Tag: Yung Gravy

Dimitri: Congratulations on your new record “HBO.” What really caught me was the drum-and-bass texture in the drums and breakdowns. I did not expect that from you, and to me it sat somewhere between LTJ Bukem and DJ Shadow. Were you consciously reaching for that kind of groove in the studio?

Yung Gravy: Yeah. In the studio I mentioned, “We should try some drum-and-bass on something,” but I didn’t really have a good reference for an artist in drum-and-bass. I’ve heard DJ Shadow for sure. The producers on it were DJ Smokey and Yung Vamp.

Dimitri: That influence makes sense. Your music is very groove-based and draws a lot from disco and older records, but it still does not feel typical for this space. There is something early hip-hop about the way the samples loop and move. Was that sample-based, loop-driven approach intentional from the beginning?

Yung Gravy: It was intentional. I’ve been a huge rap fan and a fan of soul music, folk music and disco for as long as I can remember. I loved the sample-based early hip-hop, but I also loved trap music. I thought, why is nobody combining those sounds? It happens a lot more now, but before I started I was thinking, why is nobody trapping out the samples? My goal was to create a new lane. It had been done in Memphis, that trapped-out sample sound, Three 6 Mafia was doing that before, but it wasn’t popular to a lot of younger audiences at the time.

Dimitri: Have you ever thought about going fully into house? A lot of your records feel like they could naturally become tech-house or house tracks. Have you tried remixing your own material in that direction?

Yung Gravy: Yeah, I’ve tried a couple. When it’s four-on-the-floor, I know that pattern. I have songs that are four-on-the-floor. “Myrtle Beach Summer 1974” has that kind of dance tempo, but it’s not fully house.

Dimitri: You recently changed label situations as well, correct? How is everything feeling with BMG?

Yung Gravy: Pretty good. I was with Republic for a while, about seven years, and then I was independent for a bit. Bread and Butter is my record label that I release stuff through. My signing really is my friendship with BMG and some stuff for myself. This release is on Bread and Butter in the meantime. Now BMG, this is the first release with them. It’s been great. They’re helpful.

Dimitri: Going back to “HBO,” the video is really fun and has that old horror-film energy. What was the creative process behind it?

Yung Gravy: I’m trying to think of the name of the movie. It was an Italian horror movie from the 1970s that I was watching. I loved the soundtrack, the look of the movie, everything. I took the theme song and used it as an interstitial on tour. The composer for that movie was Piero Piccioni. I thought, when could I pair that sound with a vintage, cool film visual? Then when we had the song to pair it with, I thought, let’s do a music video that looks like a late-’60s or ’70s horror movie.

Yung Gravy: We went to a ghost town, Cerro Gordo, in California near the Nevada border. A friend of a friend rebuilt this town during Covid and started it up again. There are mines and everything. We brought six random people and shot this old horror movie with my friend playing the killer and the girls dressed to look like a slasher movie, and me trying to rap while being murdered. It sounded like a cool idea.

Dimitri: So “HBO” is the first single. Are you planning more releases through the summer?

Yung Gravy: I want to release through the summer. I have songs prepared. I don’t know the exact order right now, but I can give you a little teaser. There’s an EP that I play a lot on tour but haven’t released yet, and then there’s a song called [unclear]. Those are coming in the summer, and there are a few more I want to drop.

Dimitri: Listening to your music, there is a strong nostalgia running through it. Your sound, your look, and the whole world around it feel tied to the ’70s and ’80s. I have a massive nostalgia for that era too, even though I was born in 1980. What keeps drawing you back to that period?

Yung Gravy: The ’70s just looked the coolest. Then people really figured out style and then kind of messed it up after that. A lot of the music I sample is from the mid-’70s or early ’80s. A lot of that came partly from my parents, who were into older music. With YouTube, when I was in high school I would go deep into the sidebar and find all this obscure music that probably was popular before. I got really into that sound along with rap music, and then they came together.

Dimitri: Are there any specific artists from that era that you love to sample, or that keep influencing you?

Yung Gravy: Patrice Rushen. I think I’ve sampled her three times now, so she’s up there. Dennis Edwards also. On the new project I’ve been listening to a lot of Pino D’Angiò, the ’70s Italian artist. I haven’t actually sampled his music for this project, but I’ve definitely drawn inspiration from it.

Dimitri: Italy was incredibly influential musically in the ’70s and ’80s. There was something very specific happening there, and it is surprising how many artists have been shaped by that Italian sound.

Yung Gravy: Exactly. The sample on “HBO” and Pino D’Angiò are both from Italy around the same time, but completely different worlds: the serious film world and the disco party dance world. Both came from the same place.

Dimitri: You have built up quite a large list of collaborations. Do you have a particular approach to choosing who you work with?

Yung Gravy: Collaborations just have to be with somebody I’ve met and like. Usually I prefer those to come together organically. The only time it wasn’t literally someone I met and then planned with was Lil Wayne, and that was a surprise gift from Republic because my song was doing so well and he got on the remix. That was amazing. Besides that, I like to meet people and cook up together.

Dimitri: One thing I love about your sound and personality is that it feels genuinely fun and uplifting. It is not heavy or depressive. Do you ever feel drawn to darker or moodier material, or do you prefer keeping that positive energy in the music?

Yung Gravy: Sure, there are times. Some artists go into the studio when they break up or something is going down. Usually I feel inspired when I’m warmed up and I feel good. Even if I am sad, I’d rather put positive vibes in the music for the people.

Dimitri: At what point does Matthew stop and Yung Gravy begin? Are they two different people in real life, or is the persona very close to who you are?

