Music Mondays - Yeaskrr Interview

Yeaskrr Interview

Yeaskrr is an artist based in New York, but you might not guess that based solely on his music; with vocal performances ranging from Black Kray-esque tread rap all the way to gorgeous off-kilter melodies reminiscent of Young Thug, all over beats that range from chart-worthy trap to dark plugg to the ever-growing jerk style, Skrr has dipped into just about every sub- and microgenre in modern hip-hop with ease and grace.

8/2/24

Yeaskrr has been a force in the underground scene for just over six years now, formally beginning his musical career in 2018 and quickly catching the attention of underground media outlets such as the blog 108MICS, where I had first covered his music in 2021 after hearing about him from Chris Aylward, founder and former head of the blog 108MICS. The two had developed a years-long relationship throughout the on-again-off-again trajectory of his musical career up until that point– regardless of how many plays he was getting at the time or how many followers Skrr may have had between several different Twitter handles (chameleonic hardly comes close to describing how rapidly Skrr could and did completely revamp his image), Chris would often put his new releases on our editorial playlists or cover them in shortform reviews, eventually befriending the artist and becoming one of the driving forces in Yeaskrr’s early recognition in the evolving underground rap scene.

Upon first hearing his music at Chris’ suggestion, intrigued after seeing his name pop up in 108MICS content for so long throughout each medium we explored, I was immediately taken aback by the experimental and daring nature of his vocals as well as his top-tier beat selection. Much of the early production was handled by his longtime producer Sixtythree, a prolific UK-based musician and graphic designer with a dark, grungy take on hip-hop production (particularly trap and the microgenres that fall under its umbrella). Skrr’s output and experimentation continued to grow during this time, having a sea of peers to collaborate with– even in terms of graphic design– and dropping mixtape after mixtape with a plethora of singles in between. I was lucky enough to witness this, having recently formed a working relationship with Yeaskrr through my musical and journalistic efforts.

Skrr strode full force ahead into a new chapter of his artistry and his experimentation as a vocalist as he grew and developed his musicality. His portfolio of collaborations grew quickly now that his main focus was solely on his own work and musicality, often reaching out to artists and producers from all corners of the underground with a vested interest in creating something bigger than the sum of its parts with each song. I have personally never known Yeaskrr to be anything less than a creative, versatile, and talented artist, but the coming two years would bring an immense amount of growth, both in music and audience as his wide-eyed view of the scene sharpened to a pinpoint-precise vision of what he could do within it.

Since around this time last year, Yeaskrr has worked with underground mainstays such as Dani Kiyoko, Ticox, and even the elusive artist/producer sl4yyer on the song ‘baphomet chest release’ while steadily developing his voice– both literally and figuratively. His versatility never waned and even grew at times, with songs such as ‘the bends’, exploring a psychedelic, emotional form of melodic hip-hop that captivated listeners and became one of his most-played songs to date. Skrr has always had his finger on the pulse of underground hip-hop, and has shown that throughout his career by tackling just about every style that catches his ear as well as putting on for pretty much every newcomer in the scene regardless of their own popularity– he’s not in it to cash in on the clout and plays of other artists, but exudes a truly genuine passion for the genre that he inhabits and continues to push forward. While oft-stated influences such as Lil B, Black Kray, and Young Thug certainly had a profound effect on Skrr, some of the first names he mentions in our conversation are the lesser-known members of groups like Kray’s ‘Goth Money’ label that weren’t necessarily as polished or accessible as the label head himself. I cannot recall the reason why, but we had had a discussion about Playboi Carti when we first talked all those years ago; something that stood out to me was that before he even spoke of Carti, it was prefaced with a tangent about what Carti co-opted artistically from peers such as Thouxanbanfauni, UnoTheActivist, and Father/Ethereal of Awful Records while leaving them in the underground limbo that so many talented artists find themselves stuck in. That conversation stuck with me, and when writing this, I felt it necessary to illustrate just how dedicated Yeaskrr is to the evolution and recognition of new styles and boundaries pushed within rap: since the first time we ever had a full conversation outside of music or music journalism in 2020, I have never thought for even a moment that Skrr has lost any level of care or respect for his craft and the genre/culture that he inhabits.

