Young Savage

Young Savage's history-making debut on Power 99FM's "The Come Up Show" hosted by DJ Cosmic Kev. - We Run The Streets

This post consists of a video short documenting Young Savage's journey and quest to reach the top of the Hip Hop world - K. Walker Films

There is a movement coming out of Philadelphia, and what a movement it is. The "Inner City Hustlers," headed by multi-media mogul Jimmy Da Saint, is making moves on a national level. With such a talented group, the members have to constantly stay on the top of their game and that only makes them better.

Young Savage is one of the talented artists on this roster. At just 18, Young Savage is taking the music industry by storm. Don't let the age fool you. Young Savage has a sound that the new generation of Hip-Hop appreciates, without letting his lyrical integrity slide. He is forging a new sound, while not dumbing himself down. This is no one hit wonder. Young Savage is planning a career, not just a hit to make a name for himself.

"Flu Game" is the most recent gem dropped by this young phenom. The Don Way directed video for this single is stark and dark. Proving that Young Savage is just not a ladies man, as his initial appearance may make one think, he is also a young man on the verge of stardom that appeals to the male fan base as well.

With production that borders both down south and the north this is a multi-faceted track. With a lyrical bravado, Young Savage challenges his detractors, and makes a good case for himself. Just the type of track an emcee needs. That raw "come at me, if you can track."

Most his age can't. He is setting the bar high. "Call it Flu cuz my flow and lyrics are underated.." Spits Young Savage.

Not since a young T.I. has an artist brought both fan bases to the table. Lyrically sound while not alienating the young fans. There is a way to both keep it real and authentic while reaching the mainstream audience. A balance of both worlds that is at times a precarious position.

The interest from multiple major labels shows that the formula is working. Not so young that he will go the Bow Wow route, fading into obscurity. Not so old that he is fighting an uphill battle. If he and his management stay smart and focus this man has a bright and long future ahead of him. - Examiner.com

Name: Young Savage

Age: 18

Reppin’: Philadelphia, PA

My style and/or skills have been compared to: Jaw-dropping lyrics, mostly original with a mix of Lil Wayne and Kanye West.

My standout records and/or moments have been: My single “Work Em,” Powerhouse 2011 performance, Atlantic City Summerfest performance, unbelievable record-breaking 20 minute freestyle at Power 99 radio’s Come Up Show on YouTube, first and only artist in my city to get a Sneaker Villa distribution deal.

I’m gonna change the game by: Bringing real lyrics back. Real music. I want to make lyricism important again. I want to influence young kids to get up and follow their goals when they see that i’ve made it. I want to be everyone’s motivation.

I’d Like to Work With: I’d love to work with Kanye West, Jay-Z, Drake, Lil Wayne, and anyone else as creative as them!

My goal in hip-hop is: “To live a king, die a legend, and leave a legacy.” I aprecciate all the artist out now and all the artist before me. I pay homage because without them, alot of us rappers wouldn’t know what to do. I’d rather be highly respected than compared on being “the best”. My music will speak for itself; just hear me out.

I’m gonna be the next: ONLY Young Savage to ever do it! I want to go so hard that it’d be impossible to be another. No one will ever take my style, or title. That’s just my mindset; I believe in myself 100%.

To check out more of my music go to: YouTube and type in “Young Savage.” My mixtapes (Savage World series) are all on Datpiff and are doing well! Type in “Young Savage” as well. My twitter is @YoungSavage215, my Facebook name is Young Savage (although there are fake pages with my picture lol) and for anything else just go to Google. Thank You to my management (Jimmy and Jeeky), Keisha Shelton and Christina Gaspard, everyone who supports me and to XXL. To contact me: dasaintent@gmail.com - XXL Magazine

“We’re from different parts of the city,” says MC Young Savage. “And we all go hard.” The 18-year-old Southwest Philadelphia native’s talking about the hip-hop artists performing at the Arts Garage the Sunday before Halloween. Many of the MCs are 18 or younger, and they represent the city’s emerging hip-hop generation.

By the time Savage graduated from John Bartram High School last June, he’d dropped three mixtapes. He hovers between swag and street, summoning the good vibes of Kendrick Lamar and the rampage of Waka Flocka Flame. The first single from his upcoming Savage World 3 , “Work Em,” has been booming across local airwaves and the video’s gotten almost 75,000 views.

“When I first heard the beat, I was just bouncing hard to it,” recalls Savage, who headlines the Halloween concert. “I kept saying ‘Work ’em work ’em work ’em’ and started whipping my arm as fast as I could. Everybody was like ‘Yo, what are you doing?’ It’s a tease to the competition. I make ’em all work. You go into Bally Fitness and listen to it, you gonna come out a bodybuilder. I’m gettin’ my team hyped up.”

