time in my life and maybe falling in love with the really wrong people to fall in love with.

I didn't have the tools spiritually to understand that what I was going through was spiritual warfare, and I needed help with it, and I was at an age where I thought I knew everything, and nobody could tell me nothing. You know? We were the same person. Right! That was me. Girl! I was like and nobody can tell me nothing. You know? We're the same person. Right!

That was me. Girl! I was like, girl, I got it. Like, don't... And so yeah, so there were some tragedies that happened in my family that I kind of leaned into partying to try to figure out how to cope with. And then that, you know that world that I was in led to some really toxic and abusive relationships.

And it just became a cycle. And it started to kind of normalize in my life. And I was like, okay, like this is just being grown. And I kind of accepted that as truth until I just couldn't accept it anymore. So my question, did you have an upbringing where you're raising a church? Because a lot of times, for me, I was raised in a church. My mother was a pastor. We were there every time the doors of the church opened. Got to college and I was buck wild, like rebelled. I was the prodigal daughter.

I literally, same thing, partying, drinking when I got to college with the wrong guys, you know, it was just like down this path of destruction. Yeah. Was there a moment in your childhood where you had something to reach back to knowing like, I got to get back to the foundation. Yeah. Yeah. So my parents definitely gave me that foundation. We weren't, I wasn't a church girl, you know, like we would kind of be in and out of church at different times growing up. But when I was 14, I did do the altar call at a Bible study

and I gave my life to Christ. But I did it kind of out of fear because I didn't want to go to hell. Like, let's talk about it. I didn't do it because I really like understood who Jesus is or like even maybe at that point even really cared to know who Jesus is. But I just didn't want to go to hell. And so I was like, okay, I'm gonna do this altar call. I'm gonna be saved. And that's cool. But I, you know, then went into high school and went into college and wavered, you know. And as a kid, I wouldn't say, I wouldn't say that anything kept me restricted, but me. I was so focused as a kid, I wouldn't say that anything kept me restricted but me. I was so focused as a kid and so rigid towards myself. Had a lot of negative self-talk because I was so just goal-oriented and I didn't party

in high school. I didn't have a huge social circle. I was just at the house. I would go to school and go home and song write and that was it. And so I think for me, then when I got to college, I was like, okay, well I did the thing. Like I'm back in New York and I'm pursuing what I wanna be pursuing.

And I went a little, I went wild. And it wasn't because of necessarily a rebellion from the church, but I think I was rebelling against like myself. Yeah, your own structure, yes. Yeah, like I was tired of being so structured and I wanted to know what it felt like

to just kind of like be free. I feel you. You know? And ended up thinking that all of these things that were keeping me free or making me free, I came to realize these are actually bondage. Woohoo! You know?

And so I do thank my parents that they gave me the foundation of Jesus, you know, because then a couple years later when I was like, I need to just completely reset and deconstruct to reconstruct who I ran to was Jesus. And at that point, that's when I figured out what a relationship with the Lord is and who the Lord is. So yeah, people often think that a relationship with Jesus is just so cookie cutter and it is far from that. It is ever evolving. It's like when they say the daily bread is literally like you die daily. Yeah. Wake up for it's literally like every day and there's seasons where you go through spiritual warfare there are seasons where you're really locked in there are seasons where you're knocked off your rocker and for me I know I can I've been very vocal about my walk and sometimes

Christians aren't the easiest to be open with you know in my mind I'm like God knows the truth so why am I gonna fake it for y'all? You know? And I was very honest about moments where I back slid. And now I'm on the path where I'm really, really in tune and intimate and really pursuing that intimate relationship with God. And some people just don't get it. They're just like, you know, I had somebody ask me like,

I mean, if you've been doing it, like, why now? Like, why would you just stop doing them? Like, because the Bible says, like, once you realize you're going, don't you turn away from that, you don't keep going down the path of destruction. Like, what sense does that make? Yeah. And I feel like where we are now, just the state of the world. I feel like God is pulling his children near and pulling his clothes. Have you noticed that, like every conversation you have for me, every conversation I've had since the beginning of 2025, Jesus has come up at some point. Yeah. Like it just ran like a lot of people don't really,

they kind of stay away from the topic of God and don't really want to like step on any feet or like ruffle any feathers. But I feel like everyone, he's like tugging on everyone. And the other night we had like this really bad storm and I literally thought God was back. I was like, Lord is that you? Right. I was like, and I was like, why am I scared? You know what I'm saying?

