Interview- Yung Lano

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Hyde Park, Boston rapper Yung Lano presents "Rose Gold", his latest single release produced by Stoopkid featuring Brooklyn rapper Jay Critch. The song comes on the heels of his most popular 2022 video release "SLIDIN" (watch the video). Also produced by Stoopkid, "SLIDIN" helped the artist gain notoriety by garnering over 1million views on YouTube, thus pushing him to release his next video “Outside” (watch the video). Yung Lano had this to say about "Rose Gold", “I crafted Rose Gold specifically for me and Jay Critch. It's an ode to the streets letting everyone know i've got options and am here to stay. Staying focused is the number one priority. My team believes no one in Boston has commercial rap appeal like me so i'm just playing that part. Everything i rap about is just another day in my life.”

1. What can you tell us about the track "Rose Gold"? What was your inspiration? Thoughts behind the hook? Music video?

Believe it or not I freestyled this whole verse, good ol punching in every couple seconds but the finished product was a vibe. When Critch said he would show love I wanted to give him a record that he typically wouldn't jump on. He loved the hook and  TBH at the time the whole 448 team had just purchased Rolex Presidentials and when I say "the whole time I've been thinking about prezzi.. I just swapped out the rolli for my AP" just real life shenanigans.. it wasn't meant for a flex, I was just talkin shit.

2. How has growing up in Hyde Park influenced your style of music? 

Fast times most definitely. My brother and I were a wild bunch. Thank god we had a family that tried to keep us off the streets. Growing up watching my father DJ Wallyworld Djing parties and events as a child was super dope. The way he could control the crowd with his music selection and wit. My style is similar to a chameleon. Whatever the sound is, I can craft melodies and flows to it. 

3. When did you realize this was the life for you?

Growing up I was always the youngest in the room/streets, getting money. When everyone always tells you you're gonna make it before you even decide to rap, you should start rapping. Besides looking like a rapper I found a passion in creating music. It was a perfect lifestyle fit, allowing me to grow and find my sound. I make the type of music that you wanna hear when you're making money or you just got paid. I'm just here for motivation... 

4. Who are you often compared to? why? How do you distinguish yourself from those artists?

I get a lot of Lil Baby and Lil Durk, I don't think I sound like them but i tihnk It's because of my ability to uplift those around me and really help people create a life for themselves. Real leaders lead from the front and those guys really set a great example. 

5. What can we expect to see/hear from you in the future as far as new projects?

Expect a new single every month paired with boutique style visuals. Going into the new year I will be going harder than ever with the birth of my son. I have every desire to create a life second to nothing for him. Tunnel vision all 2023. You can expect Yung Lano to be a major player by summer 2023. Big Features on the way! 

6. Any shoutouts?

My manager Lucas, my Pops, all of Boston and my partners at 448 the label.

Interview: F.Y.I.

Twitter @fyipsalms @akilione1
Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | Youtube

Los Angeles-based emcee F.Y.I. presents the HighTopBully-directed music video for “eLAyayvate”, the Akili produced single from his new album eLAyayvate featuring The Growth Eternal. F.Y.I. first gained notoriety in 2010 as part of trio Those Chosen on their EP 5ive (Spotify), produced mainly by Grammy-Award winning super-producer, IZ Avila. In 2012 F.Y.I. collaborated with Ab-Soul on "Dopamine" (Bandcamp), which appeared on his first solo mixtape Yo! The Places You'll Go which hit #1 on CMJ's Hip Hop Charts (Bandcamp). That year he also dropped an exclusive freestyle for HipHopDX (Youtube). F.Y.I. had this to say about his new single "I called the new song “eLAyayvate” which is pronounced "elevate" because I’m in a new era of growth as an artist and as a man. It’s time for the frequency to change in my city and in hip hop; it’s time to go higher."

What’s the story behind the name FYI?

