Q&A With Rising Hip Hop Duo Young Black And Gifted
Hey Young Black And Gifted! Please tell us how many years have you guys been making music? Where are you guys from? Most importantly, how did you guys meet?
Kidd Called Quest
We’ve been working together for almost 15 years now. I started out producing back in 2000 when I was in the 7/8th grade. I grew up in the suburb Webster that was like 15/20 minutes outside of the inner city of Rochester NY. I was always back and forth. I had cousins that lived in the inner city, I met Azariah through our boy Euphony after building with him at a show in late 2005. The day me and Euphony linked up was the same day I ended up meeting Azariah in early 2006, We kept in touch and would build almost every other day. During that time he was starting to work on his “Subject To Change” album. I hit him with several beats and he wrote to most of those joints I gave him. Our chemistry was so dope I would hit him with beats on the regular. In 2009/2010 I came up with the idea of us becoming a group Az was down to do it . Our first first name was (Living Proof) we went by that for a second after learning that someone was already going by that name, I went back and came up with the name (Young Black and Gifted) we soon dropped our first album “Long Time Coming”.
Azariah
Quest pretty much covers that question lol. But yea I’ve been putting music out since 2005 when I dropped my first project that got local exposure and coverage “The Chronicle” that generated a small buzz for me at the time and opened up a lot of doors in terms of performing in the Upstate NY area. A partner of mine around that time Euphony Barz who was also rhymin then he met Quest online thru myspace and Quest used to send Euphony beats by mail. Due to my grindin and the management team I had in place at the time we were able to book a show at Milestones now known as Flour City Station on East Ave in later December 2005. Kidd Called Quest known as Jay Quest at that time was in attendance for that show and got to see me rock out. About a week or so after the show Quest came through to Euphony spot and we just started building from there. I think Quest sensed my hunger and passion for the music and we’ve been linked up ever since. I’m from Rochester NY. I grew up in East Rochester and graduated High School from Rush Henrietta in 2004. I also had family in the inner city of Rochester that I saw a lot growing up. I am a current resident of the inner city of Rochester.
What separates you guys from all the other up and coming MC’s and groups?
Kidd Called Quest
I think what separates us from other upcoming groups is that we didn’t follow any trends. We are not doing what this person or that person is doing. We give the listeners us.
Azariah
To me what separates us is we are a real TEAM u know!? Quest put a lot of input in what we do. He don’t just make the beats he handles a lot for us in terms of the business side of music. My brotha done sacrifice a lot for our dream. I feel I’m a very unique emcee wit a unique story and I’ve never been a follower, I stand on my own 2 feet word up, Im a fighter and not afraid to fail cuz if that happens then I gotta get up and keep pushin.
You guys are extremely original and really put out a modern Boom Bap and edgy sound and style!!! Please tell us how you guys describe your sound?
Kidd Called Quest
Whenever I’m cooking up something I always make sure I try my hardest to make stuff people all over can vibe with. I try my hardest to sound like me and deliver a sound that will fit Azariah perfect. I like messing with 808s and drum breaks. I always keep in mind when I’m making beats to always make sure I keep a few modern elements in the production so it can still appeal to some of the younger heads that get in tuned with our music. I would just describe it as a classic boom bap sound with a modern twist.
Azariah
It’s not a secret that we are influenced by the 90s sound. But it’s a renaissance for the type of sound we bring. Its not a lot of new rapper/producer duos like Gangstarr and Pete Rock and CL Smooth today . So we do have those elements in what we do but we are doing it our way.
How are you guys coping with this whole Covid 19 situation? Has it delayed any new music production by any chance?
Kidd Called Quest
I wouldn’t say it delayed anything but I will say it f**k up some of the ideas and plans we had when it came to doing release parties and listening sessions. I know it messed up a lot of artists that had big shows already in the works. But one thing I will say although it pushed a lot back this is also a great time for artists to be making and dropping music. Because right now people have nothing but time to check out and listen to music.
Azariah
The COVID situation didn’t hinder what we are working on at this present moment but it definitely impacted the rollout for 2nd Coming. We had to push the project back a couple times due to the rioting and COVID.
Tell us about your Hip Hop and/or music influences?
Kidd Called Quest
I have a lot of producers that influenced me to make beats, But DJ Premier,HI TeK and RZA influenced me the most to do it. I’ve always liked the way HI Teks drums and bass-lines smacked and fitted his samples, the way he played keys over his samples and his gritty sound, his sample selections to me he always sampled stuff other producers never touched and that’s what made him stand out to me.
DJ premier his dirty gritty drums and the way he chops up stuff used sounds to fill in beats i always thought was crazy, Premier would take a record you know and make it sound different, like it came from something else, along with his sound fxs and cutting records on hooks.
Then RZA he just had a sound that, i always thought was unique flipping vocal samples making it sound like the beat was speaking to you and his raw drums to me was crazy.I always liked his real dark soulful sound and how he used to make his drums hit a certain way.
Azariah
All the 90s and early 2000s stuff. I’ma big Wu Tang Clan fan, Mobb Deep, CNN, Nas, AZ, Rakim, Kool G Rap, Black Thought, The Lox, Big L, Big Pun, OC, Cormega, Mos Def, Dead Prez, Vinnie Paz, Talib Kweli, Roc Marciano, Ransom, Big Daddy Kane, Planet Asia, Sean Price and more that all that comes to mind off rip.