I had the chance to speak with Yeaskrr again late last month and catch up on how things were as a whole with the artist, where he’s at mentally and musically, and where he plans to go from here with his music as his fanbase and artistic expression evolve at a more rapid pace than ever. We also break down some of his influences; both those that made him want to begin rapping in 2018, as well as the newcomers that have given him drive and motivation to continue innovating in a genre that grows more and more saturated by the day. Read our conversation below to get a clearer picture of where the man-of-many-names is at during one of the most prolific times of his career, and make sure to check out his latest releases on SoundCloud, including the four singles from his upcoming project titled ‘Breeshcoded’.

xoarctic: So, let's start on a not-so-personal level for the readers who don't know you yet. Where are you from?

yeaskrr: I'm from New York, man. Long Island, to be exact.

xoarctic: How long have you been making music, and when did you start?

yeaskrr: I think officially since 2018. It's always been something I wanted to do since I was younger. I was always rapping and shit. My mom would always tell me stuff like, "Yo, you were rapping this song at 3 years old, like word for word," and shit like that. Off some crazy shit, yo. I wish we just had like a camcorder, you know what I'm saying? I've always been influenced by DJ Screw; you can hear those vibes in my music. Gucci Mane, Waka, Young Thug, Lil B. Lil B really made me start rapping. Like, when I heard Luckaleann, I was like, "I could do this shit." Not even a lot of people acknowledge Luckaleann. That's one of my faves to this day.

xoarctic: Yeah– Luckaleann is Goth Money, right?

yeaskrr: Yeah, he's Goth Money.

xoarctic: Hell yeah. His style was like Lil B influenced, but it was also mixed with the Kray influence, and that shit just went crazy.

yeaskrr: I would love to see him live.

xoarctic: It's like that alternative, [very] different approach to rap. So, you mentioned Luckaleann, but who are your biggest influences in music [as a whole]? Do you feel like the people that influenced you at the start of your career still influence you, or has the evolving underground scene changed your direction in sound?

yeaskrr: I feel like no matter whoever gives you that spark, that's always gonna stay with you. For me, it was Lil B. It's a lot of the DJ Screw stuff, you know, SGP, A$AP Rocky era. Danny Brown. I really like Danny Brown, because– you know, between Danny Brown, Young Thug, Lil B, I always liked people that play with their voice. 'Cause I play with my voice a lot while making music, you know?

Hell yeah, I definitely feel like a lot of the newer people, they definitely rub off some influence. 'Cause how are you in the underground, or how are you in music at all, and you just don't get influenced by other people? You know, some of that does rub off depending on how much you listen to it, how much you take in.

xoarctic: You're a very versatile artist. You've stepped into about every sound in the underground, like everything it has to offer. What motivates you to explore as much as you do, to be as versatile as you are, and how do you keep your finger on the pulse of the underground so well?

yeaskrr: I feel like a lot of it has to do with my personal lust for wanting to be one of those people that people remember. It's a desire for me, especially now. When I'm making music, I always wanna say something that's authentic to me but still have people be like, "Yo, what did you say, bruh?" That keeps people coming in.

I was never afraid. I owe a lot of it to Sixtythree for putting me in positions with certain beats and sounds and, you know, just highlighting my own interests. Just weird sounds and having them sampled, weird songs that people wouldn't even know, and really being able to capitalize off that.

You should never be scared. I call it [the] butterfly. You should never be scared to butterfly when it comes to this music shit. When you realize that it's not the type of competition that people think it is, it's more so with yourself… I'm always trying to outdo myself. It keeps me in tune with what's going on around.

