Yung Gleesh Talks New Album, Trap Music, and What He Loves

photo by ShotByCones

Yung Gleesh made his #HowsUrHustle tour stop in the city of Philadelphia and lets just say — he made Monday look like a Friday night. Thanks to Philadelphia event curator, Veli, Gleesh’s tour stop at The Fire was very packed and very wet (from water of course). If you’ve never been to a Gleesh show, then you may want to get to Austin Texas for SXSW and watch him Gleesh-walk across the stage.

Before Gleesh hit the stage; CRIME Children, Hoax Pain, Gwappy Boyz, AL Bundy & Swizzle, and Atomos all tore the stage down. I couldn’t help but thinking about how much Hoax Pain and CRIME Children each separately made the stage their own from high-flying POS members to yellow caution tape to welcome the CRIME.

photo by jvchnel

Before the madness occurred, I was able to conduct a very short, but, awakening interview with Gleesh himself.

I walked into an upstairs room at The Fire where I was welcomed by Gleesh’s manager and then I walked into a room where 10 others guys were chilling before Gleesh hit the stage. Gleesh is wearing his monumental robe he puts on during shows sometimes and shakes my hand when I approach him. Gleesh and I talk new album, what he loves, and what separated him from any other artist coming from DC.

photo by jvchnel

RESPECT: Who is Yung Gleesh in a couple of words?

Gleesh: A sick ass young dude from DC — thats a couple words.

RESPECT: Coming from DC, how did you think you stood above the rest of the talent in the city?

Gleesh: I feel like everybody else is trying to be everybody else, and I’m doing me.

RESPECT: What do you plan to do with your music? (Where do you want it to reach?)

Gleesh: I want to take it universal — I want everybody to hear this.

RESPECT: Who do you want to work with or are working with right now? (that you always wanted to work with)
Gleesh: I don’t know, they could be police in 3 years so I ain’t really geekin’. I’m working with a bunch of young artist though – all the new artist coming up, cause you can mold them. Old n*ggas already done, if they hot, they hot… you can’t teach a old dog new tricks.

photo by jvchnel

RESPECT: Which tape or song did you make when you realized people were really into your music and you started to see a fanbase build?

Gleesh: Ain’t Sh*t Changed. Like, when I came back from messing with Gucci… that’s when I started turning up and I started free-styling in the booth — free-styling on songs, instead of writing.

RESPECT: How do you feel about this new wave of trap music?

Gleesh: I’m not in trap, I don’t feel emotional about that… I’m not from Atlanta, so I don’t know about that. I do know about where ever I go, I know about Chicago… I know about New York, I know about wherever I go.

RESPECT: What are your plans for your upcoming album, any big features.. anyone wanna work with you?

Gleesh: Like I said, all the young artist yall listen to now, I got they ass on my tape. And I got this tape called Gleesh, I’m coming out with a self-titled album.

RESPECT: What are some things you love in this world?

Gleesh: My kids.. my family.

RESPECT: Do you love music?

Gleesh: (Gleesh pauses for a while) F*ck no! Lets say I put all my love into music and my image gets tainted and everybody stop listening to me, that means they didn’t love me in the first place. When I love something, then I don’t stop loving it… but everybody in the world don’t feel like that. I ain’t got time to be dying for nobody for yall to be faking like yall like me.. f*ck that.

At the end of the interview, Yung Gleesh announces that he’s no longer going by ‘Yung Gleesh’, just Gleesh!