YOUNG MASS

Young Mass brought together San Diego’s hip-hop standouts on his new compilation The Best of Daygo City. Mass takes you on a trip around Daygo City's diverse hip-hop scene with 22 tracks showing off the city's underground, gangsta, and mainstream talent.

"Product of My Environment," the record's opener, exemplifies Mass' vocal and production skills as he spits triumphantly over a classic West Coast, Dr. Dre-style piano riff. Mass lends his vocals to three other cuts on the album, including the "You Don't Have to Be a Star"-themed track "Celebrity Girl" alongside smooth-flow R&B singer J. Young.

On "San Diego Is the Combination," Verbz teams up with Blame One and Deep Rooted MC Mr. Brady to spew clever SD couplets ("Social Distortion/Snakes Deception/Stack Dollars/Stayin Deep/Songs Done"), but it's the barrage of SD-themed cuts by DJ Demon on the turntables that make this track classic.

Lady rapper Ms. Kitty trades rhymes with beau I-Rocc on a seductive, sexed-up journey from the club to the bedroom. Newcomer Shavone C rhyme's well beyond her 19 years of age, over a canary chirp-driven beat on "Baddest Chick Around," and Latin lovely Vision tops off a top-notch showing by Daygo City's hip-hop ladies.

To date, the most successful acts out of SD have been gangsta-style rappers Jayo Felony and Mitchy Slick, so no compilation out of our city would be complete without a few heaters representing. One of the CD's best is by the MCs of DieNasty Records when they combine with SiccMade, Crhymes, and Ecay Uno on a lyrical slaughter of everyone in their path called "19:04."

From Pacific Beach party group Outta Control's feel good jam "Come Correct" to the introspective style of Jimmy Powers on "Same James," you will be wondering why SD's hip-hop scene has not blown up yet. Maybe it will after the world gets a whiff of this joint!

Published Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009/http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2009/dec/06/young-mass-presents-best-daygo-city/ - San Diego Reader (CD Reviews)

The Rhythm Lounge gig was billed as "the official album release concert" for San Diego hip-hop compilation Young Mass Presents...the Best of Daygo City.

Opener Forte rocked the spot with a Zapp-style talk-box rendition of One Way's classic funk cut "Cutie Pie." Forte joins Roger, DJ Quik, and Teddy Riley as masters of the talk box, which is a keyboard with a tube that runs to the performers mouth to alter sounds. Seeing's believing:

Most of the performers ran their laptop loops through the clubs soundman as they rocked the mics.

Gas One from dagosd.com's All Gas, No Breaks radio show was busting me up hosting between acts, and he gave away a lot of stuff. The beer was only $3 before 10 p.m. I took several of them to the head when Outta Control jumped on stage Beastie Boys-style, quaffing beer while performing their compilation song "Come Correct." The party was on!

I discovered why they call Bloodstone "Street Preacher" when I saw he had a whole bunch of cats gathered around in the parking lot talking on the ups and downs of the SD music scene, life, kids, and the Myna calendar’s prediction of the end of the world. He then got on stage and blew the roof off the spot.

All hands were in the air as the OG spit his track "Gangstas Don't Dance." At that point I went to the bathroom ($3 beers, remember?) but found someone had blown chunks all over the pot, floor, and sink...so I went next door. Unfortunately, during that time I missed out on HeatRok, but when I got back to the show Tha Cor had the stage and was doing their thing. Lead man Crhymes rang out "Do you want to smoke and get high?" I recognized the song from the Daygo City album and it sounded dope live.

The place was packed. The pool tables were full all night, the bar was busy, and the front stage area had a big group of people partying for every act. I don't know if it was a case of the planets aligning on some weird stuff, but the SD hip-hop scene felt like the bizness that night!

Artists: Forte, Bloodstone the Street Preacher, Outta Control, HeatRok, and Tha Cor

Venue: the Rhythm Lounge, 3048 Midway Drive, Sports Arena

Show date: November 6, 2009

Seats: at the bar, on the dance floor, searching for a bathroom

Published Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009/http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2009/nov/14/daygo-city-live/ - San Diego Reader (Concert Reviews)

Best In Show - Predictions and pontifications on this year’s San Diego Music Awards

The San Diego Music Awards are always a good time. There’s some cattiness and a little shit-talking, and one thing’s for certain: At least 80 percent of the nominees will go home mad. Last year, I made predictions in five of the major categories. The fact that I went just two for five might prove a couple things: Either I don’t know what the fuck I’m talking about or the awards really are full of surprises. I’d like to think it’s more of the latter.

