Spike Lee wants you to know that he is not related to Aiyana Lee. “Maybe it’s at the root of it,” he says with a laugh.
In Spike Lee’s “Highest to Lowest,” now streaming on Apple TV, Denzel Washington plays David King, a music producer with an ear for talent. As it turns out, so is Spike Lee. He listened to Aiyana Lee’s “My Idols Lied to Me.”
“It felt autobiographical,” Spike Lee says of the song. He contacted her on Instagram, and after meeting her in Los Angeles, Aiyana Lee landed the role of Sula, an up-and-coming talent desperate for a big break, in Heist to Roast. At the end of the film, the King of Washington sits and listens to Seurat perform the song “Highest to Lowest” live in front of him, and is moved to tears.
“When he’s in tears, it’s you,” Spike Lee says to Aiyana Lee. Here, the two discuss “highest to worst” and how it all came together. Spike Lee also talked about directing a short film for his single “Highest to Lowest,” shot in New York City.
“From Best to Worst” feels very personal. Can you talk about writing that and whether you got any notes from Spike Lee?
Aiyana Lee: I wrote 10 songs. A whole folder full of Spike Lee joints. That’s the great thing about spikes. He’s very meticulous and really values the connection between music and film. That ending needed a crescendo. I wrote a lot of songs, and I ended up with a very soulful song that feels very autobiographical. He wanted to tap into my persona and the truth of what I had been through, the struggles and ups and downs. It really summed up the movie, the journey, the message, and where we would be by that endpoint.
Spike Lee: Tell your sister how that performance was recorded live. It was not done to play.
Aiyana Lee: I’ve done over 15.
Spike Lee: We didn’t even do 15 takes. Denzel would have pulled me aside. He was ready by take eight.
Aiyana Lee: It was completely live. We recorded it on set. Every moment you watch is alive. So I’m acting in front of Denzel, and all of his reactions are his authentic reactions.
Spike Lee: This is something I wrote and it’s an audition for Denzel and his son and his mom. Ricky Pageant will accompany you on the piano. that’s it. While editing the movie, we needed to show Denzel’s reactions. In the movie scene, we hear many times that he has the best ear in the business. He doesn’t need to hear the entire song to know he’s signed to her. He knows he’s signing her and he knows they’re going to the studio the next day. But he’s a record man. The look on his face as he reacts to this young talent shows that Aiyana and the piano alone are not enough to leave a record. He needs orchestration.
However, there is a point in the middle of the song where additional instruments begin to be introduced, and by the time the song ends, a full orchestra is playing with Aiyana. I didn’t think so at first, but Denzel’s reaction told me I needed to add more equipment.
How did you approach this song since you’re writing the lyrics for this character as opposed to Aiyana Lee?
Aiyana Lee: I felt like I was in that character because I was singing live in front of those executives. That scene is something I’ve done many times in this industry. It was very close to home and very personal to me. In the end, there is a glimmer of hope. I am stronger and in a better place because of it. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Pain has a purpose and a journey to take. That journey is expressed in this song and its lyrics.
Spike, did any of the lyrics she wrote touch your heart?
Spike Lee: It wasn’t one lyric, it was something she wrote. It was perfect for the film. It’s about the music industry. People forget that early in the scene, Denzel’s son says to Denzel, “Did you hear the mixtape?” And he keeps pushing it away. It comes full circle to its crescendo. It’s not just his character liking her, it’s the whole family liking her.
Let’s talk about filming this short film. What was the story behind this visual?
Aiyana Lee: We got to explore New York a lot. I couldn’t keep up with Spike. He was just walking back and forth, walking and walking. This guy can walk for miles! But he had such great vision. When people watch this, they get the gist of what it means to arrive in New York: the baggage you’re carrying.
Spike Lee: Dream. It’s important to note here that we also created some “Wizard of Oz” pieces. Manhattan is black and white, but when you go to Brooklyn it changes to color.
Spike Lee: This is the classic story of a young artist: hopes and dreams of success. Her clothes are in a suitcase. She took the bus to make it happen. What I like about it is that it ends up in my 40-acre office and you can see the movie posters.
Watch the short film below.
