In making music, one of the hardest struggles is the fight against the self. Perfectionism, self-motivation, deciding to capture and build off a moment, are all self-inflicted wounds that can seem like chasms on the marathon of success. Through Young(in)’s early career, he’s making it known he’s not just here to stay, but hungry for everything and then some (plus a little after that).

A familiar face within the Chicago underground rap scene over the last few years, Young(in) is making sure to continue building off that presence. His bars have applied pressure through well placed punchlines and grounded, clever, wordplay. Those bars, consistency, and some well placed horn samples have led to a lot of buzz so far in 2025, including a smooth new single in, “NEED THAT,” and a spot performing with kinfolk during Lollapalooza weekend.

In this Q&A between me and Young(in), we discuss the music process, mentorship, and much more, reflecting on the rapper’s appetite for growth and the greatness that’s soon to come.

Read the Q&A below and stream, “NEED THAT,” here.

One of the first things that sticks out to me about your music is your pen game and lyricism. What does the music you’ve released so far say about you as a writer currently?

I can say they don’t tell the entire story. The music I have out says a lot about the type of rapper I am. But it doesn’t show, in full, who I am as a “writer”. I currently have only five songs out, along with a couple of features. Five songs can only display so much about what I’m capable of. However, the five songs I have show I’m on the right track.

Plus, the unreleases I’ve been shopping around with performances are building on all the things I’ve learned through making those songs, along with any other songs that may/may not see the light of day.

I still have a great way to go in terms of the growth I could exhibit. Even then, the five songs with everything else must be decent if they got me this far.

We gotta talk about Need That. The process for the release was so thorough and the hunger of this moment and going forward has definitely been felt. Can you give us some insight about making the record and how you went about releasing it?

Making Need That was a time. The homie Shayne Fade had sent me a beat pack, and I wanted to put something to as many as I could. That beat, in particular, was the first to grab my attention. So I had written my first verse to it, which was scrapped. I didn’t know which way I wanted to go with the song since the first verse would tell me what I need to know about the song as a whole. Because of that, I just stuck to the things I actually did know.

I’m a writer; I’m a preacher’s grandkid who grew up in church, so that’s where the Gospel allusions came from. Plus, I’m an artist who basically nobody knows, for real. Because of this, I can’t eat off music as consistently as other artists can. So I’m hungry and always in search for more. It could be anything; it could be all things— you get the point. That’s where the “need” part comes from because I need not only for me, but also for the people around me.

Where do we go from there? I need to get right with God, I need to figure out my own personal baggage so I don’t take it any place else. We, as a people, need a lot. But a lot of people confuse “needing” with coveting. But coveting creates more conviction for a lot of folks, which is something that a lot of folks also need. Essentially, the song is my A/B testing. I know the things that I have, I know the skills I possess. But now I’m doing what I can to put together the other things I need to have.

For the release, it came swiftly because we basically did the ultimate taste test with the song at SHAPESFest. It ended up doing pretty well. Which was us (Me, Been Ben, and Shayne Fade), pretty much throwing ourselves in the fire. And because I’m overzealous, I announced a date before I could even submit the master even 2 weeks in advance. Now we have the ultimate group project to get this song submitted, approved, and to get some form of content going, all while basically pulling our hair out to get the song to sound adequate enough.

Even then, I still didn’t want to leave any stone unturned. So I would perform the song wherever I went; I would get my DJ friends to do mini premiers of the song at sets if I’m not around; I would play it for anybody who’d be willing to listen; even camped in SEVERAL DM’s, telling friends, family, or any kind of supporters to get in tune. Then, we took it from there. All while this song is up in the air on whether or not it could be completed in that time frame.

The process showed I can work with urgency. However, I can’t let things or people dictate the pace I want to walk. Not even my own sense of self-doubt.

You’ve been busy this summer as a performer, from gracing the stage at TIP Fest, to handing out bars in Evanston and even showing out at Lollapalooza. How did you approach each performance and what has changed for you as a performer/artist since the beginning of the summer?

I approached it as if somebody had to see what I’m doing. Because there has to be at least one person in a crowd who sees what I’m doing, and if I find that person, I feed off of it. If I can't, I still feed off of it because I know they’re around somewhere.

But even so, I had to get to know what the audiences are like. If the audience is a whole bunch of folks who don’t really take in rap as much, is this a space filled with writers and scribes who

Plus, I really didn’t have much to lose. Nobody’s checking for the next move I make, so the goal for any opportunity I had was to make a believer out of someone. No matter if it’s somebody’s child, somebody’s cous(in), or anybody who just wasn’t in tune.

I also watched a stupid amount of live performances. I went to Saba’s concert at Lincoln Hall, J Bambii’s show at Sleeping Village, went to a lot of Recoechi’s shows along with the stuff he has on YouTube, watched Domo Genesis’ Flog Gnaw set on YouTube, and even got the privilege to see Isaiah Rashad at Riviera.

Not just those artists, but I would just watch artists from all backgrounds when they’re in their element. And all the things that remained similar were, even though the ‘live performance’ versions of themselves were dilated and borderline hyperbolized, they were still themselves. They didn’t have to compromise themselves to keep people intrigued.