You know, I have a big love for younger artists. I'm never weird with them or trying to count them out or discredit their stuff. I fuck with a lot of younger artists or just people starting out. It don't even be about age, you know, and that keeps me well in tune, bro.

xoarctic: Speaking of producers: From the first time you get a beat, to the very first idea [for a song], to the final mix of a song, what is your full creative approach to music? What's your process from writing to post-production?

yeaskrr: I feel like it's kinda gonzo, 'cause I don't even know certain terms! If somebody was like, "Yo, spit a 16," obviously if somebody explained it to me on the spot, I could do that. But I hear the beat, and it resonates with me, and I just literally start writing the song in my head. I'm humming it [and] scatting it on some jazz shit, bro. Then, I come up with the hook. A lot of people– I remember when I first started out, a lot of people who mixed my shit would be like, "Where's the bridge? Where's the hook?" And the way I mesh it together, you might hear the hook a few times, and then boom, there's the verse, and then I'll have this nice outro.

xoarctic: Let's talk about the aliases. You were a 108MICS veteran– we had you on that [blog] so many times, but every time we thought we had somehow lost you on social media, it just ended up being a name change. What brought you from Ya Ya to Yah Mean? uuelz to yeaskrr? What's been the catalyst for all the name changes and the approach to music?

yeaskrr: I mean, originally, it's as simple as— and I hope other people can relate to this— I was just trying to find my footing. Like something that spoke to me, something that said volumes before people even... or said enough volume to get people to even be like, "Wow, this is different. You know, let me check this guy out. How do you say his name?" That always gets people like— when it was ‘Yah Mean’, it was still similar to the way I am now with ‘yeaskrr’. But I feel like at this point in my artistry, I'm complete. I'm not done growing, but I'm definitely complete in like… the direction that I wanna go in. When I had changed to ‘uuelz’, it had to do with more of a personal reason. At the time, I was in Sixtyworld, and like— not for nothing, but my name wasn't being highlighted in the right way, you know? I had friends that were associated with the group that were causing a lot of problems and shit like that with other artists on Twitter, and I just don't operate like that. Like, I'm not the type to— you'll never see me in an argument on Twitter. And I'm not gonna knock on wood, 'cause I'm never arguing on Twitter, you know? I'm not arguing about politics on there. I don't care if you think you're better than me. All of that is cool. Like, I'm in my own world, and I don't practice that. I don't practice hating on people, no matter how much [people] try to get it trendy and normalize it. Then it makes people feel ‘less than’. It makes people feel uncomfortable that, you know, don't have that same thick skin [as you]. You develop that over time, you know?

xoarctic: Yeah, there's a lot of time you get to develop that as an artist because everything you put out to the world gets critique from everybody.

yeaskrr: Yeah! Even your actions. So you gotta mind [your actions], and really just put your all into developing your craft and developing relationships. That's always one thing that I always had a knack for. Sometimes, you know, you get Beyoncé'd or Drake'd— you reach out, you get left on seen. You just gotta pick this shit up and keep on going because eventually they'll see what you're doing, and they'll see the vision. A lot of people who didn't see the vision [are] in the audience now, and I'm very appreciative of it, you know?

xoarctic: When we were both in the collective Sixtyworld, led by Sixtythree, a lot of drama ensued, and a lot of the core [members] of the group stopped making music. What do you think was the catalyst? What was the breaking point?

yeaskrr: That's a tough one, but like, a lot of the time after sitting with that—'cause there's days where it's harder than it usually is, and you think back to stuff like, "Damn, I wish that never happened." But I'm glad at this point. I'm glad it happened, 'cause it taught me a lot about drive and sacrifice. The reason I say that is because you really have to want this. I remember there was a point in time when I first came around especially, there was still this edgy thing going around, like, "I don't even rap like that, I do this for fun." Like, it's fun for me, but I do this because I wanna do this for a majority of my life and change people's lives around me, whether it be people that I don't know yet or people in my life. I don't do this to be cooler than anybody else. I don't do this to impress shorties. I don't do this to look like I got the most bread or anything like that. All of that comes on its own, whether you want it or not. The main thing to focus on is really just putting yourself out there. That's through the ups and downs, through people laughing at your stuff, doing real snub stuff like, "Oh, the beat's cool." That kills people. Like, you just put your all into that, it took you like a week, and they're like, "Oh, the beat's cool." You gotta take that on the chin 'cause this is the proving grounds. The underground is really the proving grounds. If you can get through this and still be on an upward trajectory as far as [artistic] progression, you know, like with your gift and your creativity and your ideas and keeping the ball rolling… shit, you're gonna be impervious when you get to the point of success.

xoarctic: What are your dream collaborations? Any artist, any producer.

