Atlanta rapper Young Skoop recently released his new mixtape The Blindfold. The 18-track project includes the tracks “Talibandz” featuring Jeremih, “Hefner” featuring Kid Ink, and “Pot Of Gold” featuring Scotty ATL. After linking with Grammy-nominated producer Soundz (Usher, Rihanna, Ciara), Skoop is ready to be the next big thing out the A.
AllHipHop.com: What inspired you start rapping?
Young Skoop: I did everything. I played basketball too. I tried to do a little something, but rapping just stuck. It’s an outlet for me. When I see a lot of stuff going on or I feel a certain way, it’s a good outlet to get out. When you look up and you see people actually making money on some stuff you love to do anyway, that’s the road that you want to take. A lot of people play basketball, because they love the sport. A lot of people play football, I just love music. It’s my dream to do music and get paid off of something that I love anyway. It just made sense.
AllHipHop.com: How did you hook up with Soundz?
Young Skoop: He’s from Atlanta too. On the streets, I was an up-and-coming artist, and he was an up-and-coming producer. I kept hearing about him, and he kept hearing about me. We actually crossed paths one day, sat down, and had a conversation. We just took it from there. I just dug everything he had going on. We just linked up, and it’s been in the books from there.
AllHipHop.com: The Atlanta rap scene has been pretty dominant that last few years. Why do you think the A-town sound has been so popular across the nation?
Young Skoop: Because we like to have fun and get money down here, and we like females. I think it’s more a positivity thing like partying. We weren’t too much on the gang bang movement. We just like to party and have fun, and feel good music always is going to stand up next to negativity. So I just think we got a lot of positive energy flowing right now in Atlanta, and it’s touching everybody else. Once you go to the club and they play a certain record and everybody just loses it, it’s a certain feeling that you get. You’re like, “oh yeah, I love this. I can’t wait to hear it again.” It’s just a positive energy, and we’re really not competing with each other. People down here are actually trying to do collabs and help the next up-and-coming artist instead of pulling them down. We stick together. It’s strength in numbers.
AllHipHop.com: What’s the meaning behind the title of your new mixtape The Blindfold?
Young Skoop: “The Blindfold,” because they ain’t seeing me, and I ain’t see them. I’m in my own lane, and I just do what I got to do. They ain’t seeing me, and I definitely ain’t seeing them.
AllHipHop.com: Where do you see yourself five years from now?
Young Skoop: Five years from now, I‘m just somewhere successful. Hopefully, sitting on top of the hill somewhere looking down and just enjoying the fruits, watching my son grow up. Just doing everything I haven’t been able to do. That’s my main concern right now, raising my son like it’s suppose to be. Making sure he’s good. I’m going to the top. I’m definitely not one of these fly by night, one hit wonders that you will not be hearing from again next year. Nah, you’re going to hear from me. You’re going to hear from again, and you’re going to hear from again til you get tired and say, “turn the radio off.”
Follow Young Skoop on Twitter @YoungSkoop
Stream Young Skoop’s The Blindfold mixtape below.
