As AllHipHop.com invaded the South By Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival again this year, perhaps the opportunity that appealed the most was getting to see the new MCs who color today’s vast Hip-Hop scene. There were standout names for sure – like Warner Bros. signee XV, AllHipHop Breeding Ground artists like Emilio Rojas and Chevy Woods, the Airplane Boys, and Jon Connor, just to name a few.

We weren’t disappointed, as we saw some energetic stage shows that included the now, nearly-mandatory SXSW crowd dives, and lyrics that ranged from candy paint to trips to outerspace.

But, we went prepared ahead of time to catch up with Young Gliss, a newcomer from Philadelphia with ties to one of the biggest Hip-Hop dynasties in the world – The Legendary Roots Crew. We caught our first live glimpse of him recently as he opened for the Philadelphia leg of Jim Jones’ “Vampire Life Tour.”

His The Glimmer EP just dropped last week (see download below), featuring guest appearances from Killer Mike, Prodigy of Mobb Deep, and more. The project is promising, with tight, clean production and a variety of melodies over which to feature his eager flow. And yes, some of Young Gliss’ themes venture from pimping to hustling to grinding, but they’re packaged in an intelligent way that leaves you cheering him on in the end.

AllHipHop.com caught up with Raw Life Records’ Young Gliss just after his performance as part of the SXSW Nice Kicks Showcase for emerging artists. Check out how he “stole” his MC name, and why he doesn’t plan on leaning too heavily on his “Roots” to earn his stripes:

Download Young Gliss’ The Glimmer EP HERE. Follow him on Twitter (@YoungGliss).