Jungle Bells founder and managing partner MJ Lee is leaving day-to-day operations and ownership to focus on his personal endeavors, including Kingdom and his podcast, EdibleWorthy.
MJ Lee announced on social media that, effective immediately, he will step down from his full-time position with Jungle Bells and move into a Founder Emeritus role. Since 1998, Lee, along with partners Brandon Couturier and D:RC, has hosted the event in Atlanta. What started as a small bass party thrown by three friends really blossomed into a cornerstone of the drum and bass scene, growing to become the biggest festival centered on the genre in the US.
To keep Jungle Bells’ momentum going, MJ Lee will pass the torch to Couturier and D:RC, both of whom are ready to take the event to heights of which they’ve all only dreamed. As Lee puts it, “the vision they have is relentless.”
Many seem shocked by the sudden news, but Lee’s been posting clues to his socials if you’ve been paying close attention. In one Facebook post, he even said he is about to reintroduce himself, indicating that something major is in the works. And then came the official news.
I truly hope my new schedule allows me the time to keep showing up and hosting the Jungle Bells events as I have for nearly three decades. There is no better feeling than being on that mic with all of you. It is the one time I get to look out at the crowd and say a genuine thank-you for being there. Because I know you could be anywhere else in the world, and yet you chose to be right here in this room with us. It’s one of my greatest joys in life.
MJ Lee
By making this move, Lee will now be free to focus his energy on what he calls his “soul-projects,” such as the rebirth of Kingdom and his podcast, EdibleWorthy. Both fell to the wayside as Jungle Bells took all his focus. While he has left the stake in his company and is ending his involvement in the business side of things, he does hope this move leaves him available to continue hosting the Jungle Bells events.
Though Lee will be moving into other creative endeavors, he won’t fully be away from Jungle Bells. He’s a ubiquitous staple that can never be far from the family and vibes he, Couturier, and D:RC have so lovingly created. EDM Identity wishes him well and will keep readers updated with further information as it becomes available.
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