Shawn Lee

Born in Wichita, Kansas on December 28, 1963, Shawn Lee is revered multi-instrumentalist who is equally known as a vibe-setter and sonic architect. His music defies categorization, weaving together funk, soul, jazz, and global sounds into immersive, groove-laden experiences. Raised in rural Kansas, his early musical influences included the funk and soul of Sly and the Family Stone and the Isley Brothers mixed with the gospel music he performed in a Baptist church choir. Moving to Los Angeles, California in 1988, he collaborated with The Dust Brothers, befriended Jeff Buckley, and signed a publishing deal with EMI before relocating to London, England in 1995. While living in London, Shawn Lee signed with Gilles Peterson’s Talkin’ Loud label and recorded the album Discomfort (1996), which only made it to the promo stage before being cancelled. After leaving Talkin’ Loud label, he came to prominence when he created the Planet of the Breaks and Ape Breaks series, which proved to be very popular and led to Shawn Lee becoming one of the most sampled drummers on the scene. His 2000 album Monkey Boy featured the cult hit “Happiness,” which was later covered by Pop Idol winner Will Young. Over the course of his career, Shawn Lee released over 40 albums both as a solo artist and as a member of the Ping Pong Orchestra, The Pacific Jazz Alliance, Shawn Lee’s Incredible Tabla Band, Clutchy Hopkins, Bei Bei, Lord Newborn and the Magic Skulls, AM, Electric Peanut Butter Company, Young Gun Silver Fox, the Soul Surfers, Paul Elliott, the Rides Again Band, the Incredible Leg Warmer Band, Oregano, the Superhighway Band, the Angels of Libra and others. Shawn Lee has also worked on video game soundtracks including Bully, The Getaway, and Zombie Playground. In August 2025, Shawn Lee collaborated with Los Angeles-based soul singer Kelly Finnegan on the single “Say It Again.”