Sometimes when you interview established, or even up and coming local artists, you encounter as many evasive answers and tactics as a military flight maneuver. Some will say what they think their readers want to hear in favor of giving candid and honest answers. Young Soprano does not have that problem. I had a chance to speak with Seattle's very own "unsigned hype" about The Source, work ethic and encountering negativity while on the musical grind in Seattle.
Seattle Slim: Tell the readers about yourself. Why should they get to know who you are? Young Soprano: I'm young in the game out here, you know? I'm hot, talented, and that's about it you know? Seattle Slim: What do you bring that's original to rapping, that maybe they won't get from someone out right now? Young Soprano: They might get it from someone out right now, but I'm bringing to Seattle, you know what I'm sayin'? [It's] real life music. Seattle Slim: Okay! No false pretenses. When and why did you decide to start rapping? Young Soprano: Man, I started rapping like three years ago. I just felt like I had something to say. Seattle Slim: Are there any particular rappers that inspire you on a day to day basis, or inspired you back then? Young Soprano: Umm...I mean your usual suspects: Jay-Z, Scarface, Tupac... Seattle Slim: What are some of your favorite venues to play in the Seattle or Northwest area? Young Soprano: I like Club Paradise out in the Tri-Cities. [It's] a big venue. It's a nice little spot. Neumo's...I like that. I like how it's set up. Seattle Slim: Do you do a lot of touring? Do you get a chance to showcase your music a lot? Young Soprano: Yeah! I done did shows from the Bay to Chicago to L.A. you know? Seattle Slim: What are some of your favorite things about touring? Young Soprano: Just seeing the different cultures; different points of views of people, you know what I'm sayin'? You know, different places. I just like being out. Seattle Slim: Do you have any crazy stories from when you were out touring? Young Soprano: Not yet, not yet. Hopefully I get one! Seattle Slim: No problem! I saw your video on Myspace for "Runnin' Thangs/Get It Poppin'." You chose the area near Qwest Field to shoot the video. Why did you pick that particular spot? Young Soprano: I mean just because, besides the Space Needle, those are the main points. First of all I just really did the video to throw it out there, but then I picked spots just because I feel if an out-of-towner came to Seattle those would be the main things, you know what I'm sayin'? Seattle Slim: So who or what inspired those two songs? Young Soprano: "Runnin' Thangs" it was just like I had just got out the hospital. I got shot. I just heard the beat. Apollo produced it. I don't know, the hook just came to my head and the rest was history. "Get It Poppin," that's the song I got with Yukmouth's artist Gonzo, and that was just same same thing. I did the both of songs in a day. It was just that type of feel. I was maybe out the hospital three months. I just had it in me. I had to let it out I guess, I don't know.. Seattle Slim: What do you love and what do you hate about being a local rapper. What are some of the drawbacks and what are some of the positive things? Young Soprano: The drawbacks, you know I don't want to sound negative, just a whole lot of stuff about Seattle could just change for the better man. It would show a lot of different stuff. In my eyes it's not one particular thing. It's not the artists, it's not the fans, no support you know? The good thing though, it's just like. I'm from a city where no one expects us to even rap; to blow. I just want to show that we got it, you know what I'm sayin'? And see the look on their face, you know? Seattle Slim: So you think there's a lot of people, wherever the case may be, like in the industry or even just on the streets that don't think that Seattle has the potential to put out a good rapper? Young Soprano: I think everybody thinks that. Seattle Slim: Mmm...hmm. Young Soprano: Maybe the few people who had a chance to see people like me, Dyme Def, Neema, whoever out of state and really get into might have some confidence, but I don't think no one does. Seattle Slim: ...Back in 2006 you were featured in The Source as unsigned hype. So tell us more how you got recognized by The Source. Young Soprano: They were trying to change the whole aspect of unsigned hype by making it where you don't have to send it in. I beat out like 500 people to get in that magazine. Back when Biggie and everybody else [when they] sent it in, it was just the luck of draw, someone picked it, and liked it and they do an article on you. People had to go to the computers and vote for me, [and I] had to submit freestyles every two weeks, you know what I'm sayin'? So yeah I beat out people in California, New York, Chicago, and the main areas, you know? Seattle Slim: Wow! Young Soprano: That's why I hang on that so much, you know? 'Cause I'm kind of proud of it, you know? 'Cause that was a hard one right there... Seattle Slim: Aside from feeling pride, did it validate you having everyone vote for you and getting you the spot? Young Soprano: Yeah it does. I was just about to say that. I just now got a computer: a laptop. People might think like "Uh, he had people vote!" These were people from just hearing me out of state. None of my family voted, you know? So I really take pride in it. Seattle Slim: It just sounds like, from some of the questions you answered, there seems like there's some "haterade" for a lot of the local rap artists. Young Soprano: Yeah! I don't know if it's the artists [or] the environment, [or] if Seattle is just not ready to support people on a daily basis that they see out there selling their CDs hand to hand or [if] it's the fans. I just did a show Thursday at Nectar Lounge, and it's like half of the people is outside. Why did you pay $10 to come see a show when you're not even watching it, you know? If you maybe paid attention you would see that we got talent out here and you might want to support us when you see one of us in the street selling our albums. It's terrible, you know? Luckily you got people like Kun and the couple who's really trying to make stuff happen. Seattle Slim: Oh yeah, absolutely! Kun's definitely trying to give a lot of shine to local artists. You're the third one I've talked to in less than 24 hours and it's very important to him to get that word out. Young Soprano: I was just talking to Neema about it. You know Unexpected Arrival right? Seattle Slim: Yeah! He was my first interview [for Seaspot]. Young Soprano: I was just talking to him about it because three days before that he had a show at Nectar and he said that during his set there were people talking...I don't know. It's hard out here. Seattle Slim: What cities have been the most receptive to you? Young Soprano: I went to the Bay and sold like 100 CDs in like two hours. They respect it. There's people down there hustling and doing that. But as far as the State of Washington and the Northwest, I like the Tri-Cities. They come out and support and when they come see a show, they want to see a show. Seattle Slim: What else should we be on the lookout for from you this year? Young Soprano: I got my new album, it's called "The Shakedown," featuring Glasses Malone. He got that song with Akon, it's hot. I got Kokane, Rosco, man big names; Mack-10. Seattle Slim: Wow... Young Soprano: [I'm dropping] it late September.. Seattle Slim: What's your best advice to a young cat who's thinking about putting out his product here in Seattle? Young Soprano: Do it, stick to it, and you just got to grind it out. And no matter how much, whether it's Seattle or the whole industry, gets you down just stay positive and know what you gotta do. Know your goals. Sometimes it beats me up, you know what I'm sayin'? But at the same time...I look at my daughter, I look at what I want to do and I just get right back to it, you know what I'm sayin'?
