Mr. Lee

A pioneering producer of hip-house, the chart-dominating dance/rap hybrid that emerged in the early ‘90s, Mr. Lee (Lee Ricky Haggard) raised through the ranks of Chicago’s house music scene during the mid ‘80s, initially DJing at area clubs and recording rough demos at his home. His first singles for Mitchball Records failed to spark any interest, but the producer soon found success at the famed Trax label. Singles such as “Shoot Your Best Shot” and “I Can’t Forget” paved the way for an intense bidding war by the majors, with Lee eventually signing to Jive Records. He soon added rapping to his repertoire on singles for Jive, including “Get Busy,” “Pump That Body,” and “Pump up Chicago.” His debut full-length, GET BUSY, arrived in 1990, followed up by 1992’s I WANNA ROCK RIGHT NOW.