First, it's spelled F.Y.I. because it's an acronym that stands for Forever Yahweh Inspired. Yahweh is Hebrew for God. All my inspiration comes from God, especially the music. He inspires me to create it because I am a creator with a little "c". He is the Creator with a capital "C". One of God's many attributes is being a Creator. Just look at the world. The different ethnicities, all the species of animals, colors, sounds, trees, mountains, rivers, oceans, the list goes on and on. His work which is creation is all around us. There's so many things that God has created for us to enjoy. So when I get to create the music I'm basically participating in that process and that in itself is inspiring.

What was your inspiration behind the track "eLAyayvate"? 

Originally, that was the title of the album only, but morphed into an actual title track as well. The title song was the last record I found and recorded before I felt the project was ready for ya'll to hear. It was important to make that statement for myself as basically my vision board. To get my thoughts and mind aligned with going higher - mentally, emotionally, financially, relationally, and definitely spiritually. To elevate. There's even some Easter eggs in the way I spelled the title of the song. The e and L are the first initials of the producer, Akili, and myself's birth names. The L and the A is capitalized to emphasize the city. The yay represents the celebration of the city/culture. I'm doing my part to lift up the city in celebration and let the world know that Los Angeles is the creative capital of the world. There's so many layers to the city that people can tap into and the song is the soundtrack to that.

In the video you pay homage to Nas’s Album cover for Stillmatic. What’s the story behind that?

I can't take credit for the video concept. That's all my director and creative partner, Hightop Bully's vision. He creates the treatments and I basically sign off if I like something or not. When we executed it we weren't sure how it would come out, but once I saw it I was like this is it! Iconic. Memorable.

What do you do when you’re not making music?

I love Black History and American history in general. I geek out on stuff like that. My other creative endeavor is being the founder and Creative Director of Deeper Than Read. It's my animated Black History Youtube Channel. We released episode 23 about the origins of Rock and Roll to wrap up Black Music Month this year. New episodes drop every last Wednesday of each month on the channel @deeperthanread I started this project during the pandemic and it's been going on strong ever since. People interested in Black History and the nuances of Black American culture should tap in because we tackle topics and reimagine it in an animated way. We tapped into a lot of topics so far like origins of the American Police, 14th Amendment, Michel-Jean Basquiat. It's a passion project of mine.

What do you mean when you say “It’s time for the frequency to change in my city”?

Change the order of things.  From government leadership to the folks on the corner.  We, collectively, have to put people before profit.  Put love before hate.  Put community before commodity. 

Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram?

You can link up with me on all platforms at @fyipsalms just google that social handle and the information you are looking for will be there.

Meet Snazzy the Optimist, An Optimistic Artist Who Constructs Sounds That Pairs Futurism With Relatability.

Snazzy the Optimist won’t be Nigeria’s best-kept secret for long. The young spitter and storyteller carries himself with an attractive humility that permeates his music and makes him one of the most endearing rising acts of 2022. He started showing his love for music when he was still young, his earliest contact with music started when his dad who is an instrumentalist and was a member of a choir in South Africa had a music lesson with him. Snazzy the Optimist promises to never give up on his dream.

“It was just one of those things I never really saw as a talent, even still,” Snazzy says of his knack for music. “It was always just something like… It was life to me. I live it and breathe it. I just do it how somebody might do something every day. I just do it; it feels good to me.”

Yet, for as empathic and cheery as Snazzy the Optimist sounds, his music has a heavy tone. His single, Seluna, is laced with tales of relatability and pain. Though Snazzy strews optimism, the weight of Seluna is immense. There is anguish all over the single, the song is relatable and pitiful. Snazzy the Optimist reveals himself to be adept at telling the truth of a place and time without editorializing it into the ground. He’s a natural storyteller in that regard.

Talented as they come, Snazzy the Optimist is not without his hardships, admitting to me that just last 2 years, he wanted to give up on music. Of course, he didn’t. 

“One of the mistakes I made was paying attention [to other people] instead of just looking at my situation,” he says. “I just come back to knowing that whatever they’re doing has nothing to do with what’s going on over here, on my side. I need to remember that at all times.”

