Ian Cylenz Lee has a documented creative record spanning production, writing, video direction, styling, and collaborative public projects. The clearest available evidence concerns his leadership involvement with BLAKGOLD and his work as a co-founder of New Haven Collective.
A 2021 report by Trinidad and Tobago Newsday identified Lee as one of BLAKGOLD’s leaders. Published project credits also connect him with production, writing and directing work, while a first-hand account from creative professional Safia Elena Ali establishes his role in New Haven Collective.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Professional name | Ian “Cylenz” Lee |
| Documented roles | Producer, writer, director, creative director and stylist |
| Creative collective | BLAKGOLD |
| Collective position | Identified as one of its leaders |
| Public art initiative | New Haven Collective |
| Fellow co-founders | Safia Elena Ali and Marlon James |
| Other credited work | Video direction and styling |
His Documented Role in BLAKGOLD
Trinidad and Tobago Newsday described BLAKGOLD as an EDM collective led by Ian “Cylenz” Lee and producer Natassja Hammond, also known professionally as The Wixard. The description appeared in a January 2021 feature based on an interview with Joseph “Prince Pronto” Figueroa, who described Lee as his cousin and worked with him during the 2020 quarantine period.
The report identifies Lee as one of BLAKGOLD’s leaders rather than its sole founder, owner, or legal director. Available reliable material supports identifying him as one of BLAKGOLD’s leaders, but it does not establish the collective’s legal structure or provide an independently verified founding date.
During the 2020 quarantine period, Lee collaborated with Prince Pronto at Kitchen Studio in Marabella, Trinidad. Their sessions explored a blend of cinematic influences, Afrobeat, reggaeton, and dancehall. According to Prince Pronto, they produced a package of approximately 40 demos and compositions to present to major labels and developing artists.
The report does not identify every piece created during those sessions or specify how the collaborators divided their responsibilities. Even with those limitations, it offers a detailed account of Lee’s practical involvement in writing and production rather than simply attaching a professional label to his name.
Published Credits Show His Range as a Creative Professional
Publicly posted project credits document several areas of Lee’s work. He has been credited as a producer alongside Prince Pronto, while other releases identify him as a writer connected with BLAKGOLD. One 2017 credit also lists a stated affiliation with SOCAN, although a separate accessible entry in the organization’s repertoire database was not located during the research.
His record extends into visual production. In 2017, Lee and Jasmyn Asvat were named as co-directors of an official BLAKGOLD video. The following year, actress Kandyse McClure publicly credited Lee and Ryan C. Khan as jointly directing another BLAKGOLD video featuring a special appearance by McClure.
These credits establish that his role was not limited to studio production. He participated in shaping the visual presentation of the collective’s work, collaborating with other directors rather than receiving sole credit.
A photograph published by the Trinidad Guardian in 2019 added another dimension to his documented record. The image credited Lee and Safia Elena Ali with creative direction and styling, with Marlon James named as the photographer. This provides published evidence of his involvement in image-making and visual presentation outside his audio-production credits.
New Haven Collective Expanded His Public Work
In an interview published by the Trinidad Guardian in October 2019, Safia Elena Ali said that she had partnered with Lee and photographer Marlon James to establish New Haven Collective. Her statement is a first-hand account from one of the initiative’s co-founders.
Ali described Lee as a creative director, stylist and producer. These professional descriptions align with his published project credits, which show activity across audio production, video direction and styling.
New Haven Collective was conceived as a platform for artistic work that could encourage more constructive communication and engagement. According to Ali, its stated areas of interest included equality, diversity and inclusion.
Those aims came from Ali’s interview rather than a direct public statement by Lee. They nevertheless provide reliable context for the collective he helped establish and distinguish the project from his BLAKGOLD production work.
The available evidence does not explain how the three founders divided their responsibilities or whether the collective became a registered organization. Its documented significance rests on the founders’ creative collaboration and the public purpose described when it was introduced.
The Collective Addressed Gender Equality Through Art
New Haven Collective’s first announced undertaking was a photographic series and interactive exhibition addressing women’s experiences of gender inequality. Ali described the project as focusing on the strength of women as they confronted inequality in everyday life.
The proposed format combined a photographic series with an interactive exhibition. Its subject also matched the collective’s broader goal of using creative expression to generate discussion about social issues.
When the Trinidad Guardian feature appeared in October 2019, the exhibition was still being developed. The available research does not confirm its eventual opening date, venue or public reception. Lee’s verified connection is therefore to the collective and the project’s development, rather than to a confirmed completed exhibition.
This work remains different from his BLAKGOLD credits. It placed his creative direction and styling experience within a collaborative project shaped around gender equality, representation and public engagement.
His Verified Work Developed Across Several Creative Fields
The available chronology begins with published BLAKGOLD credits from 2017, when Lee was named as a writer and co-director. A further co-directing credit followed in 2018, establishing continued involvement in both the creative and visual sides of the collective’s output.
By 2019, his public record included styling and creative direction alongside the formation of New Haven Collective. Through the initiative, he collaborated with Safia Elena Ali and Marlon James on photography and interactive art addressing social issues.
His reported work during 2020 returned to intensive studio collaboration. Prince Pronto’s account describes a substantial period of experimentation that resulted in approximately 40 demos intended for labels and artists. Newsday published those details in January 2021 and identified Lee as one of BLAKGOLD’s leaders.
No comparably substantial independent update about Lee’s work was available for the period from 2022 to August 2026. Claims about his education, employment history, residence and ownership of BLAKGOLD remain unconfirmed.
What Ian Cylenz Lee’s Public Record Establishes
Ian Cylenz Lee has a concise but meaningful verified professional record. Reputable reporting connects him with the leadership of BLAKGOLD and documents his extensive 2020 collaboration with Prince Pronto. Published credits establish work in production, writing, video direction, creative direction, and styling.
His role as a co-founder of New Haven Collective adds a separate strand to that record. Through the initiative, Lee worked with Safia Elena Ali and Marlon James on a creative project addressing gender equality and supporting broader discussion around inclusion and representation.
Reliable evidence establishes little about Lee’s personal background, so the available record is primarily professional. The clearest account of Lee therefore centers on his credited creative work, his involvement with BLAKGOLD, and his participation in New Haven Collective.