YA BOY (March 2008) | Interview By: Nima Etminan

       Dubcnn hooked up with one of the West Coast's most anticipated new artists, Ya Boy. The San Francisco spitter talks to us about his grind, hooking up with The Game & Black Wall Street, moving to Malibu, his relationship with Kevin Federline, and his work ethic.

Of course we talk about his long awaited album, what fans can expect from it, how he planning to put it out, the Bay Area rap scene, his first album "Rookie Of The Year", his new single with E-40 and much much more.


As always we have both the transcript and the video for you to check and please feel free to send any feedback regarding the interview to: nima@dubcnn.com
 

Interview was done in February 2008.

Questions Asked By : Nima Etminan

Ya Boy Gave Dubcnn A Shoutout: Click Here

Full Interview In Audio: Here
 

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Related Media:

Ya Boy - 100 Bars Of Death
Eastwood & Ya Boy - I Get Money

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Dubcnn: We've hooked up with Ya Boy for an exclusive interview! To start it off, what's going on with you man?

Man I'm good, I'm just chilling man, trying to make good music, trying to be king out here!


Dubcnn: You seem to have a crazy worth ethic, cause not a week goes by without some new Ya Boy tracks on the internet.

I mean, basically I just go in the studio and work. I wake up, get in there and I don't leave till I got finished products. If it's good enough to go on the album, then we save it and put it to the side, and the shit that don't make the album, we put it on myspace or on the internet, so basically, everthing that everybody is getting right now is shit that didn't make the album.


Dubcnn: You're being praised as one of the West Coast's top prospects for 2008, what's your game plan to take over?

My gameplan is to keep doing what I've been doing. I'm not gonna do no extra or no less, I'm just gonna keep doing what I've been doing. Going in, creating and making good music. That's the only thing that got me on top right now, good music. That's what I'ma keep doing.


Dubcnn: It's not easy to get into the game right now unless you have a generic first single, how do you plan on getting around that?

Shit, I don't know how I'ma get around that! I'ma just keep doing me. I believe that everybody got their time, so my time is coming real soon. The pot is bubbling right now, it's about to overfloat. I got a magnifying glass on me right now which is a good thang, everybody's paying attention to me, so all I need is that one smash and we're out of here! And I believe we already got that, on the under.


Dubcnn: You rep the Bay Area, but don't necessarily have that typical Bay sound. How would you describe your sound?

I'd describe my sound as more of a universal sound. When I put music out I try to do it to where everybody around the world can relate to me, not just where I'm from the Bay Area. I rep the Bay Area all the time, but when I make music I try to do it so everybody can feel me. Somebody in London, England, Florida, New York, it don't matter. I'm trying to make everybody relate to me.


Dubcnn: How do you feel about the Bay Area as a whole right now, who are you feeling?

I fuck with everybody in the Bay! I'd be naming names all day! E-40, Keak Da Sneak, Messy Marv, I fuck with all my peoples.


Dubcnn: How did you first get in contact with The Game?

I first got in contact with The Game through my uncle Phat Rat. I was in the Bay doing my thing, and then my uncle hit me, he was down here doing his Black Wall Street thing, so he hit me like "Come out here and vibe with The Game man, come soak some of this shit up!" So he flew me out there, put me with Game, and it's just been wrap ever since then. Game is like my big brother!


Dubcnn: I believe you were signed to Black Wall Street for a while, then left, and now there are rumours that you're back with Game, what's the situation there?

I never was signed. Me and Game, that's like my brother, I never left. It's always been Blackwall, but I got my own situation, Precise Music Group. But it's still Blackwall for life, whatever he need me for, I'm there, and whatever I need him for, he's there! We rocking! That's to clear up all them rumours, we ain't never went nowhere!


Dubcnn: But are you signed as an artist to Blackwallstreet?

Nah. I'm signed to myself, Precise Music Group.


Dubcnn: Which label are you trying to go through to get the record out?

I'ma put my own album out, we just did a little deal with iTunes, so basically what I'ma do is, everything that we put out, all my singles, I'ma put them straight through iTunes and let the fans decide! I'ma put three or four songs out through iTunes, see which one everybody is picking up on the most, and then we'll take that one and run with it! Everything is going digital nowadays, niggas ain't selling records like they used it. Check the soundscans, niggas ain't moving units, everything is going through the internet, and I am one of the biggest artists on the internet right now, so that's to my advantage!


Dubcnn: Your first single was supposed to be "Holla At Ya Boy" prod by Cool & Dre, there was a video for it too, but it didn't seem to get that final push, what happened with that song?

It wasn't getting the reaction we needed. It was a good song, it was cool, but it didn't get the reaction we needed, so we're back to the drawing boards!


Dubcnn: You recently dropped your third mixtape "Optimus Rime", tell us about that.