Yung Gravy: There’s not that big of a difference. When I’m fully on the Gravy side of things, doing a show, or when I’m fully just myself at home with my mom, it’s still not that big of a difference. A lot of my music and online persona is just my instinct and me being myself, with a little extra sauce added. People who see me online and then get to know me usually say, “This is exactly what I expected.”

Dimitri: That makes sense. It sounds like people are getting the real version. On the fashion side, your Casablanca collaboration was really strong. How do you approach fashion partnerships? Do they come to you, or does your team bring opportunities?

Yung Gravy: The collaboration side of things is similar to artists. I like to meet somebody or get inspired by something. Casablanca, I just really liked their stuff. The brand I’ve done the most with is probably Nude Project. I had a show in Barcelona on tour, flew out there, met those folks at their office and got along so well that I ended up extending my trip and staying with them. I had a great time out there and really liked the people at the brand. That’s how I collaborate most with a brand: if I get to know somebody, and if it’s a product I’m actually wearing.

Dimitri: Your social media also feels very natural and organic. A lot of musicians’ accounts feel staged or over-managed, but yours feels more effortless. Is that intentional, or is that just how you are?

Yung Gravy: I think if it’s not effortless, it usually means it’s because of some rules I have to follow for a brand. Otherwise, when I’m doing something, it’s very me. If it isn’t effortless, it’s because I’m trying to follow through on a deliverable. I’ve been very adamant about that my whole career. When social media managers say I need to post a certain number of times, I don’t want to make stuff up just for that. I want people to know it’s really me and feel connected.

Dimitri: Social media is one of those things where I almost wish there was less of it now. We are all caught up in it, and young people especially can become too obsessed. Not everything people see online is real, and now AI makes that even harder to read.

Yung Gravy: Yeah, it’s crazy. I don’t really look at social media myself unless I need to post something. One thing I’m thankful for is that after eight years of rapping and doing social media so much, I got so sick of it that I don’t feel the need to scroll or doom-scroll. It reminds me of work and it’s not fun, so I relax by not doing that. I don’t think I’ll let my kids do that either.

Dimitri: I hope the trend moves more offline again. With your sound and that ’70s and ’80s inspiration, it connects to a world before all of this. Even in the 2000s, social media did not exist in the same way it does now.

Yung Gravy: I feel lucky to have grown up before all that. I was about 15 when I got an iPhone, so I got to be free of the social media influence.

Dimitri: You have also done some interesting work around film. Do you see yourself pursuing acting more seriously, or taking on bigger creative roles in film, TV, or screen projects?

Yung Gravy: I’d love to. With acting, it seems like I’m on this list of artists people can call on for a random cameo in a movie, which I’m fine with. But I’ve met more directors at parties and in L.A., people who are really into film, and now I’m serious about doing a bigger role. I’m interested in learning a lot more about acting. I’ve done more voice acting lately, but I’m also down for the real in-person stuff.

Dimitri: What sort of character or genre would you want to explore? After the “HBO” video, would horror be a good place to start?

Yung Gravy: Horror would be a good place to start after doing the “HBO” video. I think that would be good.

Dimitri: Would you want to shoot something properly on film, maybe 35mm, with that old-school texture?

Yung Gravy: I think 35mm would be dope. I’d rather use a smaller budget and just get really creative, make something unique, and kind of prank the audience a little bit. Have you heard of the movie The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie?

Dimitri: Yes.

Yung Gravy: Buñuel is one of my favorite directors. When I watch a movie, I always have ideas like, “If I was making this, I’d elaborate here.” So yes, I could see doing something with that energy.

Dimitri: That would be a very cool progression from music into film. I also think there is a bigger shift happening back toward physical and analog culture. Vinyl has been selling strongly over the last few years, and people seem hungry for real objects again.

Yung Gravy: I have three, maybe four or five albums on vinyl. I’ve always loved doing that. It fits the vibe and I like being able to design it, make little creative decisions with vinyl. My fans are the type to buy that, so I’ve sold quite a lot. It’s a good collector item. When I go somewhere, especially other countries, fans will wait outside with the vinyl and markers. That feels classic, how it should be.

Dimitri: Do you listen to vinyl yourself?

Yung Gravy: I’ve been listening to a good amount. My girlfriend and I live five minutes away from each other, and she bought a house down the block. There’s a room on the top floor, and I was like, “You’re going to let me have free rein on designing this.” I got a vinyl player. On my last tour I put it on my rider that in every city, the runner should get me one vinyl of their choice, something unique with good artwork. I had about 40 records to get through from random people in each city choosing what I would listen to.

Dimitri: Away from music, what do you do to relax?

Yung Gravy: I play video games again. That’s always fun. But the main thing in the last couple of years is sitting outside somewhere at my house in the sun, reading books. Also skiing.

Dimitri: Are there any European tour dates coming up?

Yung Gravy: I’m planning to do one early next year. I’m going to have it, but that’s the plan. It’s been a while, so I’d love to be back in Europe. I want to go back, specifically in winter or hopefully when it’s a little warmer.

Dimitri: You need to play the South of France: Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Nice, Monaco. It would fit your sound perfectly.

Yung Gravy: I’ve been. On that same trip, we stopped in Nice and it was beautiful. It was one of my favorite places. The rock goes right into the sea. That area between Monaco and France is so cool.

Dimitri: The road from Monaco to Nice is one of a kind. Driving there is incredible.

Yung Gravy: I planned the whole trip. Nice, Monaco, Como. The first thing we did was land in Nice and drive to Monaco. That was a great way to start the trip.

Dimitri: If you could meet a younger version of yourself, what advice would you give him?

Yung Gravy: Keep doing your thing, I guess. I would tell myself to keep it up. There are little things I would change, but I’m very thankful for how things turned out and the decisions I made. I’d probably just tell myself to keep it up.