Rising star Yung Sammy reflects on language, identity and versatility in the new track 'The Intro'
Nigeria-born rapper Yung Sammy has released his first song from EP Yung Sammy in the Building called The Intro. Already making waves among audiences the single is a reflection of the potential that underground rap possesses. In our conversation with the rising star, we discuss the song, its premise, his story and more:
The Intro is a brilliantly written reflective song. Tell us about the thoughts you were having while writing it.
The Intro has always been reflective because it’s a track that I made while entering the scene. I made it for my new EP, Yung Sammy in the Building. The Intro was something that we all collectively decided that it is supposed to be the first track. The Intro was something that I wrote because I felt like I needed to answer a lot of questions. One such question that people usually ask is ‘How do you know Hindi?’. That was something I felt I needed to write about as it is not only Hindi that I know. There are a few lyrics in the track that simply say that I know Hindi, Punjabi, and other languages too, essentially what it says is ‘You can go ahead and ask me any questions’. This track is about my versatility not only in music but in languages as well.
Do you feel rap gives a greater clarity in expression when compared to the other genres? Do you feel it allows the artiste to boldly address the subject they aim to talk about?
Rap gives more space for you to explain what you mean. As an underground rapper, because that’s where I started, compared to other genres like R&B or pop which are mostly about the groove playing it in a club, rap is something you can use to go in-depth and truly explain what you mean, by pointing out where you are and what you are.
Did you always want to get into rap?
It's not really if I wanted to get into rap, but more about the background I was in and the type of family background I had. I've always been, even today, around a religious background where both my parents are priests so I never really had the option of being a musician, it wasn’t in my dictionary at all. But life brought me to this destination. But I never really wanted to be a rapper or anything like that, even when I started rapping and making music, I didn’t know I was going to choose this path of wanting to continue when I did this as a hobby. However, time passed and things kept taking their course even though I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get to where I am today. I also wasn’t sure about what I could make and do through music until the right time came.
Who are some of your rap icons?
Central Cee and Pop Smoke for sure. I love doing Drill because I've been working with it. Also, I was introduced to Pop Smoke and different variations of Drill. Skepta is another artiste I love as well as many others from India and Africa. All these artistes have taught me a lot.
Who are some of the artistes currently you suggest we cannot miss out on?
So my favourite artistes are Central C, Pop Smoke Rest in Peace to the King and from Africa, I’ll say Davido and from India, there are a lot of artistes in hip hop like (couldn't catch the name) and I would also say Raga as well.
What's next in the pipeline for you?
I feel I’ve been making a lot of music for a long time now but haven’t dropped many. So I feel like it's time to show what’s on the plate to people now. First off, I’m dropping my EP and then after that possibly my album within which I have a lot of features.
First-time listener's guide to Yung Sammy:
- 4X4: 4X4 is a track that got viral independently, without one penny being spent. It is at half a million plays on Spotify and we can count more if we try to get all of the streams together on all platforms. On YouTube, it got over 300,000 views and on Instagram it went viral with 3 million Reel views and still counting. 4X4 resonates with the lifestyle, and teenagers in India, especially in Delhi and UP how they move, like talking about cars and all and the lifestyle over there which connects and resonates with the lifestyle that they live
- Big Man Ting featuring BBB: This track talks about how we move individually, as rappers, and the lifestyle of these artistes. The lyrics connect with a lot of people and it's exciting.
- Mehndhi: It’s a club banger, and I'm sure, if you’re from India you know what mehndi means.
- The Intro: This is the first track of my EP. The Intro was about myself and I answered a lot of questions I get asked. In this track, I rap in Gujari, Punjabi, Hindi, and a little bit of English.