“I think that all my music is classic and timeless. It’s stuff that people can listen to forever. I make that type of music,” the South’s Young Scooter shares his truth. Born in South Carolina and bred in Georgia, Kenneth Bailey, became baptized in rhyme and began to craft street scriptures. Periods of an incarcerated existence did not deter the rising star; he continues to fulfill his creative destiny.
With the overwhelming critical success of his recent tape, Street Lottery, Mr. Free Bands refuses to disappoint himself or his supportive audience. Having worked with the trapping elite, the rhyme architect is able to distinguish himself from his infamous peers. The work-ethic and the growing talent will determine his continued relevancy. In 2014, Street Lottery 2, will break in the new year; Jugg House, his anticipated début will increase his presence.
And now the spotlight illuminates, Young Scooter:
AllHipHop.com: Hope is a powerful thing, like many others at times you’ve experienced a challenging existence. How were you able to transform the hope of becoming a successful rapper into a tangible reality?
Young Scooter: Just grinding and keep working and just keep paying attention to my music.
AllHipHop.com: Regarding yourself on a personal and on a professional level, what’s the trait that you most deplore in yourself; recognizing this, what are you doing to rectify it?
Young Scooter: Personally, I just be smarter [and] just make better decisions with my music and with myself. I want to become a better artist, you know what I mean. Really, it’s features and you got to have the right production. It’s really all about that beat. Your fans are always gonna wanna hear a beat that they like. And I have my own formula. That’s what that sh*t is really.
AllHipHop.com: Building upon your established creative catalogue, one may say, Street Lottery, was the catalyst that absolutely demanded attention. Respected media outlets from AllHipHop, to XXL, to MTV have showed your work respect. What are you doing to stay focused; how are you challenging yourself to display depth, growth, and access to the inner you on Street Lottery 2 and Jugg House?
Young Scooter: I just keep working. I want Street Lottery 2 to be just as successful as Street Lottery. That’s why I paid more attention to this mixtape. I picked the right songs, because Street Lottery was so successful. This mixtape has to be two times more crazy than that. That’w what the fans are expecting from me. There are high expectations coming out for my next project.
AllHipHop.com: In life, one of the hardest things to do is to forgive. What’s your perspective on forgiveness; so far, what’s been the most harrowing experience that’s challenged your resolve to forgive? Do you believe in forgiveness?
Young Scooter: I do, but not really—it’s according to the situation; I really don’t. Really, I ain’t got no problems… I came up the smart way and did everything I was supposed to do. So, I’ve never really had any big [issues] with forgiveness, you know.
AllHipHop.com: According to Mr. Bailey, what’s the most overrated virtue, how is this exemplified within the Hip-Hop culture?
Young Scooter: Being real, in the Rap game there’s a lot going on. There’s a lot of finessing going on. There’s a lot of frauds—a lot of fake rappers. There’s a whole lot of twists, you don’t know what to expect. You have to go with the flow and get into the best situation that you can to better yourself. There’s a lot that comes with this Rap game. In Rap, there’s a thousand things, you know what I’m saying?
AllHipHop.com: Are the rewards worth the invested time that’s required?
Young Scooter: The money is worth it as long as you can stay relevant. If you’re not working or doing nothing then it’s not worth it.
AllHipHop.com: What constitutes a classic track and a classic album? To date, have you created any classic material?
Young Scooter: It has to have the right beats—the way you ride each beat—you have to hit the right topics. Yeah, I think that all my music is classic and timeless. It’s stuff that people can listen to forever. I make that type of music.
AllHipHop.com: I respect your confidence. May I ask you a personal question, do you really fu*k with Boosie, or are you just “industry cool” when’s he coming home?
Young Scooter: Yeah, I fu*k with Boosie. I did a feature for somebody, you know. He’ll be home soon.
AllHipHop.com: Until the next time, what would you like to share with AllHipHop.com?
Young Scooter: Street Lottery 2 is coming on January 1st! Be on the lookout for that on livemixtapes.com. I want all my fans to tune in. I appreciate AllHipHop for this interview.