“A lot of things are gonna try and stop you, on a journey like this. You have to know how to navigate around it, and you have to know to never give up,” see obstacles and know the way you ought to go. Snazzy concludes with some pep in his voice.

Interview

Who was responsible for forming your early music tastes?

I gotta give it to my parents, especially my dad because my earliest contact with music started when my dad who is an instrumentalist and was a member of a choir in Cape Town, South Africa had a music lesson with me.

What were your first demos like?

My first song, it’s funny… When I first started, when i was young, I produced it myself. It was a freestyle. My dad saw I’m trying to rap because i started off a rapper, so my dad went and bought me a mic and a little beat pad. Soon as I figured out how to use it a little bit, I made my first beat. I wrote lyrics to it and I recorded my first song, using the video on the phone. I got a video of myself rapping the song, and I showed it to my dad. He recorded me on the software, and that was that.

What did it feel like when you realized you had a knack for music?

It was just one of those things I never really saw as a talent, even still. It was always just something like… It was life to me. I live it and breathe it. I just do it how somebody might do something every day. I just do it; it feels good to me.

You tread very serious topics, but the music is very sonically pleasing. How do you strike that balance?

I’ve always been the one where whenever I would make songs, I would let the beat speak to me first. I have the lyrics down, I have what I want to say in me. Like in a little safe. When it meets the beat, it’s always beautiful. It’s like forming a little relationship. I’m forming eharmony relationships with the lyrics and the beats. I just always had a thing for beats that had words before you put words on ‘em. Talking to each other to form a beautiful conversation.

You lace a lot of optimism into this project. How do you keep your head above water?

It’s very hard to do, sometimes. I definitely do get in moods and moments where it’s like, “Man, what’s going on? Is it worth it? Does it matter?” As soon as I think about that, I flip the switch like, “Of course it matters!” A lot of things have happened in my life that remind me I have to keep going. Really, those periods are a reminder that it’s happening on purpose. Like, it’s okay to question things sometimes, because you navigate to the answer within your questioning.

When’s the last time you wanted to give up? Why didn’t you?

The last time I wanted to give up, it was probably 3 years ago. I wanted to give up because, again, some things on the outside change your mind. Things were getting to me, man. I know what I have, and I know the gift that I have. But certain things, man, I get discouraged. Things might not come out the way I want them to come out, and I look around like “You got people who don’t care, really, that it seems like they’re thriving and flourishing.” One of the mistakes I made was paying attention [to other people] instead of just looking at my situation. I just come back to knowing that whatever they’re doing has nothing to do with what’s going on over here, on my side. I need to remember that at all times.

Things are never easy when you look like you’re trying to accomplish the impossible. A lot of things are gonna try and stop you, on a journey like this. You have to know how to navigate around it, and you have to know to never give up. See obstacles and know the way you ought to go, patience and persistence are key, I’ve been so patient.

How do you keep yourself so creative and poetic?

I pray, That’s it.

What do you want to say to fans who have been patiently waiting for the album?

First off, I would say, “Thank you so much for rocking with me and waiting this extended amount of time.” We live in a climate where music gets pushed out so quick, and I don’t do that. With this project, I ask that you sit with it for a while. Don’t hit shuffle. Let it play from top to bottom, and see if you like it. Maybe you’ll like it on the fourth listen, you never really know. I want people to sit with it and listen.

Photos credit: Jeremy Visuals

ALBUM: Heady Lovell- Lovell's Show

LOVELL’S SHOW OUT NOW!! LET’S GO!! HARD ALBUM

HEADY LOVELL- LOVELL’S SHOW

INTERVIEW + PEER REVIEW BY RAREFLAVR.COM “DETACH FROM THE MASSES” 

Thank you for your positive comments on the album below.

PEER REVIEW

by RareFlavr “Detach From the Masses” at rareflavr.com

heady lovell’s - LOVELL SHOW

Overall, SOLID album.