Best Hip-Hop Album
The nominees: Not One for Words by afterschoolspecial, Vintage Raw by Bloodstone and the Princess, D.E.E.P. R.O.O.T.E.D. by Deep Rooted, Think and Grow Rich by M-Double-A-L, Teen Idol by Microphone Mike, Confidence of a King by R.C.K., Restocked by The Breaux, Best of Daygo City by Young Mass

Who should win: A lot of the hip-hop community got upset when MC Flow won both the “Best Hip-Hop” artist and “Best Hip-Hop Album” categories last year. But she didn’t release an album this year so that leaves Deep Rooted to reclaim this prize (they’ve got two already from ’05 and ’06) for what is probably their best record yet.

Who will win: Hard to say. Since the album categories are voted on by the members of the San Diego Music Foundation, they’ll probably vote for the one they’re most familiar with, which is likely either Young Mass, Deep Rooted or Microphone Mike. Microphone Mike knows a lot of people, but his stage persona is kind of a joke. And Best of Daygo City is great, but it’s a compilation disc of local hip-hop. Even M-Double-A-L, a master at marketing himself (I wouldn’t be surprised if he tracked down each foundation member’s e-mail address and sent a nice little note), could play the dark horse.

By: Seth Combs / San Diego CityBeat Weekly - Published 9/9/2009 - www.sdcitybeat.com
- San Diego CityBeat Weekly

“I don’t feel I should have been nominated for the award,” says Jimmy Powers of his Best Hip-Hop nomination by tonight’s San Diego Music Awards at Viejas. “I’ve only released a limited-press EP.… I think local artists like Blame One, who hit the top 40 on iTunes this year, should be the ones getting a nomination.”

Hip-hop compilation Young Mass Presents: The Best of Daygo City is nominated for Best Hip-Hop Album even though a distribution and promotion deal with Jake Records wasn’t in place until after the 2009 nominations were announced.

Blame One says, “I got nominated twice [in the past]. Second time, I didn’t even bother to show up.… Those cats don’t intend on helping out because they have no desire to understand hip-hop culture.”

Another past nominee, Miki Vale, says, “I never went to the award ceremony.… Just do what you do and let the music be your trophy.”

Meanwhile, the SDMA hip-hop nominees for 2009 are being ridiculed in posts on websites such as Yelp.com and accesshiphop.com. “MC Flow nominated again,” complains Jen of the rapper’s award nod. “Geez. When will people learn? She’s terrible. Lame act. Lame weird-ass dancer dressed in American Apparel crap.”

Adamnt: “From the outsiders, it looks like…the groups that have the media backing win the awards, thus validating all the articles written about them.”

Alowishious1: “How come Mitchy Slick wasn’t nominated? That right there is proof that it’s all bullshit.… I’m sick and tired of these same lame ass niggas gettin’ nominated each year. Getting a SD Music Award is like makin’ a shot after the buzzer. It don’t count, bitch.”

MarkMyWords: “If the DMV was run by the SDMAs, 12-year-olds without arms and legs would have drivers licenses sent to their house.”

The bands scheduled to appear at SDMA 2009 include Burning of Rome, Scarlet Symphony, Get Back Loretta, the Silent Comedy, Steph Johnson, the San Diego Blues All Stars, and this year’s Lifetime Award honorees the Zeros.

By: Jay Allen Sanford - Published 9/9/2009 / www.sandiegoreader.com - San Diego Reader Weekly

It’s hard to find a rap album that doesn’t fall into the predictable traps of the genre. Popular radio hip-hop albums drip with boasts of diamonds and champagne or the dope-smoking gangster ideals of outpacing police; Young Mass melds many recent innovations from the rap game, including tightly packed keyboarding and programming, but leaves the fur coat and yacht clichés alone.

In what could be characterized as traditional lyrics, Young Mass remembers that rap began as poems about mean streets, and he favors lines about shooting dice, cheap booze, and maybe cheaper women without being overly misogynistic. This could be a great boxing-gym album — plenty of lyrics of struggle and hustles.

Driving home the idea that this is a West Coast album are the lines of decidedly 1970s funk-ish guitar and piano, intentional or unintentional hat-tips to Tupac, and featured guest vocalists such as Oakland Bay industry heavyweights Yukmouth and Shock G. Shock G you’d probably know better as “Humpty Hump,” and it’s comforting to hear his smooth voice in all its glory and whimsy.

