Yung Mars
San Francisco, California, United States | SELF
Music
Press
"Chalk it up to a white kid not trying to play a black card, but the beats cover some genres that don't come free on regular hip-hop joints. Rhyme flows over acoustic guitar or sparse Latin rhythms make this record stand-alone from other straight out the gate debuts. Let's all keep an ear out for Yung Mars and dap him up when we hear his name in the streets. I wanna be there to tell you I told you so..."
read the whole review at
theowlmag.com - The Owl Mag
"Supported by an impressive roster of musicians including three bassists, two saxophonists, one pianist/Rhodes man, and a vibes player, Mars has deftly assembled an organic Hip Hop group that could easily back Parliament or Roy Ayers."
"potent subject matter. Mostly introspective, he touches on sociological and political ills while never getting bogged down with the insurmountable task of living in today’s world. With guest DJ shots from DJ Powder and Teeko (of 4onefunk,) Yung Mars’ debut is worth tracking down even if Leonard Hubbard isn’t on your best-of shortlist."
Read the full review
@www.groundliftmag.com/glblog/glblog.html - Ground Lift Mag
"At the magazine office we get hundreds of CD's, press kits, and promotional items sent to us about us-and-coming artists. I was going the the pile and one CD called "Santa Cruz or Bust" caught my eye. I listened to the album and was was extremely impressed. It was probably one of the first hip-hop albums that I really related to lyrically. The CD is catchy but not cliche', creative, dynamic, positive, and speaks of personal life confessions. I could tell that this artists is real, honest, and doesn't put on a front. After listening to the CD multiple times, there was not question in my mind whether or not to interview Yung Mars. Born and raised in San Francisco, this young Bay Area artist is starting to create a buzz. Here is a little glimpse into the mind of... "
- Danielle Negrin
- Your Music Magazine
The Yung Mars Album
Wild West frontier hip
hop? Latin American
ghetto flow? Down tempo dirty
booty bass freestyle? Think Everlast,
Ozo, Roni Size, a Korg and a
harmonica.
- Kotori Mag
Discography
*Yung Mars (self titled debut album) 2007 - #3 on CMJ hip-hop charts for August of that year.
*Santa Cruz or Bust (sophomore release) - #5 on CMJ hip-hop charts in spring of 2010
Streaming on Pandora, & Yahoo Radio (featured underground artist).
Making of videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYEszNvsBfQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iVjcQC9wsU
Photos
Bio
Yung Mars has his hand in every stage of the creative process, from beat making and arranging, to mixing and mastering. Favoring live instrumentation to sample-based music, he plays guitar, bass, and keys on many of his tracks. With a penchant for clever word play and thick harmonized choruses, Mars songs are catchy without being cliché.
Yung Mars wowed the college scene in 2007, when his self-titled debut reached #3 on the CMJ Hip Hop Top 20. His heavy college airplay was followed up with regular shows up and down the California coastfrom San Francisco (The Elbo Room, The Red Devil Lounge) to LA (The Derby, The Mint), and college towns in between. He was also the official route entertainment for AIDS WALK SF, NY, and LA 2008.
Mars' live shows are a site to be seen, backed by a 6-10 piece neo-soul/hip-hop/funk band, he re-arranges the recorded material into a soulful sonic spectacle. When fully assembled, the Yung Mars Project (name of the full band) has a solid rhythm section, horns, background vocalists, and a scratch DJ.
His latest projectSanta Cruz or Bustcombines modern "mixtape style" mash-ups with a premium blend of new originals. Inspired by the kickback lifestyle of the Santa Cruz scene, nearly every track features a different Bay Area collaborator, from rappers and singers, to horn players and string sections. The record was getting love nationwide, spending over 2 months at #5 on the CMJ Hip-Hop charts this spring.
Links