12 tracks; including intro, interlude, outro

A true midwest, hip-hop rap album, with surprises. Including Jazz elements, battle rap sounds, eminem/kanye sound on a few tracks, lyricism, album mode, samples, and more.

The Album is not only deep, with a primary theme of lyricism , it also is filled with clever one-liners/punch lines that is refreshing to hear on the hip-hop/rap scene. Heady has the ability to snap nearly the entire track the endurance is notable, worthy, and fitting for this particular album’s style.

The concept of Lovell’s Show as a nod to his favorite comedian Dave Chappelle’s, Chappelle Show is great timing and fitting as well which is solid to the creativity/timing of album.

The features on the album are fairly top notch, thought it was 2chains (opinion) on WaterBoy (feat. VLNS_BEATS) which is raw creative, relevant. Also, the beats by ItsGaitWhoElse have a commercial sound with the drowned out samples for ex. on Just Saying and Running, which the sound can be popularly heard (radio sounding- great work).

OPINIONs ALERT - Perfect Timing for heady to drop a full-length album, considering any circumstances and what it takes to put together an album 10+ tracks. Heady reminded us sort of like Eminem on Gretzsky-(a good thing). The Song Hell is raw, the sound is uplifting, the concept could be a little off-settling to some listeners “Guess who’s going to hell tonight” Yet the song IS FIRE lyrical anthem, the singing on the beginning the flow sound everything sounds fantastic similar to a kanye vibe.

Summary: This album is solid, you will find that there are surprises in the album the more you listen to it. You may be able to follow some of the clever lines that Heady has after listening to the album/songs several times. The album has full tracks with concepts for the choruses, and surrounding verses to match. A complete project. WE GIVE THIS A THUMBS UP !

CLICK PLAY- INTERVIEW PORTION BELOW

INTERVIEW PORTION

Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for reading this interview article featuring the man himself HEADY LOVELL and his new fantastic project, “Lovell’s Show” Every stream/listen adds up turn up, and celebrate, “Lovell’s Show” by Heady Lovell! Thank You!

Lovell’s Show- Title of the Album - Is this a play of Eminem’s album the eminem show?

It's funny you should mention that. To be honest, The Eminem Show was an afterthought that worked out perfectly. But Lovell's Show's title is a reference to my favorite comedian of all time, Dave Chappelle, and Chappelle's Show. The Eminem reference was more of a happy accident, but I know better than to open myself up for comparison to arguably the greatest lyricist in history.

What Can People Expect from The Lovell Show?

Hopefully they don't expect a damn thing, lol. When it comes to unsigned, non-mainstream artists' work, people tend to expect that it sucks. I hope that is not the case for Lovell's Show, as it is a body of work that has something to which almost everyone can connect. There's speaker bangers, introspective tracks, instrumentals,  humility, tenacity, delusions of grandeur...it has it all. Listeners can expect to learn a little about me. Maybe a little about themselves.

Noticed that this Project is dedicated to Virgil Abloh, what does and did Virgil do for you as far as inspiration, what did he represent for you? How does this loss impact the game? 

It's hard to put into words what Virgil Abloh meant to me, my style, and music in general. There are certain individuals who come around and change everything we thought we knew, and inspire others to do the same. Virgil was most definitely one of those individuals. His creative influence on artists such as Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco is what influenced me as an artist. His ability to be a leader while playing a background role most of his life is what keeps me humble in my real life. His lack of fear, when it comes to exploring ALL avenues of creativity that one has to offer, is an example we should all live by. Virgil Abloh never "stayed in his lane." He paved his own road. It's hard to say how the loss of such a great figure will ultimately impact the game, but I'm willing to bet that innovation slows down, just like when Steve Jobs passed. But I hope I'm wrong.

Your project is a full-length project full of bars, lyrics, and hooks. Catchy Ideas, samples, and more. 

Thanks!

