[7] Dreaming of a singing career, he rented out a practice room and trained his skills with Shin Jung-hwan, an acquaintance who would join Roo'ra with him.

[15] After changing members early in 1997, Roo'ra disbanded, releasing a farewell album that included nine songs composed by Lee.

[20] In 2000, he founded the production company Sangmind,[21] which represented artists such as Kim Ji-hyun, Baek Ji-young, and Green Area [ko].

[22] In 2004, Lee opened the first branch of Gimme Five, a restaurant that combined drag shows, music performances, MMA matches, and various other forms of entertainment.

[23] He was kicked from his spot as CEO in February 2005 after he refused to put a gambling machine in the establishment, and plans for a second branch were dropped after the death of a fighter.

[25][26] On July 4, 2012, he released the project album "The God of Music — The First",[27] and the following day he performed its lead single "As Time Goes" on M Countdown.

[28] On April 3, 2017, it was announced that Lee would join the reality show My Little Old Boy, replacing film critic Heo Ji-woong.

[34][35][36][37] In April 2023, it was announced that Lee would return to the panel of the reality TV show Heart Signal after three years of the series being off air.

[43][44] In August 2006, Lee was sued by his ex-wife for fraud charges and taking about 2.2 billion won prior to their marriage and until their divorce.

[citation needed] However, Lee appealed the ruling, and was then sentenced to 3 years in probation, 160 hours in community service, and 210 million won in fines.