DON'T MISS TODAY:

Back to Artist Profiles

1/5/2007 What’s up?  I’m doing good. I’m just holding it down.  It’s been awhile since we’ve heard from you. What have you been up to?  When the Outsidaz went our separate ways, I left Newark and went to Florida. I recorded over 100 songs and set up my own company. It took me two years to do everything, but I did two albums. I decided to move to Atlanta because there’s more going on musically here than Orlando.   Has being away from Newark been good for you?    I still go back to record with the Outz, but it’s good to go somewhere where the people don’t know me and I can get away from all the negativity and do what I need to do for my career.  Your music still sounds like it’s inspired by Brick City.    That’s where I’m from. Brick City is in me. You can take the lion out of the jungle but you can never take the jungle out of the lion.  Who from the Outsidaz are you still working with?    My brother Young Zee. We work together all the time. I still work with Pace and Axe is out in Atlanta with me. All the Outsidaz, we’re still cool. My brother has a crib in the Poconos. Azz-Iz has a crib in Philly. Plus you know how close the Outsidaz and D12 are.  Is everybody from the Outsidaz cool with each other today?    Everything about Pace and Zee wasn’t true. Mostly those rumors stemmed from Eminem. Pace and Em weren’t really getting along. Zee was out in Cali doing stuff with Em for the 8 Mile Soundtrack. Niggas just started rumors. Pace knew what Zee was doing and it was no secret.  Where would the Outhouse be today if you guys were still working together?    Wow. We’d definitely be having the cash money. We weren’t getting the promotion and we had to all pay our bills. We’ve all had to do what we had to do to take care of our families. Most of us still live it anyway.  How has it been in Atlanta?  They’re loving me. I’ve met a lot of good connects. I’m getting some good financial backing and I’m meeting people who can help my career. I’m not doing snap music but I’m down with the ATL.  Are we going to see a Yah Yah album soon?    Yeah. The album is in its promotional stages right now. I’m trying to get the attention of the majors so I can get signed. I’ve been in the game for so long and I have so much experience that I’m more than just an artist now. The album is ready to go. I’m starting the promotional phases. If you like it, just keep looking for it.  Are you happy with how the fans are responding to your latest music?    Yeah. I got real positive feedback for a song I didn’t even work hard on (“Some Days”). I’ve been pleased with the feedback so far on my music. I don’t have only one style or only one joint.  How much music do you have in the stash right now?    I got a bunch of joints with Zee. That’s my brother with the same father and same mother. I got all the joints with the Outsidaz. I got some up-and-coming producers I’m working with too. I did a lot of joints in Florida. Being in my hood all my life, I didn’t really get to experience a lot of things, but when I got to Florida, I was able to see a lot more. That’s why I got some R&B joints and some club joints. I’m happy with the album. I’m just trying to open myself up and make myself available for all the fans to see what it is.  Speaking of your brother, are we going to see a Young Zee album soon?    He acts like he doesn’t want to do an album and that he doesn’t want to get put out unless it’s on a major, but he never stops recording. Him and Denaun Porter have some shit going on.  How’s Axe doing?    He just came back from Jersey yesterday. He’s doing good. Axe is tatted up everywhere. He’s got like 50 tats.  Will there ever be an Outsidaz reunion album?    We were talking about that. We got so much stuff tied up right now that we’d probably put it out ourselves. A lot of people ask us about that album. There’s nothing inked yet.  The late Slang Ton is an MC who never seems to get his just due. Why is that?  Because the Outsidaz were mostly underground. We really didn’t get that much promotion. We were putting in work, but people don’t really know us. We weren’t really on Clue’s tapes that much. There was a lot of stuff. Because so many people get lost in the shuffle, there are more people than Slang. Slang will never be forgotten by us. We have murals and we have a Slang Ton Foundation. We do stuff for the kids. He’s not going to be forgotten in our hood. There are other people who don’t know him. I feel the Outsidaz never got the promotion we should have gotten, but we promote Slang wherever we go.   What do you remember most about Slang Ton?    Some of the things are personal and private, but one time we were in Detroit when we first started doing stuff with Em and when Em was starting to get really popular. It was like the Hip-Hop Olympics because everybody was there to battle Eminem. Slang was just like, Time out! All the Outsidaz were there, all of D12 and Royce da 5’9”. 30 people wanted to battle Em and Slang shut all of them down. He didn’t give anyone a chance. He even got Royce. He was in a zone. I’ll never forget that day.   What’s your relationship with Eminem today?    He’s good. I know everybody up there personally. Whenever they come on tour I always get 20 passes backstage. Em is cool and he’s getting his money. I’m proud of him. I don’t really see him that much, but him and my brother are real cool.  What’s the best move for Yah Yah right now?  Keep promoting. I think I got a great style and hip-hop is swinging back around for the lyrics. It’s starting to get back into the meaningful stuff where MC’s talk about something. I’m confident it’s going to come back around like everything does. I think I spend too much time recording and don’t really give myself a chance to come out for everybody to see me and hear me. I think the best move is for me to try to get some shows so everybody can see that I’m nice.  What do you want to say to everybody?  Peace to all the hip-hop heads. Keep it cracking. Keep doing what you do and let’s try to stay positive and make something for the kids. That’s the future of hip-hop.

By Brian Kayser

[8] REACT TO THIS INTERVIEW