Interview
The LiFTED 5: YUNG GRAVY’s endless possibilities
The certified-platinum rapper tells us wussup with collabs, Minneapolis, & China tours
The LiFTED 5 is five questions for busy movers, shakers, and moneymakers in the Hip Hop world – about everything from their current projects to past hits to dream collabs…whatever makes them tick.
In this edition of The LiFTED 5, we sit down with rapper Yung Gravy. Since first blowing up in 2017 with his now-platinum single, ‘Mr. Clean,’ Gravy has been steadily dropping big tunes and garnering big numbers on YouTube and streaming platforms. We caught up with him in the wake of his latest banger ‘wussup’ with bbno$ which was released two weeks ago and is already making waves in the US and Asia.
It looks like you got another hit on your hands with ‘wussup’. The track is funky and effective and the hook is super catchy. Can you tell us about making it with bbno$, who you’ve collaborated with before? Were you guys together or did you record remotely?
‘wussup’ captures our essence as a duo very accurately. Two smooth Jack Sparrow and Barry Gibb look-alikes courting beautiful gazelles, what more can you ask for? We usually record together but this one was done remotely. We’re working on finishing our album together right now as I’m writing this, and bbno$ says ‘Wo ai ni’ to all the Asian fans. I love collabs, and I’ve collaborated with Lil Baby, Lil Wayne, Ski Mask the Slump God, Juicy J, Chief Keef, and so many other people. It’s such an honor to be on songs with them it’s crazy.
The video for ‘wussup’ is hilarious. Who came up with the idea of being pizza delivery guys?
bbno$ and I have an eternally flowing reservoir of creative energy which we dive into every time we link to make a new music video, album, song, or whatever it may be. bbno$ will regularly tweet things like ‘pizza’ or whatever, so I would have to imagine that is where a lot of the conceptual work was done. The directors of the video did a fantastic job bringing it to life.
You’re from Minnesota and it feels like you rep the northwest hard. Do you still live there?
Yes. I live in many places but I have a loft in Minneapolis. Minnesota has a lot more to offer than people might think. We have everything big cities have but it’s much less hectic. We also have a really booming music and arts scene that’s on the come up as well. I never really stay in one place for more than a month, but Minnesota will always be my home.
Your Asian fans are really dedicated, especially in China. Have you toured the region before? Any plans to tour in Asia once the borders are fully open again?
I have so much love for China specifically because I’m a huge movie buff. I love In The Mood For Love and House of Flying Daggers. I haven’t been to China yet but bbno$ has and said it was amazing - some of the highest energy shows he’s seen. 2022 we might be pulling up, you never know!
Finally, what’s in store for the rest of 2021 and going into 2022 for Yung Gravy?
2021 we start touring again. bbno$ and I are dropping another album soon. The beginning of the Yung Gravy cinematic universe is dropping soon. The possibilities are endless!