Da Youngstas and Biggie Smalls in the same sentence? Yeah, that’s the story you didn’t see coming. A lot of people forget just how early Da Youngstas jumped into the Hip-Hop scene. These Philly teens weren’t even old enough to buy their studio time back in the day, but they were already trading bars with some of the biggest names.
Long before State Property, Beanie Sigel or Memphis Bleek made it cool to rep Philly nationally, Da Youngstas were already putting work in.
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Fast forward a few decades and the story takes a wild twist. In a new exclusive interview, the group drops a revelation that might have changed Hip-Hop history.
According to Taji (aka TM), The Notorious B.I.G. himself was interested in signing him after the group’s initial run. Let that sink in. Biggie Smalls, arguably the greatest rapper to ever touch a mic, had his eyes on one of Philly’s own.
But that wasn’t the only opportunity. Taji reveals he also had deals on the table from Jermaine Dupri, who at the time was the undisputed king of young rap talent and a few other heavyweights. Being young, there’s a downside.
There were too many offers, too much confusion and nothing moved. You really have to hear him describe it. The timestamps are in the video.
Now, decades later, the young brothers are back…grown men with kids. They are also a duo, a pair of seasoned vets with numerous scars from the game. They admit the industry hit them with highs and lows, but they’ve still got the fire.
Can Da Youngstas carve a lane in today’s rap climate? New artists pop up on TikTok every day. Time will tell, but they’re determined.
What makes this even more interesting for me is watching them speak as elder statesmen of the culture. These aren’t the kids who once battled on wax—they’re survivors of Hip-Hop’s ruthless machine: the music business.
The full interview drops on AllHipHop soon, but for now, you can catch the video on our YouTube above. Trust, it’s worth the watch to see how Da Youngstas execute their second act.