Whether you know Lexie Liu from her performance as Seraphine in K/DA’s “MORE” or her fourth-place finish on The Rap of China 2018, there’s no denying that the Chinese hip hop star is a global sensation. From being the youngest Chinese artist to perform at SXSW in 2017 to signing with record giant 88rising, Lexie has been bridging cultural gaps with her unique, futuristic music for the past half-decade.

It might be easy to assume that she accomplished this by jumping on every opportunity that came her way, but the truth is that it was a bit more complicated. To achieve everything she did, she actually turned down a deal from a major Korean entertainment company, which took interest in her after her rise to fame on the reality TV competition series K-pop Star 5.

Today’s story explores an idea heavily proximal to the concept at Sonical.ly’s core—that aspiring music creators can reach new heights while playing by their own rules, without the backing (and often limitations) that comes with a record company.

We can say this with confidence because Sonical.ly’s founder, Elmo, actually worked with Lexie when she was just starting out on her solo career after K-pop Star.

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Elmo considers the first and foremost thing he taught her during this time the key to writing a hook, and if you’ve ever listened to any of Lexie’s music, it’s safe to say she took this lesson very well.

Once she had a catchy hook to get an audience moving, the next part was finding her niche. To be able to be true to oneself and allow that to shine through music—that’s what makes a true artist.

Elmo and Lexie experimented with a number of different styles to draw out what spoke to her most. The end result was her first hip-hop single “Coco Made Me Do It”—a smashing success that became her ticket to giant music festivals like SXSW and high-profile competition shows like Rap of China.

While competing on Rap of China, Lexie signed with 88rising, a record label dedicated to platforming the works of Asian diaspora hip-hop artists such as Joji, Rich Brian, and NIKI. This allowed her to reach a worldwide audience and gain renown for her distinctive style, effortlessly blending English and Mandarin lyrics with retro-futuristic beats.

In an interview with Flaunt Magazine, Lexie explained that she tries to “put together interesting elements from [her] limited understanding of both cultures [Chinese and American] from movies, music, and literature.” The outcome of this is her debut EP 2030, an eclectic collection of songs that capture the essence of her personality and musical journey.

Since then, she has departed from 88rising and released two more albums—Meta Ego and Gone Gold, reinventing herself each time as she continues to investigate different genres, themes, and sounds. Meta Ego takes 2030 to another level by dialing back the auto tune and shifting focus to Lexie’s natural vocals, which have been consistently praised for their unique, dream-like quality. Gone Gold is a more ambitious foray into the territory of dance music, proving her worth in the genre of mainstream pop.

Lexie’s constant exploration and iteration are made possible by the creative freedom she has, which in turn can be difficult to exercise when part of a record label or a group. Her musical journey from a young woman passionate about hip-hop to global stardom highlights the very real possibility of achieving your potential without the support of a large record company. If it worked for Lexie, it could work for you, too.

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