There is a lot of musical talent at Penn State, but what about the surrounding community? We looked a little deeper to find a young man by the name of Young Rich. He just dropped his new mixtape titled Mixed Emotions. Typically the artists we cover are here because of the university, but this time SITR decided change it up. Read on!
An Interview with Young Rich
SITR: Tell us about yourself and how you got into music?
My name is Kurt Martin AKA Young-Rich. I was born in Trenton, New Jersey in 1991, where I lived until I was 12 years old. I moved to State College, Pennsylvania two weeks before my 13th Birthday. Trenton was starting to get crazy and things were hard for my family at the time; my uncle had been living in State College for 10 years already so my mom packed us up and we moved. The craziest thing about it is… I only had two weeks notice before we moved. I am from an urban area of the city, so you have hip-hop/rap and R&B music playing all day everyday. I remember hanging with my cousins around our neighborhood. They would constantly have their radio cassette players playing Nas, Biggie, Mobb Deep, Wu-Tang and DMX, just to name a few. As a kid, I’m like man; I want everyone to love me like everyone loves these people. I would also watch the music videos and think to myself how I want the cars, girls, money and the fame that they have. I didn’t record my first song until I was 16, but I always had a passion for music, even when I was a kid I would be in the car with my mom listening to the radio, rapping and singing every word of the song.
SITR: What are your future goals?
I want to be successful is the typical response from artists, but I want to be more then that, I want to be legendary and not the 2pac and Biggie legendary… I just want to be known for making great must that everyone can relate to… the club, street, everyday, smoker, real life music. The music that makes you think a little more, you know? Music with a meaning to it. I want everyone to relate to me because I can relate to them.
SITR: Who have you opened for and how has the Penn State / State College scene been treating you as an artist?
I never opened up for a huge audience, but I opened up for one major act, which was Wiz khalifa before he was the WIZ KHALIFA you see today. This was way back during the days of his Warner Brothers deal, when he had his first major deal. I know Will and Chevey and occasionally talk to Wiz’s mom, who also likes my Facebook page. I’m one of the youngest artists around State College, so I can only do so much because of my age. State college is an odd town because it doesn’t really support local hip-hop artists on a big scale, Jamaica Junction was one of the first places to support local hip-hop artists. State College only supports what they know which is rock, country and pop music, but now that hip-hop is the new major thing… kids are starting to slowly open their arms to hip-hop. There still isn’t a hip-hop/R&B radio station in State College, but “State In The Real” is a big step in the right direction and I want thank you guys for supporting me and other local artists. Local artists have to work extremely hard to get a place in State College, since State College is a challenge, but I’m prepared to take it head on!
SITR: How can other artists get their name out there, especially in State College?
For artists who want to get their name out in State College, you have to socialize, take every opportunity to share your music and branch out. Because if they see that other people outside of State College like your work than they will take you more seriously.
http://facebook.com/youngrich609
http://twitter.com/youngrich609
Mixed Emotions download link: http://www.mediafire.com/?tqiskhvdomgact3
SITR: Do you have any last words before we wrap up this interview?
I worked hard to show my skills with my lyrics in order to show my fans a new level of $PMG. I wanted to show my own style and have my own sound. Make sure you listen to the music and forget everyone else’s sound. Give my music the opportunity to speak for itself. $PMG we that new wave get with it or drown when we come threw.