YoungCrossâ„¢ [Over 80,000 Plays U Digg]

Young Cross stepped onto the music scene in 1998 on stage for the first time ever performing at the MGD Freshest Emcee Contest and won the crowd with his Nas style flo beating out 160 emcee's for the crown. Known for his lyrical wordplay & flowing non-stop accapella for countless minutes at a time, Cross had success with his first effort "Goodside/Hoodside" which produced the hit song "Here We Go" featuring Lefty. The song recieved airplay on Chicago Radio stations WGCI and Power92 & sold 20,000 units independently throughout Chicago in 2006.
Currently recording the 2008 follow-up CD "City of Hate", Cross has stepped up his game with his lyrics and production. With production from Grammy Award Winner Vudu (who produced Georgia for Ludacris) and also C-Note, Cross's comback effort definately will spark a buzz in 2008. The first single "Playa Blood" features R&B legend Lenny Williams, and also "H.O.O.D" featuring Chicago's own Jah Rista. The single "Nothing" places Cross in his past and paints a perfect picture of a painful childhood. The CD has a verity of sounds from the redemption track "Mercy" to the soulful "Restart" featuring Lenny Williams, "City of Hate" has depth and soul rather than only one style.
At a time when music is repetitive and has lost it's soul, Cross has the range to be an artist rather than just another rapper with one hit and one style. Says Cross "If you can write to a gangsta beat but can't write to something like Lincoln Park or anything out of the norm, than your not a true artist. I'm into making a full complete album, not just a single that's going to get play for six months and I'm gone. That's why I look up to the Kanye's and the Lupe's and Nas's in the game because it's about longevity and making real music". Thinking like that will keep Cross in the music game for the long run.
RedEye Magazine's New 2008 Interview with Young Cross
1) What part of Chicago did you grow up in? Which neighborhood do you represent? I grew up on the Westside of chi-town in a city called murdawoodz (Maywood) and on the southside of the city. I rep the entire city.

2) So on the single "Restart" you state that you actually were homeless at a certain time? How did you overcome that?I mean it is what it is. Yeah I slept on a train before. I slept on benches before. I slept in a car in snowy weather before. I made it out 'cause I'ma soldier. And God watched out for me and never let me break. That was many years back and I overcame it by a lot of people I think praying for me and by never breaking. Life is 10% of shit that happens to you and 90% of how you react to it. I decided not to throw da towel in.

4) Most rappers have major influences that they look up to. Who would you say influenced you the most to do music and why?Nas. Nasir Jones. The god. I was homeless in job corp and one day my roommate put on "Life's a Bitch" by Nas and the lyrics turned me out. I played it least 20 times a day!! It was then and the entire Illmatic Ablum.... Jay's Reasonable Doubt.... and Pac's "All Eyez on me" in 96. But Nas definately is the reason for me ever picking up a mic.

5) So do you believe in the whole "Hip Hop is Dead" campaign that Nas is speaking on?It is. Nobody is talking bout life no more. Kids not gonna know the history of hip-hop in a minute if all they hear is snap ya fingers and other cool-aid songs that's being put out now days. You gon ask a shorty years from now who is the best rap artist of all time and they gon say some dum shit like Mims. They not even gon know who 2pac or Big even was. I mean, even my generation knows who KRS-1 and Run D.M.C is and what they did for hip-hop. They think Ice Cube just the dude from making kids movies like "R We There Yet". They don't know shit about Cube from N.W.A. Life is not in music now. What's the last hot album you heard? Luckily Lupe and a few others are still keeping it hip-hop. But that's what has happened and it hurts because I love her so much and now I don't really feel her no more.

6) What do you mean by her?Hip-Hop.

8) So since Nas is your inspiration what do you think of his new CD coming soon titled "Nigga"? Do you believe he will be setting us back as a people by titling the CD that way when we are living in a day and time where every little thing you say starts media frenzies?I mean I think it's going to be something crazy hot (as far as that single) but I think he a genuis at the same time cause think about it, its hard as hell just to go platnium so you start controversay to sell more records. Kanye and 50 did it and started up two city's going out to buy both CD's, that was smart as hell, and now Oprah and every other media is gonna jump and go crazy because of the title of the CD "Nigga". Its gonna push numbers cause people gon wanna know what's behind the title.

9) There's a song you have called "Letter 2 the A&R" that blasts A&R's who sign artist unworthy of being signed. What inspired you to make the song?Let's just be real. Its alot of rappers that need to be doing something else with they life. Its like 20,000 rappers in Chi-City alone now and 90% of 'em CD aint leaving da block. Every nigga aint got da talent to do this. I remember buying a CD on Stony Island (In Chicago) of these niggaz I aint gon name who had bout 30 songs on the CD and only 1 song was decent. One. What da fuck, now when I see them niggaz coming they cant get 5 up outta me cause they aint even trying. My niggaz need to learn to quit crying in da Chi bout this radio station aint showing me love, these rec comps aint coming to me...Nigga, its like a job..If you wanna job, YOU go and get it. My nigga AzIs been out here selling his CD like dime bags of dro and he chasing it like you suppose too. You gotta grind w yo shit if you wanna make it. So the "Letter 2 da A&R" joint was directed to let 'em know I'ma artist, not a rapper.

10) In the hook of that song you stated that the way that A&R's are signing wack acts today, forget hip-hop is dead hip-hop is gay? That's the hottest line on that track to me. Please explain exactly what your trying to say.It's like these rappers come with a one hit song, snap they fingers, do a dance and the next year they gone and they getting signed because of a club beat and a new dance. Spider-Man dat hoe? Come on fam. They make songs talking bout this is why Im hot, listen to the rest of the album that nigga must of caught a cold. To me the way they signing all these wack niggaz today, fuck hip-hop is dead hip-hop is gay. Its like these muthafuckas making songs just to make ringtones. Real shit ya digg? This shit is frustrating as hell. The rap game can hardly breath, but I know CPR. When I get in, Its gonna be back to songs that mean something...Its gon be back to what it started as..."Hip-Hop".

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