At the forefront, the main thing that changed was my confidence in myself and the things I create. Not having to change my style of performance because someone said so, but because I want to get better. And on top of all that, just being myself. Everything I am is all I could really need at the end of the day.

What other shows and songs are you gearing up for to end out the year?

Oof. Shows? I got some in mind.

For one, StudioSHAPES is gonna be at the Metro on October 11th alongside Nico Segal and The Social Experiment. That may be something to look out for .

We also celebrating at The Love Letter To The West Anniversary Show at Reggies w/ broadie Mike DFG (Congrats dawg), Dialect Tre, Greyishere, Casino Trell, all on October 15th. Thats gonna be cold because I’m gonna try some things live that I never had the opportunity to up to this point. I promise it’s gonna slap.

A lot more showcases I’ll be a part of as well. H.O.L.L.A. Fest in The Haz Room is gonna be really fun. That’s October 19th. And I’m with the squad so that already takes off the edge. myekehl., me and Tre at it again, DAI’s gonna be there, the homie DJ John West gonna be spinning, and so much more.

Overall, we’re still running.

For songs, though, I definitely don’t want to be the dude who drops only one song for the year and goes back into purgatory, so I might have an ace (in) the hole for October. Maybe two. You never know. I know I’m not done being needy, though.

Or we, for that matter.

What has mentorship looked like for you in your artistic journey?

Mentorship has given me the spark I needed. I’ve searched for mentors for the longest. Or anyone I could at least learn from. Now I’m not searching as much as I’m learning from everyone, even if the lessons are more minuscule. But the direct mentorship has been a blessing.

Direct mentorship began at Haven Studios (Guitars Over Guns) with Add-2, RE@L, and Chris Robbin. From letting me know I’m capable within music, to letting me know my being here is more than enough of an accomplishment. They also helped me establish the chip on my shoulder to prove myself at all times. Even if it’s just me proving things to myself.

I was also fortunate enough to find mentorship through the John Walt Foundation. Not only with who I want to be as creative, but also as a person who wants to pour back into the spaces that poured back into me.

I don’t even know who wrote the script like this. But I had a day where I performed at the SocialWorks Open Mike in 2023 and was able to meet two artists I follow, Recoechi and MfnMelo.

I discovered Recoechi that year and was hooked on first listen. I saw him at a concert at the same location where the Open Mike was hosted. I heard “What Nip Say” and took a deep dive into the stuff he created from then on. The stuff with Thelonius Martin, the C-Sick production, the interviews with Illanoize and Bree Specific, everything.

MfnMelo was one of the artists who helped me feel closer to home when I moved to the Bay when I was 14. I literally wasn’t there to see how much of a moment ‘Yallwhadinthere’ or ‘Flow Seats’ was when they were in rotation here, but I was still very much in tune. I remember seeing him in person and had to check his instagram to make sure it was the same person. Overly fanned out.

I was fortunate enough to meet both of these guys the same day, one who kept me sane for those 4 years of my life, who also gave me the courage to even say what I want to say into a microphone. And one who saved my life just that day, because he had a talk with me, after the event that I really really needed to have. Had I not had one of those conversations? I probably wouldn’t be having this one. Timing is beautiful sometimes.

Now, both these guys are my mentors. In music and in life. There’s no reason for circumstances to happen the way they did. But they did. And I’m doing my best to make sure I don’t squander either. They saved my life in more ways than one and I’m forever indebted.

How has community influenced your music and what you’ve achieved this year?

Community influenced my art significantly. However, I believe it has influenced my music and everything I've achieved, because for everything the community has poured into me, I do whatever I can to pour back into it.

I got back into rapping at Columbia College Chicago, so I joined the E-Board and helped bring back the Hip Hop Club.

I was even able to meet a student through us who was still in high school at the time because he wanted to create music. He goes by Gimmeasec. Probably one of the most gifted individuals I’ve seen. And seeing him blossom into the artist he’s becoming, and us learning from each other, it’s a really beautiful thing.

I learned some ins and outs on putting events together and recruiting artists with my friends. So we put our heads together and helped form a space in Sub-T once upon a time that really pushed rappers to their limits in Cleva Cyphers.

I joined StudioSHAPES as an intern, and I etched my spot by being there and asking questions whenever I could. Plus, proving to people I’m implementing everything my peers in this space are teaching me.

I joined the John Walt Foundation as both an apprentice and a volunteer in the summer of 2024. Ended up becoming a scholarship recipient and one of the artists they featured in the Lollapalooza Chicago’s Got Next Pop Up stage this year. Then, became the first rapper ever to win TIP Fest. Cmon bruh.

And through all of that. I’m still out here. Doing for the people that have done for me. Not just taking what I can from these spaces, then taking my ball and going home.

There’s no reason for me not to show my gratitude. They didn’t have to go out of their way to put on for me. But they did.

And “They” is the magic word.

There isn’t a single person I can say has fully influenced my music or my life. My improvement in music, writing, and my all-around livelihood is a testament of how much the community is willing to harvest the ideas of a kid with a passion project or two. I still owe a great deal to those that has gotten me here. Because every single piece of assistance, guidance, and lesson, no matter how small, practically built me from scratch. I just hope I can repay the debt, but repay only in a way that I can.

Young(In) Doesn't Back Down