What was your full process like during this album, as far as selecting beats, writing vs. free-styling, all in all how did this project come together? Inspirations? Did you make every beat that wasn’t noted as ‘prod by.’? How long did this album take you to make? 

This project was a few months in the making. After I dropped VANTABLAVK, I found myself aimlessly creating and putting out tracks just because I had so much more to say. But at a certain point, I realized that I should stop producing one-offs and start putting out as many bodies of work as possible. Initially, I never cared about getting a deal of any kind. I just wanted to make music. In my maturity, I know that this is the music business (keyword: business), and that if I want to be successful, I have to prove that I can make albums.

As far as the process, this is the first project that I've created and released with the help of other artists. I usually like to run the show and have control over everything, but this time around I decided to enlist a few friends to better bring my ideas to life. With the exception of "Ooh La Lovell" and "Hell" (on which I produced the drum tracks), I did create the beats on the songs that don't specify otherwise. But collaboration was KEY for this project to have happened. And I thank those who were there for me when I called.

What was the most difficult part of making the album? 

This project was made in its entirety while simultaneously planning an overseas wedding. I'd have to say that the hardest part of making this album was finding the time. People think it's easy to crank out a body of work that one can be proud of, and that has mass appeal. It's difficult to find time to sit down and write out coherent, cohesive verses, produce beats from scratch, find (and hopefully clear) samples, connect with collaborators in different timezones, mix, master, create cover art, AND spend time with your fiance….trust me. But to me it's worth it.

What is your favorite song on the Album? Why? 

That's a tough one. I really like Gretzky and FSU (which stands for Fuck Shit Up), but Waterboy has me singing along to that VLNS_Beats verse as if I wrote it myself. I like hearing other people, even on my own shit. It gives me a high frequency sensation down my spine to hear someone else going in on a track with me. I hope to have more features and to be featured on many songs to come.

What do you think is most misunderstood about you or your music? Rather what do you want people to get from your music, what are some ways people in general can change or help you or other people/artists in general?

I just hope that people start taking me seriously as a musician and artist. I won't ever quit.

If you could get this project in front of anybody in the game, with or who is not with us, who would you want to check this out? Artist, Influencer, Famous, Not Famous, Friend, Loved one, Anybody in particular? 

Lupe Fiasco. I would want to know exactly what he thought about my skill set. I'd want to find out where I currently stand as a lyricist, and how I could improve from this point. I'd have him Mr. Miogi me

How will you be celebrating the album? 

Well, this album releases on my birthday. Let's just say I have big plans.

Anything else you'd like to share? 

Check out @ItsGaiTWhoElse and @VLNS_Beats. Also shoutout to Cleveland for raising ya boy.

LINKS:

1. @ItsGaiTWhoElse

2. @VLNS_Beats

3. @headyinyahead

Thank you for checking this interview/review out. Comments/Reviews are welcome below. Any comments / reviews which are useful are helpful for all. Thank you for your comment/review.

heady lovell on “The Snooze”

Check out Heady Lovell as he joined rareflavr.com on “The Snooze” Podcast!

Interview: David May

Twitter @itsdavidmay @fashawn @mitchgeist
Instagram | Facebook | Soundcloud | nogalesnoise.com

Walnut, California rapper David May presents "Life Debts", his new Mitch Geist-produced single featuring fellow Cali emcee Fashawn. In 2012 Black Cloud released David’s debut album The Lifestyle Of A Dream Chaser and performed alongside Pac Div, Curren$y and joined The Road To Paid Dues Tour with Murs and Fashawn before following up with 2014's Video 94 EP (watch the music video for "Store Runs"). Since then David has released tracks with Fashawn and Trizz as well as several collaborations with California producer Huss (stream "That's Crazy"), alongside his work as a member of the One Step Ahead collective. "I made this song when I was thinking about all the people who are no longer with us," David says. "I thought about how close I've been to being gone and I let that sink in. I want to build a legacy and be remembered long after my time on earth is gone. I have no more time to waste."

