YouthSoulLove

Stetson Leon Rhodes is the quintessential gemini; distinguished by his versatility, his ability to adapt to the demands of his environment, a duality of the self, and most notably, the ability to communicate personal experiences through aesthetic mediums. Born on June 19th, a day marked for bittersweet celebration, Stetson was raised in impoverished communities in Houston, Texas. Moving between multiple underprivileged neighborhoods in his childhood, Stetson took the instability and insecurity he felt and channeled that into music and performance. It was through music that Stetson discovered his alter ego, his musical identity, as well as his love for transforming his personal experiences into something pleasing and beautiful. Finding that music was, to him, much more than a hobby, Stetson says, “Music is my life; there would be times where I would have dark emotions [or felt] not wanted as a child and pick up this skill of writing my thoughts down and talking to myself.” Stetson first picked up a microphone at the age of 8, often putting on mini-performances for his family. In these early years, Stetson pulled musical inspiration from a wide range of sources; The Spice Girls, Will Smith, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Frankie Beverly. With age, these muses have changed. Stetson turned to soul performers like Mary J. Blige, Luther Vandross, and Morris Day when crafting his adult musical persona. But perhaps none have influenced Stetson so personally and thoroughly as the late couturier, Yves Saint Laurent, from whom Stetson derives his musical alias--YSL, an abbreviation for Young Stetson Leon as well as Youth Soul Love. The designer’s work resonates with Stetson not just from the perspective of fashion but on an intellectual level. From Yves Saint Laurent, Stetson feels he’s learned a lot about pleasing women but most importantly that living a lavish lifestyle is mental rather than material. You’ll find this concept throughout his music and you’ll hear dark emotions and grime blended with soul and beauty to create something unique,provocative, and lavish