24: Introduce yourself to everyone that doesn’t already know who you are.

Yung Lott  aka Yung Lott VP of Fare Game Records a Prime Time Click artist,  I hail  from  the Hunters Point District of  San Francisco, Ca

24: Before we get into your music, can you describe your history about how you got into the industry and what inspired you?

 I was about 4 years old and like most kids my age, I was a big fan of hip-hop.  I came from a musical family and being surrounded by all the independent game in the Bay Area, Rap was always in my ears.  When I was in my early teens I started really recording full songs with my first group P.H.E (PLAYA HATAZ ENEMY).  We were a tight crew since we were knee high; and we used to wash cars and clean back yards for money to hit the studio. As we got a little older the streets got tempting and well we all know how that goes.  I lost one member to the streets (R.I.P Mike) and my lil brother got locked up, so it was me and my Cousin Mass left.  We moved on as the M-Lott gang. We created a nice buzz in our region.  We did a lot of shows and kept pushing out hot “quality” music. Around the end of 07 I did a song called “What Do You See”, it kind of took off for me. The song started getting some radio spins, we shot a video for it, and from there I just been building my buzz ever since.

24: What was the Hip-hop scene like for you growing up in the Bay Area?

The Hip-hop scene for me was inspirational to say the least. God gave me a talent to be able to do this, so it kind of saved me from the streets. Watching artist from my region get on radio and TV, let alone a rapper from my “City” on the radio and TV too; I felt like I had a real chance at making it.  Artist like RBL Posse, JT the Bigga Figga, Rappin 4tay, were all rappers I could see coming thru the hood any given day.  How could you not be inspired?

24: Have you ever felt like too much time passes in the game where you have to make it and that window is closing?

Sometimes I feel like I been doing this my whole life.  Then I have to remember that my watch don’t match what “GOD” has planned.  So no matter how much time passes, I know when it’s my time, it’ll happen.  Until then….God helps those who help themselves and I just keep working my hardest to do quality music and let him tell me when I’m ready.

24: What makes Yung Lott unique as an artist and different from other rappers emerging from out of the West Coast?

 It’s my sound, my voice… I’m definitely from the WEST COAST but for some reason I got a strong southern sounding accent when I rhyme. It’s funny because even in my own region, people thought I was from the South. Don’t get me wrong, I ain’t mad at that.  A lot of my fans from down South really fuck wit me, so when I’m in the South, I always feel at home.  And really, we all got roots in the South, so its home regardless. The other thing that may make me unique, I usually sing my own hooks and I do a lot of features doing hooks.  People don’t realize I can hold a few notes and arrange songs. I studied this game hard and I know that I have to make myself stand out, so I utilize every tool that God gave me.  I don’t waste a drop of it, but besides that, I’m just humble and hungry to be heard.

24: Tell us about the album “Cupcakes & Cartiers”.

Cupcakes & Cartier is a concept album I wanted to do last year after my Street Album “Travellin & Traffikin” dropped.  I got such a great response from the ladies. I felt like it was time I did something different.  I always give the streets good music, but I felt like the beautiful women of the world needed to be catered to from a hood niggas point of view.  I decided to celebrate the women of this world with an entire album dedicated to them from me and the rest of the fellas.  I felt like sometimes as men we don’t articulate our true feelings to our women, so I felt like this album would help out my G’s. I really took my time and put together what I feel is a soulful, melodic, and positive album for the ladies.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m human.  I see the shapes and beauty on the outside, but I also know there is so much more to a female than just that. The true beauty lies within the woman, not on her, and coming from a strong mother, that’s what I want them to feel from this album… you can call it the calgon album, Cuz its gone take you away.

24: What was your inspiration for the hit single Supaman and how did the collaboration with Ace Hood come about?

Well that’s funny you ask, to keep it all the way 1000, I was on Soundclick searching for beats and came across the track, I usually like to do my own hooks, but it was already on the beat, and Ace go H.A.M, so I was like cool, let me record it first and see how  it sounds and if I get good feedback, I’ll go buy it. Well when I went back it was no longer on the site , it wasn’t listed as sold or nothing but I had already did the song and people was feeling it, so I just posted it as a free joint. People actually think it’s my first single but actually “You Fly” is, but “Supaman” has made a lil noise, I wish me and Ace could have really did that joint, and pushed it, that would be a good look. But yeah, that the real on that…

24: In the beginning stages of the album, what producers have you worked with or would like to work with on this project?

