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magine being 17 years old, meeting music mogul Jermaine Dupri, and realizing he already knows who you are – thanks to Myspace. That’s how it all happened for Atlanta-based rapper Yung Envy.
“I had an interview at So So Def Radio with DJ Funky. He wanted to make [my song] “I Like Her” the pick of the week,” tells Envy. “He liked it and was already playing it in the strip clubs. It just so happened when I came to So So Def Radio, Jermaine Dupri said he had already made it the pick of the week. I have no clue how he heard about me, but he had already cleaned the record up in his studio. I never imagined Jermaine Dupri would be on my Myspace page, out of all the rappers in Atlanta. It was a blessing.” Soon afterwards, Jermaine Dupri put in a word at Def Jam and Yung Envy was added to the Island/So So Def roster. Now that he’s a major label artist, Envy says nothing much has changed. “Before I even got signed, I was selling out the teen clubs. I did a high school tour, Soulja Boy was on it too, and when I came out all the kids went crazy. I ain’t never been on TV or nothing, but when I be out and people
see me, they want autographs and pictures. That’s just off having a strong internet fanbase. I sold like 5,000 ringtones before the deal.” To get to this point, Envy employed some creative tactics for getting booked. “I’d call the numbers on flyers and make up stuff so they’d let me perform,” he laughs. “I’d be like, ‘Yeah man, I’m on tour.’ They had no idea I was just some kid trying to get on. They’d check out my Myspace page and see the fans and put me on the show.” “I worked hard for this,” Envy admits. “I’d sit at the computer every day, then go out at night to do a show. When I wasn’t in school, I was somewhere doing my music thing.” There was never any choice but to stay determined. After losing both his parents at a young age, Envy says he relied on the street life to make ends meet. “I ain’t gonna lie, I was selling drugs,” he confesses. “But I knew I had my dream and I wasn’t finna let that go down the drain. I always kept focused on music. My setting was messed up but I made something good out of it.” Currently “I Like Her” has amassed an impressive 200+ radio spins and is climbing the charts. What started as a simple hook and beat, based off a high school joke, has become a promising way out for Envy and his label 2Smuv Inc. (an imprint under Island So So Def ). “I want people to know I ain’t out here doing it just ‘cause I see other people doing it,” Envy says. “This is my passion. I’ve been rapping all my life. If there wasn’t no money involved in this, I’d still do it.” Words by Ms. Rivercity Photo by Adamo Photography
86 // OZONE MAG