Please breakdown the creative process of your new album “The Second Coming” . And tell us a little about the album cover!
Kidd Called Quest
I pretty much cooked up a bunch of joints I thought Az would sound perfect over. I always aim for a certain sound and feel whenever we do something, I like our stuff to sound different and feel different than everything else. But once Azariah wrote a good amount of songs we would then go ko em out at my man Midnite studio (@Midnitebestz). We recorded at least a solid 40 songs. The album was put together 3/4 times before the track list was finalized. We were in the lab like crazy. Now the cover idea was inspired by the 70s Jazz/Rock group (Chicago) I knew if we wanted to stand out from other people’s cover we had to visually do something different that would catch a person’s attention as soon as they look at it. I said let’s just keep it simple,fresh and straight to the point that’s where I saw an old (Chicago) record cover and quickly told the idea to my man Wahid (@BM_Wahid) to do the cover and it came out dope.
Azariah
Me and Quest gotta have a great way to work it aint nothing special. He’ll email me some joints to write to and I do the rest. I’ll spit for him when we meet in person or over the phone. He’ll give me his take on my thoughts. We fine tune the record then go in again and repeat that process. We had a couple different versions of the project before we were satisfied with the album. Some of the joints that didn’t make the cut we still got in the archives and others went on the “The Black Gift” which we dropped late 2019.
Your honest opinion, out of all the songs on the project, which is the one song you guys feel stands out the most!?
Kidd Called Quest
Damn that’s a hard one I the whole album. but if I have to rock with one joint I would say “For The Glory”. Personally I think that song was just a vibe people all over can feel. My second pick would be “It’s A Wrap” because it just had that classic raw gritty feel to it.
Azariah
My personal favorite is “Warfare” cuz it gives me goosebumps when I listen to it. A lot of the things I speak on in that song we are dealing wit now and have been dealing with.
We have to ask, with all this social discourse and revolt, protesting and rioting, exposed police brutality toward blacks and BLM, how do you guys feel about this? We would love your guy’s perspective on the climate we are living in right now?
Kidd Called Quest
My Thought on the whole situation is people are fed up with all the bullsh*t. The police have been beating and killing black folks for decades years even before our grandparents were born. Just think of the foul sh*t these corrupt dirty cops were doing to people before camera phones existed. It’s a continuous cycle that has never changed, it’s at a point now people in the black communities all over America are beyond fed up. It’s like how many more innocent people who live in the black community are going to be beating and jump on and killed by these savage ass police before someone in a higher power decides to step up and end this madness. We are all human and we only can take so much until we eventually say that’s it we are fed and react back with violence to be heard and defend ourselves. It’s sad these cops can be recorded on camera and have a great 50/50 chance getting off and away with murder and other bullsh*t. The rioting I get, I understand it’s out of frustration and built up anger it’s a reaction. But at the same time it’s kind of a set up later on down the road for the people who stay in certain areas. Now by us burning up everything and destroying the business in the community, it’s making it easier for someone to come in and buy up those neighborhoods at a cheap price, build them back up and kick people out and raise the rent ect… We are living in a time right now that people in certain parts of the world are seeing and dealing with the same problem. But hopefully this will really wake people up to see and really understand what’s going on. It’s just so much serious stuff going on all at once and on top of all that we have a dumb ass stupid ass slow ass moron for a president who thinks everything is a joke and people are really fed up with his corny ass too.
Azariah
It’s nothing new. These things have been going on since the birth of this country. I don’t get to rallied up about it honestly. Mainstream media has an agenda just like these politicians no matter what side you are on. They know the buzz words that get my people enraged. That real control. Mind control. But I got kids to raise. So ima teach them what I know. And teach them to be media literate and look at EVERYTHING with a critical eye. Question everything, don’t just take what people say to you at face value but do ya research.
If it came down to 1 ALBUM only, what underground Hip Hop album would you guys consider THE BEST OF ALL TIME!!!???……One 1 album you can choose.
Kidd Called Quest
Dam I would probably have to go with either (Masta Ace) “Disposable Arts” or ( Bumpy Knuckles) “Industry Shakedown” both those albums I use to bump heavily in high school and I still listen to them till this day. But if I have to only rock with one then I’m going with (Freddie Fox) for this one. Although Ace album was so perfectly put together.
Azariah
That’s hard to say I switch up a lot depending on how im feelin. But right now I would say the OC Starchild album. It was a real underground album I think at first it was released in Europe before the US. I could listen to that beginning to end and not skip one song.
Here it is! Our most popular question! What is your definition of “underground hip hop”?
Kidd Called Quest
To me it means hip hop is great music, everything great is not always seen by the masses and you have to really search to find something incredible. I remember at a point in time when I was in 7th grade I thought that Def Jam was the only label that had the hottest rappers. Until my older brother put me on to ughh.comwhere I started to discover other artists that I never knew existed that was nicer than the artist I was listening to on the regular during that time. That site introduced me to Rawkus Records that introduced me to artist like Mos Def, Common, Talib, High And The Mighty, Dilated People, Cali Agents,
The Alcoholics aka The Liks, Ras Kass, Mega, The UN, Little Brother, organized Konfusion, Mood and many many more.
Azariah
Underground hip hop to me means good music with substance that usually gets overlooked by the mainstream.
Where can people find you on the web? Drop all the vital links.
Instagram.com/youngblackandgifted585
Instagram.com/Kiddcalledquestybg
