Artist Spotlight: Yung Men

Written by Troy Ewers

Certain chemistry doesn’t just create great art, they create experiences. Chemistry can come from any environment, but when all the stars align where the environment can create chemistry and chemistry create unforgettable experiences. The hip hop/experimental group Yung Men are examples of how an important environment plays in creating a hurricane of creativity. Yung Men consists of 5 members, but I was lucky enough to speak to the core 3 members via FaceTime. These same 3 members are the same members I met in a CSU Northridge dorm room where all this began.

Kilan, Jacob, and Cornelius (Myles Martin) are insanely talented musicians, who are trained in many instruments, but their freshman year at Northridge, was like 3 mad geniuses spotting each other. Their freshman year was a collection of Super Smash Bros. on Gamecube, kicking it with friends, and making music, so much music was made that they created their debut album, the “Freshman Year Experience”. I met Cornelius and the boys that year shortly after their album’s release, because the artists I was working with loved his production so much they wanted to work with him. The organic relationship Cornelius and I had was super refreshing and 4 years later nothing has changed. On FaceTime with the group, they all had one thing they were excited about and it was their new house they got together. As the pandemic seemingly gets better and with the guys being separated for a whole year, their main focus going into 2021 was to come together and recreate an environment with a new fired up energy. The Valley is where they’ll be cooking, gaming, and making new music. It’s such an integral part of their brand, that it was captured all through their new music video for, ‘Peak’, which is the lead single for their forthcoming album (TBA). The new environment hasn’t just inspired new music, it’s made the Yung Men even more calculated on their moves. On “FYE”, it was a simple process, just hang out and make music. On their second project, “The Greenhouse Effect” it was still as organic, but the art direction and promotion was calculated, which gave them opportunities to perform shows all over the place. As their audience grew the moves became even more calculated and the team got bigger. The Yung Men’s version of the collective is a team of creatives. A true representation of “being yourself”. Artists like Gabby Trinh, Indacouch, and more create a fun universe that compliment Yung Men well. With the new project coming out it’s exciting to see what’s next for the group and their aspirations for the Next 5 years(A US Tour, Camp FlogGnaw, and Big Features)

Yung Men are set to be here for a whole decade and so will the “Yung Men Universe”.

Rapid Fire Questions:

1. What are you listening to right now?

Cornelius - Quickly Quickly, Baby Keem, Cozy Kev

Jacob - Freddie Gibbs, Benny The Butcher, Lloyd

Kilan - Westside Gunn and more

2. Movies To Play When A Chick Come Over

C - Pootie Tang

J - Live Action Street Fighter

K - Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith

3. Yung Men Documentary Title?

C - Negro Synthesis

J - How Sus?

K - The Making of an Empire

“Peak”, by Yung Men available on all streaming platforms.