Get To Know YS, Compton’s Next Big Star
Compton is a staple in the music industry, and the birth of new rising stars are upon us. I got the chance to talk with the city’s next big star, YS. We’ve seen many artists obtain a little fame and switch up but YS is as real as they come and truly humble. “I just love music, I’m not doing it for the fame” he says. Meek Mill, 50 Cent, and Lil Wayne are just a few of his musical influences and I can see some similarities. His music is based upon his life growing up in Compton, street politics and day to day life.
“I Bet The Real N***as Feel Me, Hopped In The Field Ain’t Looked Back This Da Real Me.”
– YS On “Da Real Me” Off His New Project, “Street Icons.”
While YS has a handful of successful records under his belt, he seen his first viral success when he linked up with another Compton native 1TakeJay and Shoreline Mafia’s Ohgeesy for the “Bompton” remix. Currently at over 4M streams on Soundcloud and another 3M+ on Youtube, which opened the door for new fans and new opportunities.
The Alamo records signee now has two strong projects under his belt with the release of his new project Street Icons with platinum producer RonRon. The project includes his latest smash hit Mobsters featuring Sada Baby, and plenty of street bangers with features from Bandgang Lonnie Bands, Virgo, Big Sad, and Rucci.
Read our in-depth conversation below.
How long have you been signed to Alamo Records and what made you want to sign with them?
I’ve been with them a year this month. I was f*cking with the conditions and everything, I just had to switch a little bit of stuff around, make it to my liking. I work fast, I know how I work. For future references, I feel like I want to be an Independent artist but I felt like me signing was going to give me more exposure so the world can hear me. Once I met them, it was good vibes and good energy so I went with my gut.
What was your reaction to the success of the “Bompton” remix record with 1TakeJay and OhGeesy? And how did you guys end up linking up?
I mean, I was happy about it, I’m not going to lie. Once the remix did what it did, I got my first million views, I was happy but I was more hungry than anything. It’s time to put everything that doesn’t matter to the side and really lock-in. 1TakeJay and I were already speaking before I dropped Bompton, we from the same city so we already peeped game with each other, we were been suppose to do something but we never got around to it. As far as Ohgeesy, my boy from R Baron (Picaso) helped me out, they lined that up. They came to the studio and put their verses down.
You have another fire record “Mobsters” with Sada Baby, that’s big. How did that come about?
That’s really something my peoples did for me. Rosecrans Entertainment, my hood they have a little label, I push that as well but I push In Squad We Trust, a label that I made when I was in like 9th grade but they basically lined that up for me. Sada Baby rocks with a lot of my people from my area but he was in my hood one day and I was in my hood and we met and all my homies was telling him to go listen to my music and he pulled up my song right in front of me and he was like “this hard, I wanna f*ck with you” and we went from there. I sent some stuff over to him and he sent it back. We rock with each other.
How would you describe your sound?
I would say I’m outspoken and real straight forward. I have a lot of content where you have to read behind the lines and all that but whatever vibe that I’m on that day, the song that I make it’s going to be straight forward and to where you feel it. I like to be able to make relatable music, soulful music. But I’m from the West Coast and you know the sound out here so it makes it harder for West Coast artists to do what they really want to do as a person whether than following the wave and jumping on what’s going on out here. I do what I want to do and I feel like I have different sides of me. I go to the studio and I never know what I’m getting that day.
So, why do you feel like it’s hard for West Coast artists? What’s your view on that?
I really feel like they put us in a bubble. It’s hard to escape the bubble, you have to rap like this because artists like YG and others – we rap like that. It’s that hyphy kind of sound. You hear LA music you know, the West Coast in general, you just know like “Oh they from the West Coast.” Off of the beat, off the music, it’s 10x harder – coming from the West Coast trying to do something different, “Oh he kinda sounds like him” or “That’s not they sound out there.” If I wouldn’t have made a hit song like “Bompton,” I feel like if you heard some of my other music, you wouldn’t really know where I’m from unless I mention it.
“I feel like artists shouldn’t just have one sound. I feel like as an artist you should make music on all different levels.”
– YS On West Coast Sound
Speaking of your sound, I was listening to your project “Street Dreams” earlier, what do you feel was people’s reaction to it?
When everyone sees me, they mention my tape and they tell me “I like it, it was hard and different.” You could hear a lot of instruments on the beats – piano’s, guitars, I like all that type of stuff. I feel like they were sleeping on it kinda when it first came out but now that it’s out people are getting an ear to it. When you come different, everybody is not going to see your full potential right away.
What would be your TOP 3 songs off of Street Dreams?
- Real From The Start
- Run It Up
- Stuck In My Ways ft. Fredo Bang
As far as being in the studio, how do you get your creative juices flowing?
When I get in the booth, I really have to have good energy around me. I really don’t need anyone to be in the booth with me but if I have my boys with me or my girl, my energy is complete. I just have to roll up a wood. Some days I just want to go, I’m anxious like I have to get some things off my chest. I don’t even write anymore, I really freestyle everything.
What has music taught you about yourself up until this point?
It’s crazy because with music you really see/hear your progression. Music taught me it’s different ways to voice yourself and it’s different ways you can connect with people. It’s like therapy.
On your upcoming project “Street Icons,” what can we expect? (Out Now)
The project is with my boy RonRonTheProducer, it’s a producer-artist tape. He made all the beats and I just went and did my thing. The whole tape is a vibe, every song. At first we were in the studio and we didn’t know what we wanted to call it, we had all the songs done, we were thinking too hard at one point. I knew I wanted “Street” to be in it and he just came up with the “Icons.” What’s going to be different from “Street Dreams” is I have a couple more features and I feel like you can hear the change in me, you can tell I’m leveling up with my music.
Who’s some artists coming up in your city?
My boy Twin Red, he’s from my area. Kee Riche$, Ruger, Azjah.. The 1Take’s (1TakeJay, 1TakeQuan, 1TakeTeezy.)
You said this month is going to be big for you, but any specific goals you have for this year?
I just want to flood, I want to drop so much music. I need the plaque, I need to go platinum.
