YUNG BRUH  (August 2008) | Interview By: Javon Adams

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Interview was done in August 2008

Questions Asked By: Javon Adams

Yung Bruh Interview Audio: Listen Here

Yung Bruh Gave Dubcnn A Shoutout: Listen Here

 

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Dubcnn: Yung Bruh, welcome to dubcnn. How are things going man?

Oh, thank you man. Everything is going good. Grinding like bad brakes, like I say. Just trying to make it happen.


Dubcnn: Now for those who don’t know, you are Kam’s younger brother but I don’t really want to get into all that stuff. We can get into that another time. I just wanted to touch base with you on a couple of things. I know that you attended the University of Oregon but there was a family medical emergency that prevented you from completing your Senior year. Are you going back to get that degree?

Yeah, well it probably won’t be at Oregon if I do. My momma always wanted me to (attend college) but that’s what happened. I stopped (attending) during my Senior season at Oregon because my mom passed. But I was blessed to get 7 months with her before she was gone and one of the things she wanted me to do was get that degree. So even though I got my opinions on but I gave my word to my momma so I definitely gotta uphold that. So, it might not be at Oregon because there’s too many issues I got over there.

Oregon was cool but it really wasn’t my little cup of tea so I might finish it out here at one of the little universities out here. God willing that’s what I’m going to do. Plus my Queen is on my back about it so I definitely gotta get it done.


Dubcnn: I know how that goes because I had to end of finishing (my degree) going the round about route. So I know how it goes. What were you majoring in?

My major was in English. But with football, sometimes it’s really backwards. They say Student – Athlete but it’s Athlete – Student really because they are going to change your major if it’s something that conflicts with their schedule. What happened was they ended up giving me Sociology because the classes I was taking was messing with the practice time. So they needed me to be in there so they pretty much rearranged it. So that’s what it’s pretty much gonna be if I finish it’s going to be Sociology like a Social Worker or a teacher or whatnot.


Dubcnn: Interesting. You played linebacker right?

Yessir, I did. A Headbussa.


Dubcnn: Now was it Middle Linebacker our Outside Linebacker?

I played it all. I got recruited as an Outside, Strong Side but when I got there I was so versatile that they put me all over the field. But I was a strong side Backer. I was pretty good. I pretty much made it to the pros a little bit. Like I said, I was in a camp but came back home. 6’3”, 245lbs. 5% body fat and ran a 4.4 40. I was with it man.


Dubcnn: In talking to you as we set up the interview and doing research and finding out that you were a Linebacker in college I thought you might have been Middle Linebacker. This is the reason why: You’re an intelligent brother and it comes across that way when you talk to you. So can you draw any parallels Middle Linebacker, kind of the captain on the defense to being in the entertainment industry? Can you make any comparisons?

Yeah, I mean everything you have to do. Everything is riding on you. You’re the one that issues out the plays which is similar to your songs when everybody is expecting you to come with it and perform. There’s definitely an audience. I went from 50,000 screaming fans to hopefully more *laughs* You know what I’m sayin’ with the rap thing. But it’s definitely the same with the training and discipline. Running Gassers when playing football and lifting weights and I just transfer that into the pen. When I’m out here in these streets and meeting up with these connects every song I do and everything I do in the booth I go hard as if I was on that field


Dubcnn: Gotcha. Now the song that is definitely getting much love is called “Gangsta” and it has Game and J. Holiday. Years ago you used to record or you were in a group with Game. When you got back on a song with Game was it kinda like riding a bike because of the chemistry you had before?

Exactly. And for those that don’t know me and Game were actually a group called the Conference. Actually Western Conference but that’s a basketball thing and we were scared to get in trouble with the name so we shortened it to the Conference and later somebody came…I think it was Treach of Naughty By Nature that had a group at that time so we had some little legal issues with that. It eventually turned to the Starters because he played basketball and I played football. But that’s how that went.

I’ve known dude since he was about 13. He was playing football with me on the Compton Oilers and I never knew he rapped though and the same thing with me. My brother would be dropping me off to practice in Compton, coming form Watts to Compton everyday. That’s when Kam was popping because his album had just dropped so everybody was looking. Anyone that knew me knew me from football. Eventually, long story short, some time passed and we was on the same team. We met up at the JC and he was still playing ball and I remembered his face and he remembered mine. The next thing you know I caught him in a freestyle bustin’ and killing everybody. So I said ‘ok, what you doin’?’ He was trying to get up with my brother and at that time my brother was pushing me so it just clicked naturally.

I gave him a little cassette tape of Game bustin’ and freestylin’ and my brother was on him and we became a group. Shortly after that I got my scholarship and when that happened (Game) started getting on his independent grind and doing mixtapes and that led to Dr. Dre and eventually G-Unit. That’s how that went.


Dubcnn: Now I know you were inspired to get into the game by your older brother Kam. You’ve been in the business for a little bit. I have two younger brothers myself so I try to shield them from making some of the same mistakes that I did. So what advice did you ignore that Kam gave you that turned out to be one of those ‘I told you so moments’?