By Ollie | Published Wednesday, May 21, 2008 / www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2008/may/21/young-mass-remembers/ - San Diego Reader Weekly

Young Mass (a.k.a. Fifth Element) is, at age 21, the youngest member of the rap and hip-hop collective Digital Underground. His family moved from Chicago to San Diego when he was 10.

At the 2003 “Gutfest” in Mission Bay Park, Digital Underground producer and performer Shock G (a.k.a. Humpty Hump of “The Humpty Dance”) discovered the 16-year-old Stanton. “It was the first time I heard his jam ‘Down in Diego,’” says Shock G. “We must’ve blasted it out the ride about ten times that day, and it sounded fresh every time.”

Shock G included Young Mass on two tracks of his 2004 CD Fear of a Mixed Planet: “Cherry Flava’d E-mail” and “Hold Me Down Up.” Young Mass has shared the stage with George Clinton, Tone-Loc, and Mopreme Shakur. His self-titled CD has recently been released.

Shock G contributed to the following Q&A.

MOST DIFFICULT ASPECT OF PERFORMING LIVE?

Young Mass: “It never lasts long enough. It’s like a drug, and the fix only lasts for only a little while and is too far in between.”

Shock G: “When Young Mass grabs the mike, it dates us. Him just doing his regular thing makes me and the rest of Digital Underground sound like dinosaurs. I ain’t mad at him for that, though.”

BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?

Young Mass: “Dr. Dre told me I have the potential to be the best ever if I apply and dedicate myself to my craft.”

Shock G: “NYC, L.A., or ATL — dive into the scene, work with everybody and anybody, from hip-hop to rock. Blaze everybody’s albums, shows, and mix tapes. Get the voice and production out there on as much stuff as possible.”

WHAT’S IN YOUR CD CHANGER?

Young Mass:

1. UGK (R.I.P. Pimp C)

2. Kanye

3. 50 Cent

4. Jay-Z

5. And, of course, Young Mass.

THREE WISHES FOR A GENIE IN A BOTTLE…

Young Mass:

1. Own a marijuana factory.

2. Have a house big enough to fit all of my friends and family in.

3. Be regarded as the best human to ever live.

FIVE THINGS THAT SUCK:

Young Mass:

1. San Diego artist exposure.

2. Racism.

3. Being broke.

4. Being rich.

5. Sex with the wrong person.

EARLIEST CHILDHOOD MEMORY?

Young Mass: “Fighting my cousin for a dollar for our parents’ amusement.”

BEST AND WORST GIGS?

Young Mass: “Worst gig moment was at the Sunset House of Blues with Digital Underground. I had the honor of performing with George Clinton and his funky violinist Lili Haydn. I accidentally knocked the violin out her hand as I went to give the crowd dap — she was steamin’.”

Shock G: “Best was ’Canes at Mission Beach, by the roller coaster. Even though we begged the staff to let our Young Mass in, they insisted that he wait outside until his turn onstage and that he could enter only to say his raps and then must leave immediately. We thought this was silly because he would cross the line anyway to do his part in the show — why can’t he chill backstage? Mass swore to stay in the dressing room and not be near any alcohol. He didn’t even drink back then. Still, they insisted. ‘No ID? Can’t chill inside!’ So when he reached the stage, first thing he did was let the doormen have it over the microphone. I don’t remember exactly what he said, but Money-B and I were crackin’ up. It was funny as hell — Mass was really salty.”

By Michael Hemmingson | Published Wednesday, April 9, 2008 / www.sandiegoreader.com - San Diego Reader

This is just as much of a eulogy as it is an album review. Young Mass, who's new self-titled CD, under review here, marks the first post-breakup release from a member of the dynamic, off-the-hook, constantly innovative collective known as Digital Underground. Ok, technically the band still has one show left in April and is supposed to release a farewell album. Shock's official, but likely sarcastic, reason for the disbandment was "The group and the fans were becoming a bunch of drunks" No matter what the true reason is, the "D-Flow Shuttle" will be missed.

Young Mass served a four year tour of duty with Digital Underground joining the band after being discovered by group leader Shock-G/Humpty Hump; who also discovered Tupac Shakur, at a BBQ in Chicago and quickly charged Tupac with the task of warming up Digital's crowds.

