In this conversation we spoke with Suffolk, Virginia-bred recording artist, Youngan (formerly known as Young & Dangerous Wali) about his two new contrasting projects, The Revenge Tour and Welcome to Lovin: Where Youngan Is For Lovers.
This interview has been slightly edited and condensed for clarity.
OPENING QUESTIONS
Grooverelly: How did you get started recording music?
Youngan: Shoutout to my dawg Free_Drizzy. I started going to the studio with him. That’s when I met Moye (producer/engineer/songwriter). I was having certain things going on in my life, and looking for a way to express [how I felt]. One day, Moye and I were in the studio just kickin it. He was making a beat-I was like “I could get on this.” He was like, “Come on.” I got in the booth and really liked it. My dawg YDB Boone had a studio in his crib, too [where we recorded]. Then we started going to Supa K. Then I started really booking with Moye. The next thing you know, I dropped a project. I didn’t get consistent with it, though, until 2023- when I dropped Youngan Is For Lovers.
Grooverelly: You’re from Virginia. How do you reflect where you’re from in your music?
Youngan: I don’t really reflect on where I’m from, but the [experiences] I come from.
Grooverelly: Who are some of your favorite artists?
Youngan: Lil Durk, NoCap, Drake, and J. Cole. It all depends on how I’m feeling. If I wake up and I feel like I’m about to have a bad day, I’m throwing that Crazo (Young Crazy) on.
REVENGE TOUR (2024)
Grooverelly: What’s the story behind the cover art? Who made it?
Youngan: I got the first cover art made and it was trash. Then, after seeing the cover art for another project, I hit the artist up: Pacsupa. He sketched one of my [digital] pictures. I let him hear the project to get a grasp of what we had going on. Then he took it and brought the vision to life. That was a real collaborative process, and it was done quickly.
Grooverelly: What were the sessions like when you created this project?
Youngan: A lot of people don’t know this. I recorded both projects, simultaneously. They were both done by November 15th. There was no plan. But around [last] August, Moye told me that I needed to lock in. I started doing it. By this time, I was locked in with Beatman too-so all collaborative ideas.
Grooverelly: It seems like you had a point to prove in the records you made for this tape? Is that true? Is that how you felt around the time these songs were being crafted?
Youngan: Yes. Revenge Tour is a list, and I add to that list to this day. For anybody who I felt played with me, thought this was a game, or didn’t take this seriously. I don’t care who you are. I have to prove everybody wrong.
Grooverelly: Do you have a favorite song out of the eight?
Youngan: “Revenge Tour” and “See The Sacrifice”
Grooverelly: Talk about the features and why you decided to link up with those artists.
Youngan: The [opening] song with TravisTheSinger-I saw him at work and it was like perfect timing. We knocked out two more songs after we made “Keep That Energy.” For “See The Sacrifice”, Moye sent me that beat at 3am. I woke up around the same time, like we were in sync. I wrote the whole song that morning. I pulled up [to the studio] the same night and got it done. With Rataricann (“Thought You Knew”), we’ve been saying how we were supposed to have locked in. That song was because of timing too. I’m big on that. It has to make sense. The same with Heft (“Mind Ya Bidness”). The timing was right.
Welcome to Lovin’: Where Youngan is for Lovers (2024)
Grooverelly: How did the vision come about for this cover art? Who did the art?
Youngan: As a team, we were like “let’s flip the Virginia sign.” Then it needed more. I thought that maybe it could be like a tourist attraction. The second time we got the artwork back, it was just me and another girl. I still thought it could be better. Then I used one of my features, then after chopping it up with the team some more, we got the time-lapsed postcard idea. So, basically, it looks like “You’re always in love with Youngan.” Shoutout to Pacsupa-he’s really that guy when it comes to cover art.
Grooverelly: How did creating this project challenge you as an artist?
Youngan: There was so much singing. I had to get into a [different] bag because I knew what I wanted. I found my style of singing.
Grooverelly: Is there a favorite collaborative record on this project?
Youngan: They were all so dope, but I gotta say “10pm in Norfolk” with tē alyah. The creative process was unmatched.
Grooverelly: What inspired your change in direction, sonically?
Youngan: I wasn’t mad anymore. Revenge Tour was me getting my shit off and once I got it off, there was no animosity to anybody or anything. I cleared my conscience.
Closing Questions
Grooverelly: Why do you make music, and who do you feel you make music for?
Youngan: I’m sharing a quote from Free_Drizzy: “I’m sleeping at the stu’ tonight, girl don’t be mad at me. If I’ma make this music, I’ma do it happily.” That’s one of the realest things I’ve ever heard. I make music for me. When I’m happy, mad, annoyed-I make the music for myself. From my real life and my passions. I know the studio is a safe space for me.
Grooverelly: What 3 albums influence your sound?
Youngan: Take Care by Drake. I listen to it once a week. College Dropout by Kanye West. 2014 Forest Hills Drive by J. Cole. My honorable mention is Love Songs For The Streets by Lil Durk.
Grooverelly: What’s next?
Youngan: I have a new single coming with a visual for it, too.
