Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Young Yeama is a rapper; here is a link to his website:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcICjdDa0qBDxExBjho8Tyw
Q: What made you want a career in music?
A: I started late coming from a Christian church background, being taught that secular music was from the devil and what not so I didn’t grow up listening to Nas, Jay Z, Tupac and the like. I was introduced to HipHop around 11 or 12 when that ‘Tell Me If You Want Somebody’ by Aaliyah and Timberland came out, you know, with the baby whining along with the beat. I fell in love with the way the beat was orchestrated and went ahead to create my own beats after being engulfed in the Bay Area music scene ‘going dumb’ ‘hyphy movement, etc. So when it comes to making music now, it’s natural. Like, I’ll record in my studio and beat myself to shingles to perfect my work, even if it still sounds shitty to the next person. But when I’m finshed, the burst of excitement that runs through my body, my mind explodes and I’m freakin happy! I’m going to do what makes me happy, at 27 years old, before working for anybody else at this point in my life.
Q: What motivates you to write?
A: Life motivates me to write. Interacting with people, partying, relationships, working, trapping, and trying to get some pussy, smoking weed, how much money I just spent is all motivation to write. The good and bad, the struggles and the blessings are motivation and I feel I express that best through music, words. Being heard motivates me as well as the lucrative incentives.
Q: What is the story behind, Because You A Thot?
A: I was in a relationship with a woman whom appeared to be modest in every sense of the word. She was very pretty but covered herself and worked and went to school. I fell in love. She falls in love. She literally brings me back to my hometown, my place of birth, East Oakland, California and I fell in love all over again, this time with a city rather than a woman. Things got hard for me financially and I took my frustrations out on her, verbally, which lead to an agreement on taking a ‘break.’ I needed this break to do a self-reflection on myself and stop trying to make everyone else happy and do what I want. I guess she thought the same thing because two weeks being apart and she with the next nigga. This was shocking to me as I loafed in disbelief and believed that they were just co-worker friends until I hacked her phone. Don’t worry, Jesus whispered the password in my ear, I swear. I found pics of her naked with this bafoon! In my video, ‘A Break’ I catch them at the mall together!! But I’m glad I found out because even after I found them at the mall, Izzy came back and made very passionate and rough love to me! Head Honcho! Three days later I find the nudes and couldn’t get out of bed, the pain, I never felt it before. Hence: Because You A Thot and A Break. ‘Now I just play with these guns and rap! Nigga butt hurt off of love! Ya.. ya.. yaaa.. yaaaa..’
Q: Who are some of your influences and how can we hear this in your music?
A: Andre 3000 best emcee ever!
Lil B BasedGod greatest rapper alive!
Thom Yorke is my idol!
Sigur Ros are my ancestors!
I like to think of myself as eclectic when referencing my music. From slow to fast, love to hate, sing to rap to rock to mumble, God, Pagans, you name it! My flow, the way I lay the words over the beat is deeper than an art, almost like it’s a science to it. I get that from Andre. My consistency with over 300 songs under various names from years ago; I get that from BasedGod. My mating calls or soft yells I get from Thom and the rhymthm, even though very different, one like myself is able to find a linking bridge.
Q: How do you decide what to wear in your videos?
A: Wear something that’s not in your other videos. I’m doing so much shopping now I feel like a diva. But as an independent artist, I have to work on my image. I just want to look clean! Always some fresh kicks on my feet unless I decide to go vintage. Most of the time it’s spur of the moment because when you are the rapper, producer, marketer, video producer and writer, video editor, engineer and cast, shit can get hectic!
Q: How do you finance your videos?
A: I used to shoot everything on my BlackBerry Passport until I copped a video recorder and on average I spend about $10 to $20 a video. My cousin does the camera work for a couple hits if the weed, gas, break food and we good. Just time to get creative. The Bay Area offers a great amount of visuals, both natural and artistic, to shoot videos and have them looking fancy.
Q: What kind of day job do you have and how does it influence your music?
A: I sell drugs and I rap about it. I rap about how I should stop because I’ll only end up dead or in jail but being a Black dread head convict doesn’t help either. I can’t get a job. Regardless of my conviction, I’m still black with dreads. Not to following the assumptions but that’s all I can do now to prevent homelessness. I know it sounds pitiful but aye, they want it. Fuck it. I’m getting tired of getting rejection emails our the interviewer looking at my hair more than my resume. I’m tired of being told ‘no’ to work for $14 dollars a hour everyday! Fuck that! I’m worth way more! My art will save me one day.
Q: What’s the point of referring to woman as hoes? Why not just call them women?
A: Women and hoes are two different things just like men and niggas are two different things. When I mention a hoe, that what she is, she sells her body or simply enjoys sleeping with rich niggas/men. Girls tell me to hit them on therie service line when I wanted company and all for free, just because I was ‘different’ and ‘not like everyone else’. I guess. But I like em! They in the same boat as me! I sell something different but you get my gist. Hoes make you feel good. They were revered in the bibilcial times and even necessary in some cultures. Lol, let me stop.
Q: What is the oddest thing you have done to promote your music?
A: Travel around the Bay Area and post stickers of myself throwing up my middle fingers with Young Yeama printed in bright colors on poles posts, mailboxes, walls, storefronts, etc! Got chased by the police once and got away!! Hehehe!
Q: What would you like to changes about the San Francisco music scene?
A: Big big difference between San Francisco music and Oakland music when it comes to rap but the Bay Area collectively, I would love for us to get the recognition we deserve so badly. Everybody bitting our style and getting rich off of it and even though people know it’s talent in the Bay Area, they over look us for some odd reason so recognition for sure!
Please note; Eliza’s interviews are done by email. All answers are unedited and come right from the lovely fingertips of her subjects.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
