GEMZ GET'S THE LOW DOWN WITH NC'S OWN YOUNG DIRT

YOUNG DIRT

Making waves in the music industry is no easy task, but Reidsville, North Carolina representer, Young Dirt, when you grind hard and sleep less, anything is possible. Recently gaining a major label distribution deal, Young Dirt is ready to share with the world his sound and his story.

G3MZ: For the people that don’t know who you are tell them a little about where you’re from and how long you been doing this?

Young Dirt: I go by the name Young Dirt. I was born in Gastonia, North Carolina, raised everywhere between there, Buffalo, NY, Southside Chicago, Illinois, York, Clover and Rock Hill, South Carolina, and mostly Reidsville, North Carolina. I've been doing music for as long as I can remember but only professionally for about 2 years or so. 

G3MZ: Being from the south do you feel like the south gets misrepresented?

Young Dirt: I don’t feel like the south gets misrepresented, but the streets choose a lot of the same kind of southern rappers to give the most press and promotion to, there’s no one kind of southern rapper, but a lot of them do have similar styles, so most times when an artist from the south sounds different they don’t think they're "southern".

G3MZ: What’s the best experience you've had so far?

Young Dirt: I think the best experience I've had in the music business so far has been touring with a radio single. I've done so many promotional shows trying to break singles when the crowd didn’t know the song that it was kind of overwhelming to have a crowd singing along to the song and actually knowing and reciting my rhymes that I wrote. That's a powerful feeling, also makes you realize the responsibility you have as an entertainer. 

G3MZ: Who influenced your style coming up?

Young Dirt: When I was coming up I listened to east coast music, Rakim, Big L, Jay-Z, a little Nas, Chino XL, Crooked I and artists like that. I did more freestyles than songs. It took me a LONG time to get out of just writing lyrics and actually making songs, I got to give my big homey Carlos Diaz credit for schooling me to the importance of catchy hooks in the music business.

G3MZ: Let us know about your current project and where can people get it?

Young Dirt: I have 2 recent mixtapes with exclusively Young Dirt music available on datpiff.com, "Born Alone Die Alone" and "2 Real 4 Radio - Vol 1". Both are released through You World Global Media in Atlanta. Also I just hosted DJ 7 Thirty's "Block Huggaz" Vol 65 and released 5 tracks on it mixed in with music from some industry heavyweights. The latest project I am working on is my third studio mixtape to be released this summer which is as of yet untitled, but will be hosted and sponsored by Fleet DJs and Coast 2 Coast Mixtapes.

G3MZ: How do you feel about mainstream right now?

Young Dirt: Honestly I don’t feel about mainstream. Mainstream is the product of what's popular in the boardroom and the streets. If the streets are supporting something or the people with the check are paying for the promotion, I can't really say anything other than congratulations. Other than that, it doesn’t make or break me. I got my blinders on running my own race.

G3MZ: How can people contact you for bookings or features?

Young Dirt: For bookings or features you can contact Demetrius Williams at Demetrius.Djdredz.Williams@gmail.com or Ms. L. B. Whitener at MSLBMGMT@gmail.com, or you can contact my business facebook at www.facebook.com/youngdirtofficial or direct message on twitter @YoungDirt.

G3MZ: Any shout outs?

Young Dirt: Definitely have to thank God for breath in my body, shout out my management team MsLB, Demetrius and DRS Productions, You World Global Media, my family G.H.S.L. Fam, Sesame Eagle Gang, the city of Reidsville, NC, my whole Burris, Guinn, Ross fam from SC to NC to Chicago, and anybody that ever clicked a Young Dirt link, liked or retweeted a Young Dirt status, played a Young Dirt CD or supported a Young Dirt show! Hell even the ones in the street talking bad on my name, I wouldn’t be nothing without each and every one of ya’ll!

Courtesy of G3MZ, The Elegant Hoodness Musical Program 2013