And it was such a aha moment. I was like, ooh girl, like I don't wanna be scared. I wanna be like, thank you, come on, wrap me up, let's go. Like I don't wanna be like, oh my God. And I recently just like, God had been convinced me on sex. And as I was reading, I just talked, I posted something the other day about, every time I read the Bible, sexual immorality

would just like literally jump off page. I'm like, oh, okay Lord. I get it. Yeah. Yeah. And when that happened and I was thinking about the next day after the storm and I was like, I don't wanna be somewhere where my legs caught back and God come down. Can you imagine? Girl. And then be like, hold on, Lord. Girl. Right. Right. Right. You'll be like, no, you keep

that same energy. Yeah. I'm gonna go on over here. You know, I don't want like. It's that real't want like, it was like, when you put it into that perspective, like my parents were like, you think about it, like when God comes back, what do you want to be doing? And it's not until this big age where I was like taking it. What do I want to be caught doing? You know, like you think about it.

I feel you. I feel you. When that thunder roar the other night, I said, oh no, he he is he here? Right. I was like legit scared. I don't want to be scared. Yeah, I don't want to be like, let's go. Yeah I got I don't need no bags. I'm ready. You know, I want to be ready So yeah, I feel you. I've definitely had those moments where I like wavered and just it's a it's ever-evolving Yeah, and I wish people understood that you know, because it's not perfect and he doesn't expect us to be perfect. Exactly. Yeah. He has grace for it. Yeah. Right. He has expectations

of us as his children. Like he doesn't want us to live righteously. But I think that as I've come to know the Lord for myself more, it's like he wants us to live righteously because he loves us so much and is trying to protect us from all of these things. You know? That we think, like how I used to, like this is where my liberation is. No, that's your bondage, baby girl. That's the bondage.

And he gives us these, you know, these commandments, right? Not to restrict us, but to protect us and to prepare us for when he comes back, right? And also to like live well while we're here. Yeah. You know he does that. Girl I don't need these cups. We talking. I don't need these cups. But I feel you I've been there like literally with with sex also with alcohol. Okay. Right? That's the next thing he working on me on girl. Girl. Every time I drink I took a sip of some wine the other day

and when I tell you the sharp pain went up to my head, ooh, I said, what was that? I like my little wine now. You can't take everything away from me. Right. Well, so for me, like I was, I was using alcohol as a crutch. Yeah. And I was using it as a number, you know?

And I think also just kind of, you know, I was introduced to alcohol like when I went to college and it was binge drinking, right? It wasn't just like a cute little glass of wine here and there, right? And the Bible is really specific about like drunkenness. Versus, you know. And you have to find that balance.

Right, right. Because I really don't think there's anything wrong with drinking. It's just the consumption and being responsible because there again, that's a boundary that he put in place to what protect us. Yeah, yeah. You know, people follow that we wouldn't have the car wrecks and the people getting killed from drunk driving or even the diseases that come from it.

That and just like being unfocused. And the choices you made. Right. And the regret and the shame like god don't want us to live like that he wants us to be like comfy and have a good day and not think about what we did last night honey you know and so i i experienced conviction with that um how are you on with that now because we just think about like we we teeter the line of like culture and christianity yeah we're around it but we're not consuming it. You know what I'm saying?

And I feel like my church, we call like, what is your street that God is switching on? Like our street is the street of arts and entertainment, where we take God's light into those spaces where he's normally not talked about. But like, do you ever feel like when we're like out in the clubs and stuff, like you gotta go to these places and meet these people

to build these relationships. Does your spirit ever feel convicted? So I don't drink anymore. You cut it out. I stopped. That's good. I stopped. And it's God's grace because so what God actually did, because he knows me and I'm still, I still got to work on being a little stubborn.

Yeah. But so God put me on a TV fast in 2023. That's good. He was like, and we had gone to church and the pastor was like, ask the Lord to reveal to you like things that are that you're keeping in your life that are keeping you from what he has for you. And this was right before I started to release my Christian R&B. And I asked the Lord, you know, what that thing was for me and he told me TV, like you watching too much TV, stop watching TV for 21 days, right?

