Shy Glizzy just released his most fire project to date: “Young Jefe 3.” Putting on for his hometown of Maryland, the DMV rapper is one of the most favored artists in the rap game — doing everything independently and staying true to who he is down to the core. In his decade-long career, Shy Glizzy, real name Marquis King, has experienced all the ups and downs of life, injecting pure honesty and emotion into his lyrics.
When it comes to his fanbase, him and his Glizzy Gang crew never cease to deliver. When it comes to his ability to rhyme and diversity, the “Awwsome” rapper continues to flex his skillsets in creating his own sound: a hybrid of rap and R&B that feeds the soul in the most positive light.
He states, “I always say my music is like my diary. I’m taking them into my world, letting them experience Young Jefe and the lifestyle.”
With each “Young Jefe” mixtape release, Shy reels in all-star features. But this time, he intentionally chose the perfect balance between the elites and his own artists, including Meek Mill, Lil Uzi Vert, Ty Dolla $ign, G Herbo, and No Savage and 3 Glizzy respectively. The project is spearheaded by lead single “Lonely Vibes,” a heartfelt record about losing loved ones and coping solo.
At 27-years-old, Shy is a father to a 6-year-old and a businessman with his weed strain Jefe OG. Beyond all the glitz and glamour, Shy Glizzy is just happy to be able to take care of himself, his family, and his people.
AllHipHop caught up with Jefe at Village Studios in Los Angeles, a few moments after he debuted the new project via Instagram Live.
AllHipHop: Congrats on the release of “Young Jefe 3.” How are you feeling?
Shy Glizzy: I’m feeling good. Great!
AllHipHop: Who FaceTimed you just now?
Shy Glizzy: That was BuddhaBlessedThis Beat, he did the intro “Double 00.” He’s in the top 5 producers out right now.
AllHipHop: How many people were in your Live just now?
Shy Glizzy: About 4,800, but I need more.
AllHipHop: How was playing the album for them?
Shy Glizzy: It felt great. It was a great response, I’m waiting to see the results. Hopefully they f##k with it.
AllHipHop: Talk about the vibes, every song was a bop!
Shy Glizzy: Man the vibes come from my everyday lifestyle, what I’ve been going through the past year. I’ve been taking a break and working hard on my craft. I always say my music is like my diary. I’m taking them into my world, letting them experience Young Jefe and the lifestyle.
AllHipHop: You say “this s##t ain’t out right now,” why is that?
Shy Glizzy: N##gas ain’t making this type of s##t right here. This is real, this a lifestyle. It’s fly, it’s fun, it’s gangsta. It’s organic. It’s genuine music that everybody can relate to whether you come from that world or not, you go into that world when you’re listening to these types of songs.
AllHipHop: You had a line about “going back to your kitchen selling crack,” what was Shy Glizzy like them?
Shy Glizzy: [laughs] He was a bad man. When I first started selling drugs, I was about 12. A bad ass kid. A hustler though, I was about that money. Always about my money, so I was used to this lifestyle before I was granted this.
AllHipHop: There’s a select few of you guys killing it independently, I think of Dolph, Curren$y, you.
Shy Glizzy: You just feel free. Times like this when it’s quarantine, when other rappers aren’t making money, you’re making money. Because I own everything: my masters, my publishing. I get big checks monthly and quarterly. Ownership is a privilege in your own right, I can’t express that enough.
AllHipHop: Talk about signing your first artist through 300, No Savage.
Shy Glizzy: He’s a Savage, that’s my young n##ga. He’ll be out here tomorrow. He’s from my same block. He’s my lil homie, I seen him come up.
AllHipHop: How did “Forever Tre 7” with No Savage come abut?
Shy Glizzy: It was really organic, that was the second to last song on the tape. Tre 7 means 37th Street. They’re like “you gotta get No Savage on there,” and he did the song. That’s my lil bro, I want to see him shine so I put him on the tape. It really happened organic, we’re talking about our upbringing and where we come from. Me shedding the light on the youngin’.
AllHipHop: What do you look for when you sign an artist?