You’re coming off a bit of a hiatus. What’s been going on in your life?

Life is always in session. I had stepped away to provide for family and fix some things in my life. I spent my early 20’s living with no regard of the future. I made a conscious decision to break down my old life and build up something stronger. I worked a corporate job for 5 years while I stacked up. I’ve gotten to a place where I have multiple streams of income now and it’s not a make it or break it situation with music. I truly do this shit cause I love it. I work a gig at a dispensary cause I love working with cannabis and all things stoner culture. My state of mind has done a complete 180.


What’s the story behind Nogales Noise?
Nogales Noise is my brand… I hope to grow it into a movement. I grew up right off Nogales St. in LA County. It goes through parts of Walnut, West Covina, Rowland Heights and La Puente. I hadn’t see a prominent figure in recent years that represented that area and I wanted to be that. Right now Nogales Noise is the vehicle that carries the sound and it’s the name that sticks. I built a website and I’m directing all my releases there. Eventually it will grow into an entire content machine that is involved with these emerging markets. I’m heavily involved in the cannabis industry as well as the gaming community. I see these as having unlimited growth potential and they also tap into some things I love. In the past people may have looked down on those things but I hope to be part of the wave that helps normalize making some real money off these things. I want to inspire those around me and in the area to get the bag… ideally finding a way to pursue their passions along the way. The music is a soundtrack to the area, to cruising down Nogales plotting the next move. It’s giving you the confidence to do what you love. The ultimate goal is to open a store front right across from Nogales High School.


You have an enduring musical relationship with Fashawn. How did that happen and how has it evolved?
I initially met Fashawn when I opened for Wiz Khalifa back in like 2009 or something. Just kind of a what’s up, I’m the local opener kind of thing. It wasn’t until 2013 when I was able to go along with Black Cloud Music, Murs, Prof and Fashawn across the country on the Road to Paid Dues Tour that I really got to know Fash. We were close in age and we were 2 of the biggest smokers so we just vibed. He was the big homie to me and it was awesome. I asked him questions about the road, music, and just some big bro shit in general. We would be smoking and freestyling at different spots and it was dope because that helped sharpen the sword… you know, being around someone who does it forreal. We kept in touch once the tour ended and ended up in the studio a few times. As busy as he’s been he’s always been a text away… just a real down to earth dude. It was during the first year of lockdown I was working on music to release once shit got going again and I hit him up. He had a verse for me in like a day turnaround. Absolutely nuts. Shoutout to Fash!

What have been the lessons and realizations of the pandemic for you?

I think the pandemic was an equalizer in a lot of ways. At least in the musical act sense. Everybody had a year + of no shows. For a while nobody was really putting anything out either because nobody was checking for new music. Even if somebody dropped a single or whatever there were no shows to help promote. No radio appearances. It was the perfect example of… the game just changed how are you going to adjust? I think the power of the internet and online communities were highlighted more than ever. More people are online than at any other point in history. Tiktok is here to stay. That’s the only platform where we welcome content from complete strangers. We fully trust the algorithm to recommend things for us. That’s different from Facebook and Instagram or any other platform. If you can make the algorithm work for you, the audience is bigger than anything you’ve ever tried marketing to. Even Spotify… the way their algorithm responds to shares and playlists adds and takes that into account for your next release. It starts to recommend you on people’s personalized playlists. I mean the tools are here. You gotta study up and learn how to take advantage of it all. Lastly the importance of having your own website or community outside of the major social networks. The next phase of internet where people are interacting directly with the creators on their websites and discords and everything in between. It’s forward thinking. E-mail lists are still vital!


What’s next for David May musically?
Right now it’s holiday season so I’m reviewing the year and setting up for 2022. The goal is 2 singles a month all 2022. Somewhere in between all that I have 2 EPs coming out. One with Jordan Fox that’s called Game 7, and another with Gunnah… Video 94 Vol. 2 . I’m stoked. Hoping to capitalize off the momentum and see what opportunities come from the consistency.