AllHipHop.com caught up with YC The Cynic to check in on how things have been going for the lyrical tyrant ever since he made our “Top 25 Underground Artists Of 2011” list, and what projects he’s working on, as well as who he’s currently working with.
We sat down with the Bronx Ambassador himself – check out our elevated conversation with YC The Cynic and see why they still want “More and More”!
AllHipHop.com: Thanks, YC, for taking some time to talk with AllHipHop.com.
YC: Of course! Thank you for reaching out.
AllHipHop.com: Let’s just get right to it! The last time we checked in on you was for our AllHipHop.com “Top 25 Underground Artists Of 2011” feature. What’s been going on with you since then?
YC: First of all, thank you guys for that honor! Since then I’ve been living, loving, hurting, improving, making music, changing, manifesting, attracting. Almost in that order. Life is good. I’m excited for what’s next.
AllHipHop.com: We know you had a brand new project drop within the last week, and that you even had a party for it, complete with performances by Soul Khan, Nitty Scott MC, and a host of others. What’s the EP called, and was there a concept for it?
YC: The new EP is called Good Morning, Midnight. It’s fully produced by Yuri Beats. He’s a genius. There were two layers of loose concepts. One was me sharing the thoughts that came along with insomnia. I rarely sleep, literally. And, I damn sure don’t sleep at normal hours. My only sign that I have to rest is when the sun is coming up.
But the second loose concept was the idea that it takes “a community to raise a child.” And every project is like a child. I was inspired by a conversation I had with Soul Khan about how he creates. And since I’ve had a similar relationship with my homie and engineer, Otis Clapp, I really wanted to open the floor to suggestions, ideas, and general feedback. I think it worked out pretty well.
AllHipHop.com: What was your inspiration for this one? It’s definitely different, not just for you, but from everything that we’re hearing right now.
YC: Thank you. Something came over me. I wanted to be honest. Completely honest. I found production that I liked, and I did whatever it called for. I think that’s music in its purest form. I didn’t want to second guess or doubt myself, so I just did it. I think feeling and honesty are just as important as anything else in music.
AllHipHop.com: Are there any features on this one that we should check for?
YC: There is one (unofficial) feature. A band called tUnE-yArDs, led by Merrill Garbus, that I’m a HUGE fan of. She’s incredible, and the song the Yuri re-did is insane! I’m really glad that it came to life the way it did. I’m still trying to get Merrill to listen to it! [laughs]
AllHipHop.com: Can we expect to see some videos from this project soon?
YC: For sure! I shot a video for a song called “Driver’s Seat” that will be done very soon, and I’m thinking up some more as we speak.
AllHipHop.com: Have you been working on anyone else’s projects lately?
YC: Always – there’s an awesome singer that I’m working with named Luss. Let me tell you, he’s going to be a superstar. He’s given me the opportunity to pen some songs, and help develop my ability as a writer, engineer, etc. It’s a whole different side of creativity that I recently fell in love with. Getting my Quincy Jones on. [laughs]
AllHipHop.com: Alright, dope! So, what’s next up for YC The Cynic?
YC: Look out for Luss’ project in the winter. Other than that, I’m working on my debut album, GNK. That;s almost done. That’s going to change a lot of things in my life; I can assure that. And, I’m also just making music to explore what I can and want to do. So there might be some random projects soon that I know nothing about. I couldn’t even tell you what genre of music it’ll be. I’m going with the flow.
AllHipHop.com: And there you have it! Lastly, how can your fans stay connected to you?
YC: The best way is in person. I’m in the Bronx – see you there. [laughs] No, really, Twitter has been a great way to keep in touch with everyone, so @YCtheCynic. Hit me up!
Catch up with AllHipHop.com contributor Skyyhook on Twitter (@SkyyhookRadio) and at SkyyhookRadio.com.