yeaskrr: I really wanna do a whole project with Dani Kiyoko. Dani Kiyoko, to me, is one of the most interesting artists right now. Like, hands down— produces their own shit, got their own swag, got their own way of doing shit, [they’re] cool with the fans. That shit to me is so raw. I definitely wanna work with Dani [more]. I definitely wanna work with Lil B at some point again. I definitely wanna work with some of the people from [KSC/KG]. And that's like Aizeks[nyc], Bappy, you know, LeaveLukeAlone. Like, they're tight, bro. I like their shit, bro. Especially Leavelucalone and ShyneKidNoah. They go too tough. They turnt up, I like that shit.

xoarctic: So, you're six years in and you've dropped so much music. What drives you to keep going as hard as you do after the amount of work you've put in and the amount you've had to sacrifice for your music?

yeaskrr: I feel like we've never stopped evolving, and that's what I think you gotta be comfortable with, you know? Going with the flow. There's always more to do when it comes to being creative. There's no cap on it.

xoarctic: What's your ultimate goal with music?

yeaskrr: My ultimate goal with music is just to see how far I can take this, ‘cause I know it can go far. I love this too much. It means too much to me, and I really want other artists to feel it's within reach. I feel it's something that's coming back now with people like Lazer Dim, myself, Dani Kiyoko, but they have to make this feel tangible. A lot of this shit be like— it's too cap, bruh. Like, you're coming from the mud, coming from the hood, coming from poverty, hard times and stuff. You gotta give these kids some hope, man. It can't just be all, you know, "Oh, I'ma slide on this and slime this out." That shit be cool too, but give [people] something to turn up to, to swag to, to have fun to. It don't gotta be just one thing, man.

xoarctic: So, you mentioned two projects that were on the way [earlier]. From the first project, Breeshcoded, what kind of sounds can we expect from that? Are you going in more of a jerk/hoodtrap direction, tread, et cetera?

yeaskrr: Ambient. Type glo shit. Um, trap, like that Zaytoven type shit. Dark plugg. I'm definitely gonna try to get some tread in there. Lowend. I been fucking with the lowend– that's Ticox's thing. Just more based shit. I feel like the world needs more based shit. I feel that's like a lost thing. I feel like people are starting to do it again, and it's beautiful to see. Shoutout Xhris2Eazy and Acid Souljah.

xoarctic: What do you define success as on a personal level, and do you feel like you've reached that point? If not, what do you feel needs to happen for you to get there from where you’re at?

yeaskrr: I'd say [that] it's a never-ending journey as far as success. Like, that's for you to decide, right? And I personally feel like there's no roof on success. That's wherever you wanna take it or wherever you wanna let that rest at. And I feel like when it comes to success, you know you're successful—at least me personally, I feel like I'm successful when I can see the fruits of my labor reflecting from, you know, the fans, the listeners. Things of that nature. 'Cause you're really not doing anything until they're either agreeing with it or disagreeing with your vision, you know? You need both. You definitely need both. There's a balance there.

xoarctic: Thank you man, this has been really insightful, I appreciate it. Is there anything else you wanna add [before we go]?

yeaskrr: One thing I wanna add is that people right now— if you're an artist and you're making shit, man, this shit is not easy, bro. But like, just stay in that shit. Do that shit, bro. At the end of the day, this shit is about doing your shit, bruh. In the eyes of the world, like, you can't get caught up in the negatives or this beefing shit. Like, sometimes at this point, I can't tell if it’s just marketing or what, but beef does not cross my mind. I am not trying to go to sleep thinking about some other— you know what I'm saying— some opposition. Fuck all that, bro. I gotta keep my mind straight so I can get this music out. That's what's important, man, and that should be [what’s] important to everybody else. Also, just be yourself when it comes to this music shit. Stop copying and copy-pasting, bruh. Learn how to draw from the inspiration, pay homage, and keep it organic without, you know, finding yourself in a situation where [people] are like, "Oh, you sound like so-and-so," and you're like, "I never even heard of 'em," knowing damn well you heard of 'em, bruh.

xoarctic: Right. Thank you, man. This has been a fantastic interview, might be my favorite I’ve done yet.

yeaskrr: Aye, good shit. Appreciate you, man.

xoarctic: Hit me up whenever, man. I'ma send you some beats soon. Thank you for your time.