About Me
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St. Louis rapper Young Spiffy was going through the messages on his MySpace account recently when he came across something most unexpected. It was a congratulatory note from Vibe magazine notifying him he'd been selected as one of the 51 Best MySpace Rappers."It was crazy," says Young Spiffy, 19. He initially thought it might be some sort of advertisement, but then calls poured in from promoters wanting to book him."That's when it sunk in I was holding some sort of title," he says. "That's what made it official. Now I look at myself as holding it down for St. Louis."Vibe staffers considered several rappers from Missouri in the state-by-state rundown that had them delving heavily into Google, MySpace and radio charts, looking and listening for names. Sean Fennessey, associate music editor at Vibe, says Young Spiffy is one of the more contemporary rappers on the list. Advertisement"He's very pop, very playful and straightforward. He reminds me of many of the people on the charts right now," says Fennessey, referencing names such as MIMS and Yung Joc.Chingy is another; Young Spiffy and Chingy are blood."He's my first cousin. Growing up, that's who I watched," says Young Spiffy, who also considers himself influenced by 2Pac, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and Cassidy. "There will always be that family resemblance."Young Spiffy was a guest on Chingy's latest CD, "Hood Star," and has toured with him."He's been really positive toward my career," Young Spiffy says. "He wants to see me succeed and has given me great advice. Anything he did wrong, he's going to make sure to not see me do it."He says the whole cousin thing is a mixed blessing."People know me for dance songs, club songs, crunk songs," says Young Spiffy, whose new song is "What Dat's Like."Though "What Dat's Like" is for the streets, Young Spiffy is also ready to show diversity by promoting a distinctly more positive side. His first song in that arena is "Better Day," with verses that tell hard-luck stories but end in uplifting ways.By Kevin C. Johnson
POST-DISPATCH POP MUSIC CRITIC
