About Me
Every so often a child prodigy emerges in the artistic world, causing tremendous shifts in the creative landscape. In the first months of the new century, rap has a new creative king--and his name is Yungstar.
Already an icon in his native Houston, Texas thanks to his appearance on DJ Screw mix tapes and Lil Troys anthemic Wanna Be A Baller single, the young rapper has enjoyed tremendous success with his debut album, Throwed Yung Playa, which already has sold more than 40,000 copies on independent Straight Profit Records. An updated version of the album, being released by Epic Records on February 1, 2000, features five fresh new songs added to the mix.
Despite his age, its clear that Yungstars promising reality-based rap skills cannot be denied.
Im entertaining and my lifestyle is dope, Yungstar says of his universal appeal. Im reflecting whats going on down here. I rap about the life I live and what Im doing. The word on the streets is that I talk about whats really going on. Im for real. I just tell it like it is, just like 2Pac.
Full of funky, laid-back grooves and plenty of tales of luxury living, Throwed Yung Playa makes its mark both sonically and lyrically. H-Town favorite Knocking Pictures Off Da Wall hits hard with its high-pitched keyboards and Yungstars vivid lyrics about living the high life. The songs about me creeping on a day-to-day basis, he says. Its me and my lifestyle. Everywhere I go, Im going to be gleaming. I like to have fun.
Elsewhere, Yungstar and his producers tweak a pair of classic songs, making them their own. On Grippin Grain, they flip Tony Tone Tonis It Never Rains In Southern California, while Keep It Real reworks Destinys Childs Bills, Bills, Bills from a male perspective.
The Destinys Child thing, it was cool and by them being from our city, we thought, Why not? If we dont redo it, somebody else is going to, Yungstar explains. I support them. Their music is live and you have to feel it.
Obviously, plenty of people are feeling Yungstars music. One of his main supporters is Denden, CEO of Straight Profit. Hes got raw, God-given talent, Denden boasts of his labels star. Hes natural, someone who always has it.
Its clear that Yungstar always raps with precision, as demonstrated by his profanity-free raps, the kind that your mother could listen to. I like to show the extent of my vocabulary, he explains of his clean, concise lyrics. Besides, if you dont get the kids, youre going to lose. Plus, you need to appeal to the ladies. You need them to go buy it. Thats why I do it like I do.
But there may be another reason why Yungstar makes music your mother could listen to. Perhaps its because his mother is his manager and plays an integral role in his life. My mother was my mother and my father, he reveals. Ive been with her my whole life. Thats my partner. Shes my life. She makes sure my papers straight. When the going gets tough, shes the one who helps me. She comes first.
Raised on the west side of Houston, Yungstar has been rapping since he was 10. He aspired to play the drums and the saxophone when he was in elementary school, but his focus soon shifted once he started rapping. By hanging out with older cats, Yungstar earned his name. So when he hooked up with Denden about seven years ago, his ambitions were about to become a reality.
Yungstar established a rep by freestyling on tapes from DJ Screw, most notably his June 27th release. People began wondering when this hot new talent was going to drop an album. When his standout appearance on Lil Troys Wanna Be A Baller made him more than a hometown favorite, the time was right for Throwed Yung Playa. Now Yungstar has his own label set to release records, even as his album rides high.
Im not your average young person, Yungstar says. Im like a young Richie Rich, a distinguished gentleman. There might be a lot of diamonds, but Im flawless.