"Optimus Rime" is crazy! I call it the Transformer mixtape, it's really like an album though. I got original beats, all original beats, put it out there and everybody is loving it, that shit is going crazy in the streets right now. If you ain't got it, make sure to get it, you can get it off my MySpace page or Digital Product's MySpace.


Dubcnn: How would you compare it to the first two mixtapes?

I would compare it more the first one Chapter 1: The Rise, because that one was all original beats too, it was more like an album. The second one that I dropped with Big Mike, it was more of a mixtape. We used other peoples beats and shit, jacking for beats, but this one is more like Chapter 1: The Rise.


Dubcnn: Who besides yourself are you feeling on the West Coast right now?

Who are my top picks? To keep it real with you, I don't know! Glasses Malone got a hot new one out right now with Akon, I've always been feeling my man Glasses. Him, and my nigga Jay Rock! It's a few, I could be here all day but I'm not gonna give out too many names. Me and Jay Rock have been working on some shit together, so lookout for that.


Dubcnn: A lot of people don't know you have a solo album out there from a few years ago called "Rookie Of The Year", how much would you say has your style and sound evolved since your first record in '05?

Night and day! Night and day man. That "Rookie Of The Year", it was cool, but that was like about 4-5 years ago, I don't sound anything like that, I'm a whole other person right now. Whole other person. Every now and then I go back and listen to it just to get a good little laugh, I listen to it, and everytime I listen to it I'm like "Damn, I can't believe I used to rap like that!" *laughs* Cause right now it's a whole other game, I'm a whole other person! If you ain't heard it, go back and listen to that shit and then listen to me now.


Dubcnn: Can you break down one more time how the connect to Kevin Federline happened and how the experience of writing his album was ?

Shit, K-Fed that's my dogg right there! I moved to Malibu, that's where everybody is at! The Paris Hilton's, the Britney Spears', and K-Fed is living right there as my neighbor! My uncle Phat Rat brought me over there, and that's my mans right there! You can't knock the man for marrying Britney Spears! That's my homie! And what! *laughs*


Dubcnn: So how did it come about that you wrote his records?

I don't know how that came about, I might have wrote a lot of people's records! If you paying, I'm writing.


Dubcnn: You said you moved to Malibu... What's up with that? You ain't even got an album out!

I know... I'll just say it's God!


Dubcnn: That's it?

I made the right moves, I do the right things, so I end up in the right places! It's a blessing for me to be living like this before an album even drops! All off mixtapes! Everything I do is all off mixtapes, understand that! Niggas do albums and I put out mixtapes better than these niggas album.


Dubcnn: For somebody who hasn't heard your music before, how would you describe your style?

I would describe my style as a style of my own. A little bit of everything, a little bit of West Coast, a little bit of South, a little bit of East Coast, all blended into one! I got my own style, I come different everytime, I'm so versatile! You might hear me on a ROck & Roll song tomorrow! Everything blended into one, it's nobody out right now like me, I guarantee it. Nobody.


Dubcnn: What would you like to achieve with your debut album?

I just wanna put the West Coast on top, that's all I wanna do. We don't get the proper respect that we deserve in Hip-Hop. Not only just the West Coast, but the Bay Area! I wanna show niggas that there is somebody in the Bay Area that can be a leader in Hip-Hop! You feel me? I make the best music I can, just give us out respect out here.


Dubcnn: Which producers can we expect you to work with on there?

I got my own producers, I got a dude named Fame out of San Diego, he's a beast. Got my dude Infra Red in the Bay. I got a few other cats that I'm working with! There's nobody too special, I'm not worried about the Scott Storch's or none of them dudes. I basically got two producers, Fame and Infra Red, them niggas is crazy.


Dubcnn: Infra Red did that 100 Bars of Death right?

Yeah, Infra Red did that, and he did that Precise Gang.


Dubcnn: What about guest appearances, who are you getting at?

I got Boo from Cash Money, I got Crooked I on the album, The Game is on the album. I like to just keep it me though. Any features you hear are niggas I fuck with. I got a few features but most of the time I'ma just keep it me.


Dubcnn: Do you have a realistic release date for the album?

No release date man, I'm just trying to create the best album that I can. I'm trying to beat everybody out. When I drop it, I want that muthafucka to be a bomb. So I'm creating until I feel the album is perfect, and then throw it out there. You'll get the release date first right here on dubcnn.com though!


Dubcnn: Yeah yeah! Any upcoming collaborations people can expect from you in near future?

Yeah, we've been working on my single right now, the muthafucka is gonna be BIG for the Bay, it's me and E-40, stay tuned for that! It's on some other shit.


Dubcnn: Is there anything else you'd like to let everybody know before we get out of here?

Myspace.com/Yaboy, yaboymusic.com, yaboyblog.com, get with the movement, get on it. Dubcnn.com, we're doing it. '08, we're taking over! Get behind Ya Boy, let's make shit happen! Holla!