Savage’s team, the Inner City Hustlers, was founded in the early 1990s by West Philly MC Jimmy DaSaint. The crew was climbing the ranks, but tragedy struck in 1995 when four members were murdered in a Mantua rowhouse. Then, in 1999, the same year ICH’s Oschino and Sparks signed with Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella Records, DeSaint says he was busted selling drugs to an undercover FBI agent.

He spent 10 years in prison, but he didn’t fuck around. He wrote books—including Black Scarface, co-written with Los Angeles drug boss Rick Ross. When he got out, he started building up the next ICH generation.

“It’s a different music scene now in Philly,” says DaSaint. “I’m vibing with youth who aren’t talking guns and crack. They’re out to enjoy their lives. It’s not just hardcore street rap anymore.”

DaSaint manages Savage and other ICH members, like HH-Spady, but he’s also a mentor. “We on so much real life shit sometimes I forget I’m Savage’s manager. I’m like, ‘Yo, you gotta respect your parents, don’t worry about girls today, and get on your job.’”

While DaSaint was locked up, hip-hop changed. Twitter, blogs and YouTube happened, ushering in an era of collaboration between crews. Networks replaced beefs, and though competition’s fierce, it’s all about elevating the local scene.

One online hub is AllFlamerz.com, a website created in 2009 by 23-year-old Mack Woods. Named after Philly star Meek Mill’s Flamerz tapes, Woods posts videos, mixtapes and MP3s by local emcees like Mont Brown and Gillie Da Kid.

“There were no non-mainstream Philly hip-hop sites,” says Woods. “I’d go to blogs and there’d be no Philly rap—not even Freeway and Young Chris! I wanted to prove everyone wrong and I’m accomplishing that.”

Confirmation came when Mack recently got a call from Black Cab Sessions, a London-based website that’s produced videos with artists like Brian Wilson and Fleet Foxes performing in the back of a taxicab. They found AllFlamerz.com while researching Philly artists to include in their film, Black Cab Sessions USA.

“They showed up with the black cab and all these cameras ... I was blown away,” confesses Woods, who organized sessions with Freeway and Tone Trump. “Somebody told them there wasn’t a hip-hop scene here, and I said ‘No, you gotta come hang with me.’”

The Halloween concert’s co-presented by AllFlamerz and DaSaint Entertainment, which work together to organize events for the young rappers.

“He makes sure everybody knows what to do,” Woods says about DaSaint. “The last generation lacked someone to show them the right way to go about things. They’d just battle each other with all this negativity. We’re creating a different environment, teaching artists to collaborate. It’s all about unity.”

There’s also We Run the Streets, which produces videos predominantly featuring Philly emcees. Making a run at managing artists, their first signing was with 16-year-old Dizzle. Also performing at the Halloween show, she’s a student at the Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush.

“One day I was in North Philly and I saw this crowd of men with a big camera, so I went over to rap,” she remembers. “I didn’t know who they were, but I went for it. Later that night, I found out it was We Run the Streets. I’d seen Meek Mill and other rappers on their videos, and I’ve been with them ever since.”

Dizzle’s young, but her music’s inspired by the early 1990s thump of Pharcyde and MC Lyte with a dash of Boogie Down Productions bombast. Her debut, No Features, drops in December.

The new generation’s very aware that rapping isn’t just about rapping. They’ve seen the worst of the culture, from the douchebaggery of Kanye West to the bloody trail that followed Tupac’s last days, and they to want move beyond that.

“Rappers don’t realize how much power they have,” says Savage. “Khalifa got everybody dying their hair, and Lil Wayne got everybody tatting theyselves. With so much power, they should do something positive, show kids how to live. Put the guns down and be a role model. That’s what I wanna do.”
- Philadelphia Weekly

Young Savage, born Daeshawn Johnson, grew up in Southwest Philadelphia, looking up to one of his older brothers rapping. When his brother moved to New York to pursue an acting career, Young Savage started rhyming himself. In 2010, he broke into the Philadelphia underground rap scene when his manager, Jimmy Dasaint, decided to take him on as a client.

Savage is a part of the Inner City Hustlers camp. ICH includes Shorty Raw, Zay Bucks, Tyreek Ivan, Hh Spady, Sport, Bossman and Izzie Fareal. Under this imprint, Savage dropped three mixtapes, Savage World Volume 1, Savage World Volume 2 and Savage World Volume 2.5. In 2010, P-Funk and RuggedNess invited him to be a guest on WKDU 97.1's Batcave Radio. Following his near 10 minute Batcave freestyle, a string of videos dropped, including battles and collaborations with other Philly rappers. Savage has been featured on both Power 99 (98.9) and 100.3 The Beat.

- Power 99 - Clear Channel Radio

This post consists of various videos, music features and clips highlighting some of Young Savage's work. - Brandon Wyche