I would say to the best of my ability I try to really listen to his instructions because I have been around him as far as this music stuff since I was 16 years old. I was pretty much schooled just as much as he was. Because as he was getting into it I was soaking it up as well so I got to see how things went. Like the little situation with Cube and paperwork and people that said they were going to do things and it didn’t turn out that way and played him and what not. All of the ups and downs of this business. So I pretty much…everything he says is right and exact. Not all the time but sometimes I may feel otherwise but everything he pretty much told me happened. So I do my best to listen to him because for one, he’s a vet and two he’s my brother and pretty much raised me. So I can’t think of anything he told me to do that I didn’t do.


Dubcnn: So I know that you just came up on a year of marriage. Congratulations on that. And we know that marriage is all about communication and compromise. Now take the music industry. You’ve been grinding it out for awhile. I think music business is about relationships and perseverance. Would you agree with that? If not, what do you think it comes down to?

Exactly 100%. It’s definitely a marriage, it’s a balance. It’s not going to be all cookies and cream off top. That’s where a lot of people get mistaken because they think they’re going to blow up or whatever their plans envision are going to work out when they want it. That’s not gonna happen. You gotta compromise and give up stuff and you gotta sacrifice. Even if you sacrifice it’s not guaranteed that it’s going to work out how you want. And that’s how marriage is. But you gotta keep grinding and working at it so it’s the same thing. You gotta get that love and that time in with that music just like you gotta do with your partner whether male or female.


Dubcnn: I read where you said that you have three projects going on simultaneously right now. That’s very ambitious. Is it hard to focus on them separately to make sure each project is given it’s own attention? And what can you tell us about those projects?

The only hard part is kinda like recording. More the energy it takes because you are stretched thin. But as far as trying to adjust to the themes, that’s easy to know what the theme is. Like I said, I’ve been around my brother for so long and every single one of these vets so I soaked up everything about how to manoeuvre.

With this Watts Riot project with my brother and Glasses (Malone) we already know what that theme is. That’s the easy part and something that I’m used to because my brother’s known for hardcore political conscience rap and that’s exactly what this is. So, me being his brother of course I’m going to get laced with it and the same thing with G. G has it in him so that part is easy.

The other two projects…my project the West Nile Vol. 2. is just me so that’s not too hard at all. It’s just about knocking out the joints I’m on and being satisfied. Anything you gonna get with me is going to be quality. Quality of quantity. I don’t want to half ass nothing. Everybody that knows me knows that and that’s just how I was trained. My brother was like Dr. Dre/Joe Jackson *laughs* I had so much red marks like an essay. So many red marks and errors and stuff and got better. After going through that training and knowing I have to bring it every time I submit something to him you start to get used to it and get better. That’s what I forced me to do. That’s basically what it is man and why I don’t half ass nothing. I say this all the time like a little parable. It’s like home cooking, know what I mean? I’m sure everybody Granny or momma who cooked…you might want Wendy’s or McD’s but eventually it’s going to get you sick. It may taste good going down but in the end its going to get you sick. But if its right, home cooking you just don’t like waiting for it. It’s hot, in the kitchen cooking…you might get some hair in your food *laughs* but when it’s done everybody can smell it and everybody wants a piece and everybody in the hood at your doorstep wanting a piece. That’s how you know it’s done right.

Same thing that I apply to this music, it’s home cooking. So I ain’t gonna rush nothing or half ass nothing but I guarantee when it come out everybody will know about it and it’s going to be right. Same thing with the W2 project which is just me and my brother. That came about…it’s tax time, you know what I mean? So that’s why we call it the W2 Boys, it’s tax time. Everybody that owes my brother and owes me, it’s time. That’s just industry, not really taking shots at anybody. It’s just about giving us our just do. I’m new but I’m not new because everywhere he went I went. He just got the name and I’m just the little brother but we paid our dues and we’re tired of showing receipts. So give us what you owe.


Dubcnn: I hear that. So what’s next up for Yung Bruh? Let the people know where they can keep in touch with you at with a myspace or website or wherever.

Next up for me just more joints. I got a couple of more singles but most importantly this song here featuring Game and J. Holiday called ‘Gangsta’ is the #1 priority now. I’m trying to get it everywhere I can and it’s doing a great job so far, more than I could ever do. After that I plan on dropping a digital album too which is old and new joints to get the buzz out.

You can reach me man…you can reach me in these streets first of all, I’m everywhere. But hit me on my MySpace, I’m so lonely it’s just me and my brother, G and Tom *laughs* Not Young Bro, not Young Buck, not Young Berg *laughs* No disrespect to those Young’s…it may seem like I’m new but I’m pretty much a vet even though I’m young. I’ve been around just as much as anybody but it looks like I’m the biter now with that young stuff. So those that hear me, Yung Bruh, please don’t think I’m biting. I’ve been Yung Bruh since I cold crawl. That’s a hood name. It was given to me and I didn’t have no name for years and that’s how the name came about. “Oh, that’s Kam’s young bruh. Where’s your young bruh at Kam?” And I didn’t have a choice. Like, man I got a name! *laughs* That’s how Yung Bruh came about so just shorten it up for YB and that’s what it is.


Dubcnn: Any last words for dubcnn then?

Be on the lookout for your boy Yung Bruh man. Watch out for my man Glasses and my big bruh Kam of course and the Warzone. Beach Cruiser coming soon on October 7th I believe. Watch out for West Nile. I want to thank dubcnn and you Javon. Shouts out to Nima and everybody for giving me this shot and letting the people know a little bit about me and who I am. There it is and expect nothing but the best from us.