Discover
Exclusive Interview: Meet Young Leaf
What first drew you into hip-hop?
I have really been involved in music since an early age and one of my favorite songs was “21 Questions” by 50 cent because it was a love song explaining to his girl would she still support him and be by his side with going through problems. I really like listening to music where I can sit back and think about life, love, and having fun. Not a lot of people know that I was involved in the choir for eight years and I really love to sing. I like to listen to all kinds of music because as an artist I want to be different I do not want to be like everybody else.
Your track “Bring it back” is very modern and sounds very professional. How did you achieve such a great signature sound in such a short time? Also, what your creative processes is like?
Thank you so much, I really appreciate that a lot. I would not have received that signature sound without the help of my engineer Timmy. I really put the trust in him to find the right sound that would fit perfectly with each song I send him. When I am in the process of creating a song I just listen to different beats that would fit perfect what I am going to rap or sing about then I figure out who will fit perfect on the song. It is a process because each song is different and it can take some time because as an artist you want to make sure everything is perfect. Also, when I was in the process of making “Bring It Back” I wanted to make it a dance track because I really never made a party so I when found the beat and listen to the beat a couple times I knew I can come up with a great concept then D Kirk hop in the studio then he kill his verse so I would not have had a great song without him.
You have worked with many great producers/artists in the past If you could work with anyone who would that be?
If I could work with any artists/producers I would want to work with Nav, KR, Drake, Swae Lee, Metro Booming, and Murda On The Beatz. The reason I would want to work with Drake which is my favorite artist because he can rap and sing. Any song that Drake makes really explain my life and I can relate to that because not only he talking his struggles but he also can hit you with a love song. I am not a big fan of listening to music talking about drugs because I am lowkey kind of person and I really like chill and good vibes type of music. Another artist I would really like to work is Nav because he makes good music that I can vibe with and just sit back and think. So, there are a lot of artists that I would want to work with but right now I still got a lot improving to do as being an artist but if the artist and producers ever wanted to work that I mention I would NOT say no.
You have remixed several tracks and they are all very original and mixed well! Do you plan to release more remixes in the future? What has been your favorite remix so far?
Thank you and I might release some more remixes in the future because if I really like the song and can relate to it then I might do a remix to it. So, my favorite remix is the song Nicki Minaj, Drake, and Lil Wayne made called “No Frauds” which I named the song called “No Liars” when I remix it. It is pretty funny because that was actually the first song that I created and I was so nervous in the studio because I was thinking so much if people would actually like the song if I decided to drop it. So, when I did drop the song I got a lot of positive feedback from people saying they like the song so I am always going to be remembered by that song which it is a pretty funny song.
How would you summarize 2017?
I would summarize 2017 as up and down because I was going through a lot of adversity on if I should continue doing music. After I drop the song “No Liars” I wanted to drop a song every week and I feel like that backfire on me because instead of just sitting down and finding my flow I would rush and the song would not sound that great. So with the help of my mentor/brother D Kirk, he explained to me that it is a process when doing music and if you want to be great at it you have to take your time and be patient with it. Also, he told me that not everybody is going to like every song you come out with but you got to worry about the people that are vibing with your songs. So, after Kirk told me that then I started improving day by day to find the flow that I like and I stop worrying about what people thought about me since I started doing music. My advice to anyone is if you like something so much and if you want to do it then they should do it and should not let anyone stop them from achieving their dreams.
2018 has just started, what are your goals for the new year, any upcoming projects we can get excited about?
My goals for 2018 are graduating college in May with a degree in Leisure and Sports Studies and minor in Communication Studies. Another goal is that I want to continue improving day by day with music because I am not where I think I should be at but with a lot of hard work and dedication I can get there but I got to be focused and cannot let anything get in my way of achieving my goals. I have finally completed my first mixtape called “Self Doubt” which will be dropping on February 26th. The features on the project will be D Kirk, D’ajah, and A Money so I hope you guys like that mixtape because I put in a lot of hard work to make sure it will be perfect and explaining my struggles of dealing with Self-Doubt. 2018 is the year of opportunity so I am very excited to just feel free and have fun. I am blessed to have a wonderful family, friends, and brothers that do support me in whatever I do and I am going to continue to be myself and that is Khalif.
Connect with Young Leaf:
Snapchat: minimamba2
