This Michigan State Alum from Detroit that goes by the name JYoung The General, got his start from being an Internet emcee on a and website called Gamefaqs which is a video game site where you can get cheat codes and walk through for various videogames. On the site there was a soundboard for Hip-Hop where people could discuss and debate about rap music. Who was their favorite artist, indie act, etc, and within this was a section called key-styling where people would send written battles back and forth between one another, and after a friend dared JYoung to get a mic and try rapping the rest of was history for him.
The kid definitely had potential when he started out, and after getting some great feedback that included criticism and praise from a weekly Hip-Hop radio show that showcased upcoming artist JYoung decided to get real serious and turn his hobby into a career, and here he is doing his music thing and getting love from allover.
The person that really got JYoung on track with taking rapping seriously was actually someone that he met on the Internet–a lyricist named Steve Perez. He talks about Perez while during an interview on hiphopdox.xom and this is what he had to say:
Hes from New York and I’ve actually never met Steve in real life, but he taught me a lot about how to structure my bars, how to use multi-syllable flows, all these things that I never really knew. And we co-founded the group together and essentially just used to make music over the Internet. That was my right hand man from about 2005-2008. Every time I did something new, I’d send it to him and he’d send something to me, I’d be on his project and he’d be on mine. And that was the genesis of what I really wanted to establish with my current collective BLAT! Pack. Just to have a group of solo artists that would come together only really to be each others support system and not do the group thing because I’m alpha when it comes to my music. So the good thing about getting with a guy like Steve was that he had his lane, I had mine, but we were able to support each other and give that push we needed.
I really dig JYoungs sound as well as the message that he is putting out there. His music is packed with messages that in my opinion definitely energizes and uplifts people in the black community which you can hear on both his Black History Years (Installment 1 &2) and the Joshua 1:6 EP. He created the Black History Installments he General created to raise awareness of black issues, leaders and events. JYoung is joined by Michigan staples such as OneBeLo, Mae Day and Buff1 to edutain (educate & entertain) listeners on the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, the Pan-African flag, gentrification and more.
JYoungs goal in hip hop is to make music that energizes my community to make significant contributions to the world we live in either academically, economically, spiritually, but never foolishly. He also wants to make a sustainable living doing so. I here him on that one! In the future he wants to work with artist such as Royce Da, AZ, Big Sean, Black Milk, and The Alchemist to name a few.
I also feel that JYoung The General will go down as being a sign cant building block in the foundation of Detroits new musical renaissance. Lets us know what you think!
You can listen to JYoung The General’s Black History Year Installment two at http://jyoungthegeneral.bandcamp.com