Young Mass is also a talented producer and helmed the boards for twelve tracks of the soundtrack of an adult DVD company, run by one of the groups founding members Money-B, including the popular club hit "Drank-A-Lot." For the most part Money-B served as Digital's thug personality. Most of the bands music is funk based in the tradition of Parliament without a gangster mentality. This is why the group wisely encouraged Tupac to pursue a solo career.

Young Mass is a lot like Tupac musically on tracks like "On the Grind" and the perfect corner loitering tune "Let it Go" (Featuring veteran Oakland rapper Yukmouth). For the most part it's the album's guests that are the true appeal of this album. The album's first single "Blue Skyy (Remix)" features the entire Digital crew and will surely be a club banger.

There are also two sex-rhyme songs "Never a Touch Down" and "Freak-ish" that features Money-B and up and coming rapper Freeze. With its 20 tracks Young Mass also manages to trade Microphone skills with rappers 2 Fly-Eli, Cleetis Mack, and singer Mimi who has worked with Dr Dre.

I'd say the overall vibe of this album is crunk but there are some other styles in play here too. Hopefully this will be the first in a long line of new music from the Digital Underground family. I highly suggest that those unfamiliar with Digital check out the bands DVD, Raw Uncut.

Author: Brandon Daviet — Published: Mar 22, 2008 / www.blogcritics.org - BlogCrititics Music

The best in local hip-hop come together to sound off and bite back

I put the call out the night of Dec. 2 via a somewhat convoluted e-mail to the promoters and scheduled performers of an upcoming local hip-hop show at The Casbah. The show would mark the first time all the acts nominated in the hip-hop categories at the San Diego Music Awards would share the same stage. The premise of the e-mail was simple enough: Get everyone together the following evening at Rebecca’s Coffee House in South Park for an impromptu discussion about the state of local hip-hop. Given the last-minute nature of the request, I expected only a few to respond, much less show up.

All but one did, and that was because he (Young Mass) was in Vegas.

MC Flow and her entire crew show up early. Members of Deep Rooted drive in hellish traffic from East and North County to sit in. Three members of merry pranksters The Kneehighs help me move two tables together so that everyone has a seat. MCs Kayo and Miki Vale, whose street-hustlin’ and feminist-empowered styles of music could not be more different, each sit on either side of me. Even Addiquit—the model-tall hellion who doesn’t even consider herself hip-hop—shows up (albeit an hour-and-a-half late). Hell, a guy I didn’t even invite (MC Suga Bear) is here.

There are moments of tension between the artists and rare displays of vulnerable honesty. There are a lot of moments of anger when discussing the various deficiencies within the scene (the lack of venues, the local media’s ignorance, no local radio play).

But mostly there’s a lot of camaraderie. Some of these artists are meeting for the first time, and by the end of the night, there are almost as many numbers exchanged as hugs and daps. In a local scene that either doesn’t know or doesn’t care, one look at this group is enough to know that these are San Diego’s real struggling musicians. The ones really doing it for the love of the craft. And although not every local rap act was there, those who were truly opened my eyes and ears. I’ll let them speak for themselves:

CityBeat: How did this [Casbah] show come about, and how do you guys feel about it?

40ozChris (promoter/manager, On Fyre Entertainment): We kind of see everybody playing at different places all around town, but we never see everybody together. So we always thought about getting everybody together so the people could check everybody out at the same time—to see how everybody did their thing.

Dalton (The Kneehighs): It’s great. You’re going to see four or five different angles of hip-hop. Everybody has their own act, niche, contributions and style.

This might seem obvious, but do you feel the local hip-hop scene is underrated or underappreciated?

Kayo: More than just what’s at this table, this city is thriving with so much talent. So many people get overlooked. I go to Texas, tell them where I’m from, and they’re, like, ‘people rap there?’ That’s why so many acts move to L.A. and Vegas. The city did it to ’em. You got to put the spotlight on the city and give the artists there a chance.

Let’s talk about the obstacles. There’s definitely a lack of places to play, yeah?

MC Flow: Yeah, we need more venues, because we lost two in the last year [Static Lounge and Honey Bee Hive]. At ’Canes, it’s pay-for-play, and other places like the Belly Up, it’s just to be an opener for a national touring act. We’re never allowed to have a big show there with other local artists. Most places would never book a showcase, no way.