Shy Glizzy: I’m looking for somebody that can keep up, that’s it. He got it for sure. I’m looking for authenticity, not that fake s##t. Not just turn up, I can do that too. I can market someone like that, but this is more personal. I’m very proud, this is my first artist. It’s gangsta, the whole movement.
AllHipHop: What has fatherhood taught you?
Shy Glizzy: Wisdom. Patience. He taught me a lot. He taught me how to be a man actually. When I thought I was a man, I wasn’t a man until I had someone to look up to me. Somebody that actually follows my every move and anything I do. The way I dance, what I eat. He’s 6, it’s a different feeling.
AllHipHop: Is he listening to “Young Jefe 3?”
Shy Glizzy: Hell yeah, he’s probably up right now listening to that. [laughs]
AllHipHop: Does he know your lyrics?
Shy Glizzy: For sure, he’s on the intro. We were in Katana one day, he was saying some s##t and I put it on my IG Live story. It hit me like “damn, I gotta put this on my intro.” I put the video on my intro. He knows every song word for word.
AllHipHop: How much weed do you smoke in a day?
Shy Glizzy: In a day, I’m smoking an ounce or better for sure. I smoke about 2.5 to 3 grams in a Backwood.
AllHipHop: You smoking your own s##t?
Shy Glizzy: Yeah, Jefe OG. I’ve had it since December 12th, 2019. I’ma open a dispensary soon in Los Angeles. I got 2 more strands, a Sativa and hybrid coming.
AllHipHop: Do you like OG the most?
Shy Glizzy: Hell yeah, that’s all I smoke.
AllHipHop: Every project you put out has fire features. What was special about this album?
Shy Glizzy: The Meek feature definitely, that’s my brother. We’ve been rocking for a long time. We got songs together. That’s new, we just did it. That was the last song to make the tape, we did it last week in D/C.
AllHipHop: He came out there?
Shy Glizzy: Nah, he sent it to me. We got songs together and it never tied together. I didn’t put them on my project, he didn’t put them on his project. So it was big to have one with him.
AllHipHop: Were you guys waiting for the right time?
Shy Glizzy: Yeah, it’s never no rush for me. Not with my career, not with anything that I do. I’m a patient person overall. The NoCap feature was special too. G Herbo, all the features I have on there. The Jeremih and Ty Dolla is stupid!
AllHipHop: What are your favorite songs on the project and why?
Shy Glizzy: I like “Paint the Town Red,” it’s so personal. Bar for bar, I was expressing a different side of me. I like when I do that. I like a lot of the records on there, every record on there is dope to me. “Double 00.” “Hamilton” is a special record, featuring my little brother 3 Glizzy. That one s big. That one’s going to go up, a fan favorite for sure. Any record I make, I like.
AllHipHop: What does it mean to be able to take care of not only yourself, but your people?
Shy Glizzy: It means everything to me, that’s what I do it for since day one. I took a lot of sacrifices for my team, my artists, my hood, my family. Everything I did, keeping my whole ownership was a sacrifice for them in itself. I had to be there with my people. I didn’t want anyone to take me away from that or ever be in control of my destiny. I was in control of taking care of them and I enjoy having the responsibility. That’s what made me Jefe and brought this whole Young Jefe series together. Everyday, I’m grateful to be the man I am and wear that boss title.
AllHipHop: How many “Young Jefe’s” are we gonna get?
Shy Glizzy: That’s the last one, I gotta move on. Time to drop an album. This was to wake people up, now it’s time to really smash the gas and keep going.
AllHipHop: Any artists on your radar that you want to work with?
Shy Glizzy: Wayne, Future, Drake. I like Jessie Reyez, her voice would go dope with mine. I like Mariah the Scientist too, I’ve been with her since day 1 too. I’m a big fan of hers, my favorite R&B singer for sure.
AllHipHop: Anything else you want to let us know?
Shy Glizzy: Look out for No Savage and the Glizzy Gang album up next, then my album. I’ve been started working on it, but I’ma do some fire s##t tonight for sure.
