Violinist Lee England Jr. performs at Dwayne Wade’s Jordan Brand Launch Party for his signature shoe: the Fly Wade 2 at 101/ Exhibit in Miami Beach, FL. on December 7,2011.

(Tom DiPace /AP Images for Jordan Brand)

“It’s not very often that you encounter an artist as gifted and unique as Lee England, Jr. He is a virtuoso violinist with a soulful voice and a catchy songwriter. His laid back demeanor contradicts his exciting and captivating performances…

Classically trained hip-hop violinist and self-proclaimed “maestro,” Lee England Jr. is changing the way music fans think about the violin.

Only 25, England has already worked with talents like Stevie Wonder, P. Diddy, MIMS, and Keri Hilson. On April 14, 2009, Lee made his national television debut when he performed live with MIMS on the Jimmy Kimmel show.

Lee England Jr. and Zzaje Perform

Lee England, Jr, the Soul Violinist, and famed Chicago backup band ZZAJE take the WCL stage.

Artist makes the violin ‘cool’ for kids. TaRhonda Thomas reports. 9NEWS at 4 p.m. 06/10/11

DENVER – The kids at the Boys and Girls Club on Inca Street in Denver were not expecting what they saw this week. When their special guest walked in, wearing baggy pants, tennis shoes and a backwards baseball cap, they probably could have never predicted what he was going to do: Play some of the sweetest tunes the kids had ever heard on the violin.

“I’ve actually had real comments [from people who say] ‘I had no idea!,’” 27-year-old Lee England, Jr. said.

England, a classically-trained violinist with three college degrees, knows the fact that he wears Jordan-brand sneakers and gear may throw some people for a loop. And that’s just the way he likes it.

“It’s a beautiful thing to be able to shatter stereotypes,” he said. “Sometimes, I find myself dressing even more urban, just so people look and automatically think one then. And after I perform, it just breaks down.”

To clarify, he wears the Michael Jordan gear because Michael Jordan is one of his sponsors. That’s a big surprise to children like those at the Boys and Girls Club.

“To be sponsored by a brand that usually only supports athletes speaks volumes. Just be good at what you do. You never know when an opportunity might arise,” England said, sharing the message that he often spreads among the kids he visits.

England, who will perform in the Vail SoulMusic Festival in August, hopes to open kids’ ears to classical music. He also hopes to open their minds to endless possibilities.

“(I hope) they’re inspired to chase their dreams,” he said.

England left the young people at the Boys and Girls Club cheering, after playing some of their favorite hip-hop tunes on the violin.

“I can pretty much play anything,” he told the crowd, pushing the importance of studying and practicing one’s craft.

He’s already made an impression on one young mind. Twelve-year-old Diego Ortiz met England a year ago and has since picked up a violin himself.

“Things aren’t always as they seem,” Ortiz said, reflecting on his first impression of England. “[Kids[ can try new things and see the world from a different angle.”

For more information on the Vail Soul Music Festival, click:www.vailsoulmusicfest.com.

We showed you a look at the Jordan Brand Holiday 2010 Lookbook featuring Wale and Lee England Jr. last week, and here’s a closer look at JB’s HO10 sneaker collection.  Let’s start on the lifestyle side of the spectrum, where four new colorways of the Jordan V.2 Grown each look to be very well executed.  There’s a couple of brown towns plus one each in grey or black, but if you need a more rugged boot look no further than the Air Jordan Spiz’ike Winterized.  Three Spizike Winterized Boots will hit in Q4, two of which are popular colorways held over from last year.

And speaking of last years, this could very well be the final season for Carmelo Anthony in Denver, but his Jordan Brand signature series continues to roll on strong with the upcoming Melo M7 in a wide range of colorways.  Elsewhere on-court, the Take Flight shows us what JB will do with a full-length Max Air cushion for the first time, while the Rare Air and Flight SC Highs each show a different perspective on where they’ve been.  Click the jump below to see the full collection and stick with Sneaker News for updates

Wale’s clearly among the biggest celebrity sneakerheads, so Jordan Brand tapped the DMV emcee to show off some of their Holiday 2010 wares.  In the images from JB’s HO’10 lookbook featuring Wale and Lee England Jr., we get a look at JB’s lifestyle oriented models like the Air Jordan Spiz’ike Winterized Boot, the V.2 Grown Chelsea-chukka and new colorways of the Rare Air hybrid model.  There’s also a wide range of apparel and accessories, one of the best parts of which is a hat featuring the expression ‘Sick kicks since 1985′ wherein the ‘C’ is the Flu Game emoticon.  Check out more shots after the jump and stick with Sneaker News for updates on Air Jordan release dates.

White Sox Fitted-Young General ft. Mikkey Halsted, Twone Gabz, and Lee England Jr.

Lee England Jr. performed at “The Shrine” in Chicago, Il. Thursday, July 16th 2009 with in-house band Zzaje’ along with Neo/Soul artist, Eric Roberson, as part of Soul City. Blending Lee’s unique soulful, yet popular stylings with Roberson’s Maxwell timbre and Eric Benet smoothness, created an stellar night not to be forgotten.

All Photos By Bradley Murray
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WGCI’s “Whisper in the DARK” @ Rhumba