Johaz (of Deep Rooted): The venues and live shows are where you’re going to make the most money. You can sell your merch up close and personal. And that’s what’s really crippling the scene. There’s a couple hole-in-the-walls, but if we can get a quality spot that’s always going to let us do our thing, then maybe some ground can be made. There’s not a lot of open-mic venues. Like, when I was coming up, you could be 14 years old and go grab the mic. Now, that kid can’t get a chance to come at me, because he can’t even get in the club.

Do any of you feel there needs to be more collaboration?

MC Flow: I think one of the great things about this show is that it gives us the opportunity to be together and say, ‘Well, your act might not look like my act and you might play more straight-up hip-hop shows, and I might play a lot of crossover rock shows, but what we’re all doing is putting our art out there.’ I’d rather focus on the positive and the commonalities—work together rather than tear other artists down.

Dalton (The Kneehighs): We’ve all talked, but it’s never really panned out. There does need to be a sense of representation, like with a community or committee. Honestly, I see a start right here.

Talls (The Kneehighs): We need to be like the indie-rock groups. They tour and hit the little spots and then come back to San Diego and people are, like, ‘Oh, people like them? Well, I like them now.’ And then they sell out The Casbah, but we just keep doing the same thing here in San Diego. If we went out on tour together and have a dope tour, then people would be, like, ‘Wow, that’s San Diego hip-hop?’ We need to branch out together.

Do you think the local media ignore you?

Miki Vale: Not ignored completely, but there could be more coverage, and with a broader spectrum of hip-hop.

Brea (of Deep Rooted): Right, I don’t know if it’s CityBeat that throws the San Diego Music Awards, but I just think that they need to have a better representation. [CityBeat publisher Kevin Hellman’s San Diego Music Foundation produces the SDMA, and CityBeat is a major sponsor.] It feels more like they throw hip-hop in because they have to.

The way they halfway play the music or we don’t get a drum roll when they announce the winner. They didn’t even announce the nominations. They were just, like, ‘And the winner is….’ Are you kidding me? When hip-hop is the No. 1 selling music in the world? Folks just need to keep it real more.

Does local radio not support San Diego acts?

Talls (The Kneehighs): Some of the local stations that don’t primarily play any hip-hop, like 91X and 94.9, will play us on the locals shows, but other than that, you’re not going to hear anything on Z90 or any of the big stations that people who like hip-hop listen to.

Johaz: I’ve had friends that work for Z90 and 98.9 and they would want to play the record, but they’re not given the leeway.

Kayo: Right, that’s why [the hip-hop scene in] the South blew up, because they [radio and the artists] showed each other love.

How important is the diversity in the scene?

DJ Rob Fayder (MC Flow’s DJ): I think it’s cool, because it’s just like our city in a way. You go to Atlanta or New York and it has its own sound or it all sounds the same. But what’s so crazy about our hip-hop scene is that it’s just like the people. It has the gangsta shit, it has the cool, laid-back jazzy stuff, it has the Latin feel, the white people, the female MCs. It’s diverse, just like our city. It could be a good thing or a bad thing. It’s both because it’s so diverse, yet not enough people can get into that many vibes.

How important is it to create your own scene to get that national attention?

Dalton: We need to put on shows like this, making sure it’s promoted correctly, make sure that people know that if you’re not going to do it for us, we’re gonna do it ourselves. It’s on us to keep pushing.

Kayo: When hip-hop first started, it wasn’t about the gold chains and the fancy cars, it was about the real shit. What’s really going on. That’s what’s happening in San Diego.

Finally, I feel like there’s been a lot of discussion about what needs to be improved, but what do you love about the S.D. hip-hop scene?


Addiquit: It’s great all these people are here right now. There’s a lot of people here, and that’s surprising to me. I’m really not involved in the hip-hop community, but it’s awesome to see that everybody is, and as long as I’m here, I would like to be.

Suga Bear: The artists. Everybody has their own style, and when you go to a show, it’s dope music. It’s not all the same, but being the same is not what hip-hop is. Hip-hop has always been that you’re supposed to be different. If you’re the same, then you’re biting.

Kayo: The love. When I’m selling CDs on the street, I might catch four assholes, but if you catch that one good person that’s really feeling your shit, then I drive by him one day and he’s playing my shit. That’s what really keeps me going.

Deep Rooted, The Kneehighs, Young Mass, MC Flow, Miki Vale, Addiquit and Kayo will play Sunday, Dec. 14, at The Casbah.

By: Seth Combs / Published: 12/09/2008 - www.sdcitybeat.com - San Diego CityBeat Weekly