Only consume like Christian podcasts or Christian content. And so I stopped watching the TV and started watching Christian podcasts and I'm watching Christian podcasts and I would get my drink, watch these Christian podcasts. And- You know, like that's not what I told you to do. Right, but because God knows how to talk to me, right? watch these Christian podcasts. And you know, like that's not what I told you to do. Right.

But because God knows how to talk to me, right? It's like, because I had taken all the distraction out from all these other sources and I was only taking in content that was reminding me of him, naturally my spirit started to be convicted, right? And naturally, oh, after 21 days, like that habit started to become a thing

that I recognized was keeping me from him. And it's a personal conviction thing, right? For everybody has to go on their journey with it. But so I stopped drinking alcohol in September of 2023. And I watched my life change. Wow, that is beautiful. And the biggest thing of it for me has been just focus, right? Like God knew, and it's so funny because the pastor's question was about like, what is

there that's keeping you from what God has for you, right? I didn't know what God had for me on the other side of that obedience, but I just did it. And I watched, I was like, oh! Isn't it crazy? You know? How like when you literally surrender and like before your eyes you're like, oh, I was just telling Wes the other day. I was like, man, I said, ever since I've like surrendered sex to God, like literally I see doors, doors that were shut.

It's just like now it's multiple options. Like I'm like, God, like that's what you're doing? Girl, that's how he works. Yeah. It's crazy. And like until you experience it, you don't really understand it. But you're right. You don't know what's on the other side of the obedience.

Yeah. Yeah. And so now, and I did wonder, I was like, OK, how am I going to, who am I without drinking? Because I started to become a young adult and be the version of myself that I knew, like drinking, right? I was like, so who am I if I don't drink?

Can I still go out? Can I go to events? And I really did have a season where it was just really quiet in my life. And it was really just like going home, doing my work and talking to God, and didn't feel like I could have the self-control or the discernment, you know, to keep up what God had called me to. And so, but now I can, right? Like now it's not a

temptation for me, you know, and it is something that I'm seeing like what it means to grow in the fruits of the Spirit. Because I'm like, oh wow, like I don't, I'm actually not tempted in this space, in a place where I thought I had to become a shell of myself or a hermit, you know? Yeah, yeah. Because he doesn't want that. Exactly, exactly. And I like, girl, I'll go get a good mocktail. I love me a good mocktail. I love a little zesty mocktail, you know? You know, like, and you can still go live your life and have fun and just represent him wherever you go. That's it. Yes, that's it. I think that's the part that we miss. I used to always say, people think being a Christian is boring.

It's not, you know? And when you really follow him, you can still have a sense of humor, a clean sense of humor, you know? And there's ways to do it where he's still like, that is honorable in my sight, you good. Yeah. You know?

And the ways for us to spread his word and his light, you know? And I remember like last year I was going through like a really big season of spiritual warfare where people close to me who had like this really good relationship with God, it literally would irk me because like I'm like, yes, I believe in him. Yes, but you doing too much. Yeah, you know, like calm down like everything got to be Jesus,

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Yeah, and in this season of life, I'm realizing that was the devil. He was literally like he knew what God was trying to work in me. And I was like, no, like, you know, teetering that line in entertainment, like trying to figure out where I fit in and how does this work? And how do I keep everything going but not lose myself? Yeah. And guys like, you're not going to lose yourself if you with me.

Yeah. You know, because that's where to lose yourself if you with me. Yeah. You know, because that's where the authentic true you comes out. Come on. Ding, ding, ding. Ding, ding, ding. I was literally going to say that. I was like, because who you are in him is the real you. Yes.

Right? Yeah. And we think that when we go to him that we're going to, well, OK, yeah, we do lose ourselves. But we're supposed to, right? Because it's like the self that you're losing is not you. No. It's not you. And he wants so much more for you on the other side

and walking with him, you know? I love that for you. Thank you. Yeah, like it's so much more peaceful. Even with music, like I did woman evolve this past summer. And even in that moment, I was still like struggling because I had just done a crazy episode and I talked about, he's where you weren't having sex before marriage and I was like, yeah, that was a season of my life, but not being mature, I was still on some milk at that time

until I hadn't gotten to the Phillip McNaughan. I was like, I said that was a season of my life and this, I'm going to be honest with you, I thought that, okay, God God, I'm gonna do it your way. I've been doing it my way all my life. I'm gonna do it your way. And I just knew my testimony was gonna be, y'all, I did a guys when I got a ring. And that did not happen.

