Thursday, March 28, 2024

Interview with Rapper Yung Verbal

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South African born Yung Verbal is 1/3 of popular Hip-hop group Zone Fam .Having been successful as part of the group , winning many awards including a Channel O music award , he is now working on his debut , yet to be titled , solo album . He recently released the lead single for the album “BBW” which is already receiving massive airplay on local radio stations. We caught up with him to discuss his new single and his more:

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KAPA187: Briefly tell us about yourself, and how you came up with the name Yung Verbal.

YUNG VERBAL: I’m loud, sarcastic, and creative and believe I’m a super hero who will one day save the world haha. In my battle rap days I use to go by the name verbal assassin which was not consumer friendly for when I started doing music professionally so I changed it to Yung Verbal.

 

KAPA187: For someone who has never heard your music, how would you describe your sound?

YUNG VERBAL: My music is a fuse of African and western influenced hip hop traits. When I first started I wrote predominantly in English but as I grew musically I felt the need to relate more with my listeners and this spurred me on to write more vernacular in my songs before I knew it, it birthed a new sound.

 

KAPA187: How did you become a part of Zone Fam, and when starting out did you anticipate the success you would have?

YUNG VERBAL: When I first got to Zambia I went to a lot of ciphers and hip hop events were I met Duncan (the Holstar) sodala who invited me to his studio. This was the same studio the rest of the team use to record individually; we had a common goal to take over the continent by using music this resulted in us recording songs together. At a point Duncan suggested we fuse our talents into one group and this is where Zone Fam began its journey. Obviously this is the Yung Verbal version of the story haha.

 

KAPA187: Tell us about your new single “BBW”, what is it all about?

YUNG VERBAL: #BBW is about the bigger or curvier woman who is as beautiful as the small bodied woman. In this day and age the portrayal of the perfect woman is a thin waist, abs and near zero percent body fat which to me personally seems unfair to the bigger or curvier woman who does not fit that description.  We are African and it is no secret our women are gifted with curves and bodies you will not see on international magazine covers. I decided to do a song to remind all the curvy woman out there that they are beautiful regardless the body size.

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KAPA187: In a short time “BBW” has become really popular, did you expect this?

YUNG VERBAL: I did not expect it at all, I have faith in the record don’t get me wrong but I did not anticipate the rapid response the song got in such a short time. I’m not complaining at all haha.

 

KAPA187: Hip-hop has been known to be macho and misogynistic. What made you decide to make a song that uplifts women as your first single?

YUNG VERBAL: In all honesty with the stage we reached and number of fans we have, one tends to realize the impact and influence we have on people. With that said having a positive impact on them is an added bonus to doing the right thing. I for one do not want to enforce the negative stereotypes associated with hip hop and furthermore I do not want to follow the norm when it comes to my music. Hip hop can and is more than just the usual club scene and flashy cars captivating the listener with a deeper subject matter should be the norm once in a while.

 

KAPA187: Are you planning on making a music video for “BBW”? What is you take on the quality of Zambian music videos being produced?

YUNG VERBAL: Yes I definitely plan on shooting a video for #BBW and honestly can’t wait. The quality of Zambian videos has improved vastly no doubt about it. Media houses have raised the bar and continue to do so. It’s great to see the industry grow in all aspects besides just the music.

 

KAPA187: Are you working on a solo album? What can your fans expect from it?

YUNG VERBAL: Yes I’m working on a solo album. My fans can expect more than just the Yung Verbal they been exposed to on Zone Fam tracks. I have a story to tell and I’m fortunate enough to be able to tell it from different points of view location wise. I can’t wait to share.

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KAPA187: Being that you are originally from South Africa, what do you think South African artists are doing to get there music played all over Africa that their Zambian counterparts are not doing.

YUNG VERBAL: We should also consider the fact that South Africa has major international record labels with branches here for example Sony music, universal, emi etc. so making the music readily available to a wider audience is easy through various distribution deals. Not to say they are doing something that Zambian acts are not, just that more facilities are available in comparison to Zambia where the industry is still growing. With financial availability and growth of the industry I have no doubt that Zambian acts will achieve the same reach as all popular African countries.

 

KAPA187: Recently there have been calls from musicians to boycott certain functions and award shows because of not being properly remunerated as compared to international acts. What is your take on that?

YUNG VERBAL: It’s important to look at and acknowledge both sides of the story. As in every industry friction and disagreements are bound to occur. As an artist I personally see the good and the bad to this issue, a voice was needed to get the attention but the response in action can damage a reputation that is necessary in the growth of the industry. It is sad that it has come to a state where it is a standoff but hopefully a solution that suits both parties will be the result.

 

KAPA187: Apart from music, what else are you involved in.

YUNG VERBAL: I’m currently in the process of attaining my honors since I received my degree and would like to further it to a masters. My second love is communications and advertising so I’m a manager at a company that has empowered me to share my creative madness with the world haha.

 

KAPA187: Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?

YUNG VERBAL:  10 years older ha-ha. On a serious note I see my name on a couple of companies that I will own.

 

KAPA187: Any last words…

YUNG VERBAL: Firstly I would like to thank Lusaka times for a great interview and to all the people that supported my career to date. It is because of your support that I’m were I’m now. Look out for new Zone Fam singles; keep an ear out for Dope G’s album as well. Give me a shout @yungverbal on instagram or twitter

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https://soundcloud.com/slamdunkrecords/yung-verbal-bbw

 

Social
https://www.facebook.com/yungverbal/
https://twitter.com/YungVerbal
https://www.instagram.com/yungverbal
BY KAPA187

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