Young Grust Rich Fam

Rich Fam is just not a title, and it’s not just an acronym either - it stands for something.

Hard work, dedication, and plenty of time spent reaping the benefits are just a few of the things the three-man rap group from Long Island stand for.

Highly influential in their respective hometowns of Central Islip & Brentwood, Young Grust Rich Fam started a movement that goes beyond music. The “grust” lifestyle is a culture consisting of the hood youth of Long Island, and it goes farther than C.I. & Brentwood. Search the word on Twitter and you’ll find it’s made it’s place permanently in the vernacular of many young kids from Long Island.

The word and the culture started spreading in 2007, when Looch started rapping, meeting Jimmy Hayes in an after-school cypher. Thrillz met Looch and eventually Jimmy when he moved from Central Islip to Brentwood in the 10th grade. Although the three MCs respected each other’s hustle, it wasn’t until 2012 that the boys joined forces. All three had the same goal in mind with their music: put Long Island on the map, and with a task like that, it’s better to work together. The rappers started spending time together in the studio, feeding off each other’s energy and building an undeniable chemistry that birthed Young Grust Rich Fam.

The seemingly quiet & timid yet hard-hitting rhyme-slinger, Jae Thrillz, started rapping when he first got his first karaoke boombox at the young age of 11 years old, throwing instrumentals in the tape deck and laying down original verses.  A self-proclaimed true hip-hop head, the culture surrounded Thrillz for his whole life, no matter his location, thus spawning him into a well-rounded MC. Being born in Atlanta, but relocated to Harlem and eventually Central Islip, Thrillz’s first favorite MC’s were Ludacris and Fabolous. You can hear the influence of both in his spitfire rhymes with catchy punchlines.

Always behind the scenes working, Jimmy Hayes IS music. He lives & breathes music. Hayes started rapping in 6th grade after he saw his favorite rapper, Eminem, telling his life story in 8 Mile. Jimmy saw a life he could relate to in the film, and he turned his love for music into something bigger. Being of Peruvian and Dominican descent, it’s only right that Jimmy credits Big Pun as one of his favorite rappers, but he also shows love to DMX and Jay Z, a true New York hip-hop lover. Jimmy started producing in 2012 under the moniker Hayesman, and has only gotten better with time, handling much of the production on both the YGRF & YGRF 2 mixtapes.

Both the loudest and the richest person in the room, Looch embodies the rapper lifestyle that people dream of. Growing up in the hood of Brentwood, Looch had street dreams from a young age, starting to rap in the 5th grade. Not one to keep his talent to himself, it wasn’t long before Looch was uploading his freestyle and original tracks to Myspace to gain a local following. Influenced by Stack Bundles, Jay Z, Nas, and just about every other NY gangsta rapper, Looch always makes a point to show love to the talent that came before him from his city, as well as up and coming talent, showing that he possesses a trait many artists seem to lack these days - giving credit where it’s due. With a drive to succeed and the talent to get him where he wants to be, Looch is a force to be reckoned with.

With these three rappers spearheading the rap scene on Long Island, the future of the area’s credibility looks bright.

With the successful release of their self-titled debut EP in January 2013, the group saw notable press from The Source, Ashley Outrageous, On Smash and more. Taking it further than the blogs, Rich Fam used their newfound fame to book shows at esteemed NYC venue SOBs, opening up for TDE’s ScHoolboy Q as well as legendary Dipset frontman Cam’ron.

Their second mixtape, YGRF 2, featured guest verses from Chinx Drugz and Troy Ave, further growing their name in the NYC rap scene.

The group is currently working on their third mixtape, which will focus on expanding out of their comfort zone. The group is working with rappers from different regions and Jimmy has been more experimental with his beat-making, sampling vinyls and getting busy on the MPC machine. Expect the unexpected on YGRF 3 as the group works to establish themselves as a staple in the NY underground rap scene, putting on for Long Island the right way.