And I was like, okay, so I'm sacrificing my flesh and what I really want. And then I didn't get what I wanted, so I went back, dumb, I went back to my old ways. And it was a cycle of still heartbreak and everything. And I realized like when I was open about that, the Christian fans of his podcast literally like crucified me for being honest about my transgressions

and like, you know what I'm saying, where I was. And it was like an attack. I'm like, so y'all been perfect your whole life? Like y'all see, I'm trying, you know, and I'm just being honest about my shortcomings. And at that moment I was like, I'm not doing any other podcasts. And I actually cried on stage at one minute evolved

telling it cause I was like, I just didn't want to talk about God anymore because, and then because I knew I was still doing things that weren't Pleasing in his sight. I didn't want to feel like a hypocrite Yeah, you know, so I was like I just let's not talk about I want to have fun Like you look at the podcast that have millions of views they got the alcohol on the side Yeah, custom and they having fun inside you get kind of blindsided like what what's working? Yeah, the numbers ain't numbering like okay, so I need to go do this. And like, God had the work on me.

I'm like, nah, baby girl, that ain't, that ain't, you trying to run from me? And I noticed like in the season that as we started filming, I was like, guys, we want to switch. I want to switch it up. I want to be more fun. You know what I'm saying? A little risk cave.

And every episode, here come Jesus working his way. I said, I see what you're doing. Yeah. You are not letting me run from you. Okay. Let me stop. I'm not a runner like that anyway. So let me sit down.

But it was in those moments where I was like, God, show me what you want me to do with this platform because I'm trying it. I'm trying to do what I see is working and not reinvent the wheel, but give me the wheel that you want me to run, you know? And I think now I'm finding that. And even with my music, I was telling myself, you know, after that I was so convicted, I was like, okay, I can't curse my music. And I was talking to my friend Pastor Brenda, we call her BP. We call her, uh, P-P-P-P-P-P, because I was running in public, but I call her Pastor Brenda, she hates it.

And I was like, you know, I was like, just trying to figure out what to do with my music. And she was like, Crystal, she goes, she used Major and Stevie Wonder as examples. She was like, they don't curse their music. They make great, secular music, but it's nothing derogatory. And she was like, you can still find your lane,

and it doesn't have to be Christian. But in my mind, I was like, should I be singing Christian music? Like, I was, I just was still trying to figure out how to navigate that. So I love how you found like a way, cause I listened to Karen Hawthorne's album. And that was a great album.

And you couldn't really tell if it was Christian or R&B. But then when you listen, like, oh, she's talking about God. And I just love how she like found her lane to, within her journey to still talk about God But make it unique to her walk, right? Yeah, so when you got to this like when you got to that point and you were like, alright God I'm gonna do it your way and you decided to do Christian R&B What was that like aha moment like were you just in your room like writing and God was like right about me or were you

Just in that space. We like I want to write a little letter to God. Yeah. So it was a process. So I had quit music. I moved back to North Carolina. I like waved the white flag. I was like, okay, well I was wrong because I can't, I had no peace. And I was like, I guess all the visions that I saw that God showed me from my life, me

on stage and you know, different things that I saw that God showed me for my life, me on stage and different things that I would see come to pass. I was like, okay, I guess I read all of it wrong. And so I went back to North Carolina, I got my real estate license, I gave up. And I was like, okay, God, I would pray to him, I wanna know you, reveal yourself to me, because something's not clicking.

I still didn't know, like, who God was for myself. I had only heard what people had told me about him. You know, I had the Bible, so I would like go back and read the Bible sometimes when I was like, you know, in the lowest places. But I was like, I still don't feel like I've ever seen your face. I've never, I don't know who you are.

