RESPECT | Yogy Speaks On His Struggles,Plans For The Future & Oscar Grant
The Bay Area has always been a hotbed for hip-hop talent, going all the way back to the heyday of E-40, Too Short, Spice 1 and Mac Dre, to name a few. Now, meet YOGY. He’s a young man who’s wise beyond his years, poised to take all of his life experiences and create something more meaningful out of them—perhaps even helping someone else in the process. YOGY is currently in the running to have his video for the introspective “Mirror Mirror” aired on MTVU.
What’s the significance of your name? Is it an acronym? Short for something?
YOGY is short for “You Only Got Yourself.” Deriving from life since my childhood. I represent every single-parent home urban kid. My father was locked up most of my life and my mom struggled with debt and alcoholism. It’s just a common feeling due to the circumstances that explains in a nutshell my foundation and now my mindset.
Growing up in the Bay Area, who were some of your biggest influences?
Tupac is one of my biggest influences period. His All Eyez On Me album raised me.Yukmouth, E-40 , Too Short, San Quinn, Mac Dre, Hiero, Souls of Mischief…and this list goes on, from a musical standpoint. I’ve always been a fan, before anything [else], of the Bay Area music scene, which actually inspired me to create my own music.
Kings Wear Crowns is the current project that you released in April. What was the overall concept of this album? What goals did you want to achieve?
Kings Wear Crowns in entirety is a mixtape that I wanted to show my abilities on…show that my potential is something special. An artist with ability to not only push in Cali but to stand out in other markets. The title is inspired by the belief that we are all born kings. As far as the concept with this project, I wanted to continue to build up my core fanbase, give them a few angles of how I viewed the world at the time I was recording. I want my fans to be able to grow with me. I hate putting expectations out because even that can limit growth. I’m just here trusting my struggle.
