Getting “Naked” with Billboard artist YUNG RO

  1. How long have you been in the music business and how did you get started in the first place?

YUNG RO: My family owns a company called Black Pearl located in downtown St. Louis Mo. It consists of a tattoo and recording studio therefore I was exposed to the music game at a early age. I’m now the owner of both.

  1. Who were your first musical influences that you can remember?

YUNG RO: The normal Old School artist like Rakim, who I had the pleasure of meeting. Then newer artist like Nelly cause he repped the hometown.

  1. Which artists are you currently listening to? And is there anyone of these that you’d like to collaborate with?

YUNG RO: Drake and Future. And I wouldn’t mind collaborating with Wiz Khalif.

  1. Have you suffered any ‘resistance’ from within the industry, and if so how have you handled that, and how do you handle criticism and haters in general?

YUNG RO: Yeah I think every artist experience resistance or obstacles however ones determination gets them through it. Critics motivate me to push harder.

  1. Do think that video is an appropriate marketing tool for your music, and do you have any videos published for fans to see?

YUNG RO: Definitely visuals lets the audience get up and close. They can connect a face to the music. I have all types of videos music, interviews, and community events. Just go to YouTube and type in yungrobp.

  1. Which do you ultimately prefer? Entertaining a live audience or creating songs in a studio setting?

YUNG RO: Live performances give me adrenaline and studio work is a release if that makes sense.

  1. Tell us something about your lyrics and music production on your releases. Which part of these processes do you handle, and which do you outsource generally?

YUNG RO: I run a actual label with separate divisions like marketing, street promotions, production, and publishing. I write my own music cause it has to reflect me but I have a creative crew to help me vibe. I believe in spreading the wealth.

    8. What is the title of your latest music release and where can fans find it?

YUNG RO: No specific title yet but go to soundcloud.com/yung-ro-1 for my current tracks.

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  1. Which ingredient do you think makes you special and unique as a performing artist in a genre thriving with newcomers? 

YUNG RO: My fan base is a advantage. Being African American, Japanese, and Latino blessed me diverse audience.

  1. If you were forced to choose only one, which emotion, more than any other drives you to be a part of this tough business?

YUNG RO: Passion powers the drive to succeed in life.

  1. Which aspect of being an independent artist and the music making process excites you most and which aspect discourages you most?

YUNG RO: Creative control and the downfall is capital to fuel your campaign.

  1. How do you market and manage your music career? Do you have a management team or do you control everything by yourself?

YUNG RO: My father was my manager but he had to take a break due to heath issues (Lupus). One fortunate thing he gamed me up on the knowledge to push my career. Currently I’m working on my youngest brother’s project his name is Jiro.

  1. How do you achieve your sound? Do you work from a private recording environment or do you use a commercial sound studio?

YUNG RO: I have my own recording studio with updated pro tools and plug ins.

  1. The best piece of advice in this business you actually followed so far, and one you didn’t follow, but now know for sure that you should have?

YUNG RO: Being dependable when I was young I missed deadlines. In this business your word is your bond.

  1. If you had the choice to work with any famous Producer, who would that be?

YUNG RO: Metro boomin that’s my homeboy. But I have worked with Grammy producers like ThaBizness and TrakStarz. That was in my earlier career I charted Billboard twice.

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  1. Do you consider Internet and all the social media websites, as fundamental to your career, and indie music in general, or do you think it has only produced a mass of mediocre “copy-and-paste” artists, who flood the web, making it difficult for real talent to emerge?

YUNG RO: Well technology has definitely dumb down the music scene. Auto-tunes you can’t tell who is who. Internet has made it easy to pirate music free. However it is important to the independent cause we can literally travel around the world on a laptop. It’s just some people abuse the privilege.

  1. If someone has never heard your music, which keywords would you personally use to describe your overall sound and style?

YUNG RO: Not keyword how about phrase. For the ladies. Women fuel the industry.

  1. How would you describe the current state of Hip-hop, R&B and Rap?

YUNG RO: Disappointing. Music sales are low most artist are depending on tour money. And half the music you can’t even understand what their saying. What use to be morally wrong is now actually cool.

  1. As you work your way through your career, which more than any other fires-up your imagination – A Grammy award, Platinum music sales or any other tangible milestone?

YUNG RO: Music sales are important because it shows I got loyal fans. Awards can be politics. Marketability is crucial cause endorsements can help ones career.

  1. What is the ONE thing you are NOT willing or prepared to do EVER, in your quest to achieve a successful musical career?

YUNG RO: Sellout on my belief or turn my back on my family. Now free loaders don’t constitute family.

OFFICIAL LINKS: SOUNDCLOUDINSTAGRAM

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