And so that was my prayer for about like an eight month period. And I was just, you know, I would go and I would watch sermons and you know, music was nowhere in my mind. I was like, okay, that's a thing of my past. And so I ended up getting an opportunity to move back to Atlanta about a year later and I was weeping just tears of joy the night before I was moving back because I love Atlanta

and I always wanted to get back here and it really does feel like home for me but I didn't know how it was going to work and how I was gonna get back here. And so the night before I moved back, I was just praising God for all he'd done for me, all he'd healed me from, walked me through, and the fact that he had revealed himself to me. And I feel like, okay, now I know who you are. And I was like, okay, God, when I go back, like, what do you have for me?

And this was the first time that I ever felt redirected by the Holy Spirit in prayer. And the Holy Spirit redirected me to ask the question, God, what do you need from me? When I go back. What do you need from me? And it was like a movie, the way that I then heard the voice of God speak to me.

And I'm here because it was right here on my left side that I felt and heard the voice of God say, music. And I trembled because I was like, okay, okay, okay, okay. I just heard God. Like that was God. Like I know that was God. And he, like you said, music, like, I don't, how, you know? I didn't understand what that meant to do music for him.

You know, and to, you know, stay walking in the new life that I had, you know? Because, yeah, I just didn't know that Christian R&B was an option. And so when I moved back to Atlanta, probably like two weeks later, I reconnected with my manager who we had met in like 2019 when I was kind of hustling out here as a songwriter

and trying to figure out the secular space. And he now was working in the Christian hip hop space and invited me to some events out here in Atlanta. And so the first events I went to in Atlanta were, and in this round of my time here, were Christian hip hop events. And my mind was blown. I was like, oh, like completely, everybody's sober.

This is hip hop music, or this is, you know, and we're just turning up in Jesus name. It blew my mind. And so like with that exposure, I was like, oh, now it's clicking. Now crazy how he's like, I'm gonna give you the destruction. I'm gonna show you what I'm talking about. Right. Right. And so I was like, okay, God, I see you. And so then I got curious about all the different things that are happening in the Christian space, right? There's obviously Christian hip hop, Christian R&B, Christian reggaeton, Afro beats Christian.

Like there's all these different genres that I had never been exposed to prior to that. And so I heard him, but I was like, okay, like I don't really, I still, I was scared. I was scared to get back into music. I was like traumatized. I was like, I don't know, I don't know, I don't really, I still, I was scared. I was scared to get back into music. I was like traumatized. I was like, I don't know. I don't know, I don't know, you know?

I hadn't written music in two years. I hadn't listened to music. I wasn't even listening to music during this time of my life. I was quiet. It was just quiet. Just hearing guys' voice. Yeah. And so then I ended up actually getting a health scare

in May of that year that really made me like think about death in a way that I had never had to before. And I was like, if I don't make it through whatever this is, I have to go to God and answer why I didn't do what he told me to do. He told me to do music. You know? And so I ended up just going on YouTube, finding some YouTube beats, because also my manager was like, you know, you have to create new memories

around your gift, right? Like this fear you have of it, this, you know, your gift right now is in kind of this thicket of like, you know, it's in kind of like a clouded forest, and you have to just break out of it and give new memories to your gift. So go on YouTube, I know how to record myself. And he was like, go on YouTube, get you some beats and record yourself, write you some songs and figure out that you can just do it. You don't need anybody to co-sign or you can just do it.

So I did that and I was kind of finding my songs with God. I was like, I don't know what my new voice is as a writer, as an artist. And I just kind of started pouring my heart out to God. And that became my EP from me to God. Cause I didn't have an audience at the time. Like I was, you know, I was, I was in my little cocoon. And then in September of that year, I released my bad.

And the kind of the rest is kind of history, but it was a really organic kind of flow with God. It's not like I set out to do Christian R&B. I was just setting out to be obedient. And I ended up in this space and it's a really cool place to be. It's so cool and I absolutely love it. I'm so proud of you.

Thank you. I really am. You start off with acting and singing. Is that something that you wanna kinda get back into? And if so, what roles would you see yourself playing now? In this new walk of your life? Yeah, so definitely I wanna do all of it. I wanna act, I wanna write, I wanna produce,

I wanna do all of the things. I wanna do Broadway again. There was a time when I thought that I had to give up everything. I was wrong about everything. And now I'm in a place where I'm like, oh, now I just have to do everything. Yes. Huge for your glory. That's it. You know? Yes. Um, so I want to go do all of it. I think, uh, roles. So I have some ideas of roles that I would like to create. Okay, come on, I like that. But yeah, I mean, I think that I would just love to, I'm really big on representations of liberation

and like what it looks like to be a modern liberated woman and walking with God in that. And so I think any roles that align with that, that's where I would like to be. Yeah, I love that. It's gonna happen. It's going to happen. I receive it.