Man, Well I got a young hot producer out of Memphis name Lil Red, I got the world renown  Superstar O, B. Beck, Suite 4 music, my boy SIX out of Dallas, Reece Beats, who produced “monsta” and  a few other cats on there.  The production on this album is so much more grown up than any of my other mixtapes or street album. People are going to be surprised how I came, I had to take off the black tee and slap on a power tie, and you feel me?  This album is cashmere sweaters and Louis loafers. I got a track called “Grown & Sexy” on the album that was like my show of growth, a vision of where I’m trying to go, guess you can say my evolution as an artist.

24: Are you happy with the feedback you’ve been getting from the songs you’ve released so far?

I’m always happy to hear when people like my music, and I take constructive criticism well.  If people don’t like it, I just work harder. “You Fly” is about to started circulating soon, and I got a video for that one and my next single “Change” which is gone be 2 real powerful  songs , I would explain it to you, but I’ll just say, its something the ladies NEED to hear on both songs.

24: Does it bother you at all that you’re giving out the music for free or do you look at that as something that you have to do at this point in your career?

 I have given away 3 mixtapes or street albums as people call them.  Sometimes I feel like yeah, to stay relevant and have people want to feed into your “hype”, its pretty much mandatory nowadays that you feed the fans free music.  It shows them that you can give them free music of high quality and also makes them feel more comfortable about paying for your music. You have to build a repoire or a line of trust with your audience; it’s just the nature of the business in this day and age.

24: You have a buzz slowly building now in the Bay. How are you going to keep it going from?

To be very honest… keep growing; keep working harder and harder until I can’t do it anymore. I feel like I always do my best to give QUALITY over QUANTITY, I would much rather drop an album and 1 free mixtape every year of high quality than just drop any old thing just because people love free stuff. I try everyday of my life to improve on myself as a person and my music, and I always keep an open mind to trying new things with music, which keeps it fun for me.

24: In your opinion, what is the “The New West” movement and would you consider yourself a part of it?
To me It’s just the next generation of west coast artist tryna push us back to the top of the charts, and to be honest I love anything positive and pushing for great music out of my Coast. Am I apart of it, I would think any artist out here really putting in  serious work  and making his name, is a part of it.  We have created some great eras of music, and we can make a party crack.  So 1 West or New West, it all has WEST in it… so lets do it.

24: In today’s free download age, what do you need that you don’t have to make yourself a household name?

Just more exposure, we have always been a beat up the streets Label (Fare Game Records) the last few years we started really pushing  a hard line on this internet , my team is creative and innovative when its comes to marketing, so in due time my internet buzz will be strong.  We even did a Promo cartoon series for the album. So, we on our way.

24: How do you feel about the current state of the West Coast music scene in general?

I feel like we are going in the right direction, a lot of unity is popping off, and lots of artist are bringing fire to the booth.  When you got that combo, who can deny us.

24: Outside of the music, what else are you currently working on? 

Working on being a better business man, when the mic goes cold, and the crowd don’t roar anymore, you have to be able to transition, and have that back up plan.

24: Where do you see yourself going in 2011 and how are do you plan to separate yourself from the other artists out today to get the recognition you feel you deserve?

2011 is like every year I do music, I try to stay positive, and focused, and make great music, I feel like I can work only as hard as I can and the rest is up to GOD.  I’m human, so yeah I feel like every year is my big break out year, but in all honesty, with all that has been invested, and time put in. I know that it’s your time when it happens, not before or after. I feel like my growth as an artist will make me stand out, my sound, people who are following my work will start to take notice and it’ll grow.

24: How can fans go about contacting you?

Hit me on twitter @yunglott or @cartiercupcakes email me yunglott1@gmail.com or reverbnation; yunglott or as they always say, GOOGLE me, hahaha

24: Thank you for providing 24hourhiphop.com with this exclusive interview, do you have any last words for your present and future fans?

I wanna thank my fans for all your  support and I hope you dig this new album, I wanna thank my parents for always pushing me to do this music thing, my cousin Kim Mitchell CEO of Fare Game Records for believing in me. My entire Fare Game Family, Dorrough for seeing my talent and putting me down with the PTC family, Mic Moodswing, my 2 sons for inspiring me every day to get up and do this, every DJ, VJ, or any media source that wrote about me or spoke on me, and last but not least God, it was him and him alone that gave me this talent, and thru him I can do all things.