#SoundLab "The Day After" w/ @Yung_Rick .Love + Life
Its the Day after your drop a project. All your hard work is out for the public to consume and its time for you to sit back and relax. Or, do you push the record more? Go back and try and add bonus tracks? Honestly who knows. Only the artist knows the dark secrets to behind the project and what it took to get it out. Some artist have to push a record back because of new tracks, sample clearances and who knows what. Only the artist can truly say what they plan on doing the day after.
This is the SoundLab: The Day After with Yung Rick. Love + Life
Yunnnng!!! Finally. Love + Life is here how does it feel to get it out?
It feels amaaaaaazing!!!! 2 months after the original planned date but it's here and I'm beyond excited!!! I still can't believe it!!! In just 24 hours the response has been CRAZY! I feel great!
Now the album had a couple different release dates and you pushed the album back a few, what was the biggest obstacle that you had to over come with this release?
Really just overall satisfaction. When I started this project my motto was "PERFECTION IS THE DEADLINE". I didn't have a goal like, "I'm gonna be finished by this or that date", I just knew that I wouldn't release it until I felt it was perfect. In February when I wanted to release it, I just didn't feel it was where I wanted it to be. I knew it could be better. Mind you I added 3 more songs after the original release date LOL. Perfection was the deadline!
What message were you wanting to get out with this project?
The foundation of the album is based on this, God gave us love(his son Jesus Christ) and because of that love we have life! Think about it, you can't have true meaning to life if you don't have love. You're most happy when you love what you do, love the people in your circle, love your family, love your job, etc.. Wherever love is absent, there is no life. My faith, my relationships, and my music...love must be present in order for it to thrive.
What inspired you the most to create this album?
Experiences over the last year of my life. This album is so personal. I talk about EVERYTHING bruh...EVERYTHING LOL. It's an open book! Over the past 12 months I lost my job, I lost friends, I was dang near homeless, I had my faith shaken by some events that happened close to me...it was rough. But I didn't lose hope. I was always reminded of the call God placed on my life.
What makes this album different from the first release?
Did you approach this differently? Oh man, it's almost day and night. For starters, there's a 4 year gap between "Decreased" and "love+life". I use to go by G.T.K.(Grow The Kingdom) and then I changed my name to Yung Rick in 2010. With my first release I was fresh to the hip-hop world from a christian perspective so that's the angle I came from. With "love+life" I'm more mature in my faith and I've experienced a lot in that 4 year gap. My approach this time was a wider view of the world and people I wanted to reach with the music. My approach was very much artistic without watering down the truth. Even the album cover I chose not to put my face on it. I wanted people to focus more on the art than the artist.
I can tell each track has a meaning and purpose, just by the content alone. Tell a lil bit about how you went about choosing the tracks and features?
It was strategically nonstrategic LOL. This time around I let the music speak to me. I can honestly say I love every single song. I went through tons of tracks, had fall-outs with producers, and actually had a selection process this time around. About 5 songs didn't make the album. This is my first time actually featuring other artist on one of my projects. I've been a part of other artist's projects but never featured anyone. The features were probably the only thing I was strategic about. Anneliese Meywes is a vocal coach from Australia. She travels the world teaching classes. Big Nick is a well known rapper from Dallas, buuuut he's not rapping, he's singing! And B.Holy went through a rap transformation over the last 2 years and spit one of the hardest verses I've ever heard from him. So yeah, the features are as important as the songs themselves.
If you could do one thing differently with the release, what would it be?
I wanted to do more promo videos. The "Him Alone" video brought some attention to the release but I wanted more. It all worked out though. The world will soon know about "love+life"!
What now? Now that the album is out what's up next?
Just promoting like crazy. I'm shooting another video, booking a tour, and looking to do more shows! I have a collab project coming out at the end of the year with my brothers B.Holy and Big Nick. A busy year bro my man but God told me that 2012 would be my breakout year!
What was the first thing you did once you released the album?
I thanked God, cried a lil bit lol and started pushing people to the listening session! I was on grind mode and haven't stopped since!!!
I want to thank Yung Rick for taking his time out for this interview. Make sure you pick up Yung Ricks album and visit his site with a new look!