Yes, is there anything coming up that our audience can support you on or that you wanna let us know you can give us a little tee on? Yeah, so I obviously have new music coming out. I have a lot of new music coming out this year. I really feel like I'm making the music that sounds like my soul and how I really have always heard myself. So I'm excited to release more music and some creative business.

Okay. Adventures as well. Good. And definitely more live shows. I'm going to hopefully be able to go out and do some touring this year too. And really just be with the people. I really love performing. You know, I was a theater kid, so I love to be in person and, you know, social media has been so great to be able to connect with people from everywhere. Isn't that crazy?

Girl! The reach that you have on social media. Girl! Like, all over the world, it's crazy. It's crazy, it's crazy. And so, I would love to go see some of those places this year. So, yeah, stay tuned. I love that, I love that. Well, before we get out of here, I want to play a quick game with you. Okay. It's a rapid fire game and it's just this or that. Okay. Praise and worship or Bible study. Okay. I'll say praise and worship.

Okay. Um, street edge or a church boy? Come on, Jesus. Jesus! Am I allowed to say, can I say a church boy with street edge? Yes! Okay. I'll wish you all that. Okay. All right, we just with street edge. Yes. OK, I wish you all day.

All right, we just did fashion week. So Chanel or Hermes? Oh, maybe Chanel. OK, love it. Classic. Yeah, yeah. Lemon pepper wings or Caesar salad? OK, I'm going to say lemon pepper wings.

Oh, you in Atlanta, girl. Yeah, I was trying to be cute with it, but no way. A little Sally. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Give me them wings. Right, right. Wings and a Sally. Yes.

There you go. Balance, baby. Balance. Inches and bundles or naturalista? These are really good questions. These are tough. I know. Because I really love my natural hair.

Okay, right now I'm gonna have to say bundles because I'm in my boho era. I love it. It works. I love it. A fun night out or a quiet night in? Quiet night in. I love me too girl. I am a homebody. My social battery be draining so fast. Yeah yeah. I'm like just give me a quiet night in. I feel you. Sneakers or heels? Heels. Acting or singing? Singing. Yes. If you could listen to only one album for the rest of your life, not including yours, what would it be? Okay, The Emancipation of Mimi. Baby! Right? So good. Shout out Mariah. Yeah, shout out Mariah. So good. Last one, your favorite Bible verse. Okay, Psalm 94 19, when anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul. So good. Yeah, that verse saved my life. I love it. Lee, thank you. Thank you. That wraps up this round of rapid fire questions.

Amazing. I love you. I am so proud of you for staying on this journey and finding your place in this world where you can honor God. Thank you for taking time to be with us. I'm so proud of you. I just want to touch and greet. I'm so proud of you.

And the vulnerability that you just like so freely share with people with your journey matters. It's important. Don't let nobody condemn you. You're doing the Lord's work. Thank you. And that's all that matters. And I'm so proud of you.

Thank you so much. Of course, no, pleasure. Please come back. Oh, I would love to. When you're working on something else, come back. You always have a place on the couch. Thank you so much. Absolutely. Thank you so much. Absolutely, thank you.

Wow, today's episode was so amazing. I really enjoyed talking to Lee. One of my takeaways from our conversation is that your relationship with God is uniquely your own. We can inspire each other by being transparent about what we're going through in our journeys because we're all going through something. But our relationship is ours and with Him alone. So remember that. Don't compare your journey or your walk to anyone else's. You can be inspired by people's journey in their walk, but your relationship with Jesus Christ is yours.

Thank you all so much for spending time with me today. I hope today's conversation inspired you all to dream big, break boundaries, and be confident in your career and faith journey. You guys can follow me on all social media platforms at LoveCrystalRenee, and you can also follow our show at Keep It Positive, Sweetie. If you want to write into our positive outcomes listener letter, you can send us an email to keepitpositesweetie at gmail.com. In the meantime, in the meantime, you guys already know what to do.

Keep it positive, sweeties. I'll see you next time. you you you