“Fuck 20 chains and a Ferrari, bro. Let me pay some kids tuitions, straight up! —Young Skrilla”
24-year-old Valley-born rapper and aspiring philanthropist, Young Skrilla, spent a lot of time [in his formidable years] in both New Orleans and southern music Mecca, Houston; two cities whose roots have had a profound influence on his sound. He self-classifies as a disciple of the ‘New Wave’ sound — but cautions that he spends a great of time thinking of good lyrics, and not just whatever sounds “good” with auto-tune. “I like to make the [bar-area] Cali music, sometimes some H-Town shit, sometimes the real shit, and sometimes the hype music. Sometimes, I just do it all at once,” says Skrilla when describing his sound.
While working hard in the studio, Skrilla recently took a few minutes out to chat with AAHIPHOP about his music, his influences, and what he has on the horizon.
Check out his latest visuals, and peep the interview below!
How’d you get wrapped up in music?
I was remixing Tupac songs when I was younger and — for some reason — I had the gift to learn songs very fast. I was rapping some shit I probably didn’t understand at the time [laughs]. My very first purchase was a Memphis Bleek CD that I’d bump every morning going to school.
Started messing around with the mic at 17 or 18-years old. I was told by a fellow rapper [by the name of Young Zilla] that I had potential and should take it seriously. I had heard the word Skrilla being used when I went to school in Mississippi; that’s where that came from.
Who influenced your music?
My influences musically aren’t what you’d expect. I used to — and still do — listen to a lot of reggae; Rebelution to be exact. But, I’m not gonna lie and say I used to listen to the Jay-Z or NAS — it was the old Weezy, Eminem, Kanye, Drake, and Kirko [Bangz]
What do you have floating around right now?
I haven’t released anything official other than The Rise of a Pharaoh tape which sold a good amount of units but didn’t hit iTunes or anything: so, mainly just videos and remixes on Soundcloud.
What do you have coming up?
Currently working on finishing my first official EP — it’s still currently unnamed. But, I want to bring something new to the table. I want people [to be] unsure of where I’m from because the music doesn’t classify me; they’re just hits.
Tell about some of the achievements you’re proud of this far.
Biggest achievements would have to be opening for J.Cole and building a great audience/following [considering where I’m from]. My YouTube views being 70k+ makes me feel some type way. Also, being in big studios like Soul Asylum in Atlanta, Georgia, or recording where the greats [record] in Houston, Texas.
What are your goals in this rap shit?
My ultimate goal is to have a big enough platform to change people’s minds about things.
I wanna spend all my money on other people. I want to have fun — no worries. I want to give more than I receive with a heart full of sincerity; fuck 20 chains and a Ferrari, bro. Let me pay some kids tuitions, straight up!
