Rising producer and Daily Chiefers influencer Yung Icey has been killing the game since his arrival. Working with notable talented artists such as SmokePurpp, Yung Bans, D-Savage, Famous Dex, Denzel Curry and more as Icey continues to put his imprint on the industry while getting better at his craft and working with bigger and more influential artists than ever before. Now, Icey is working on a collaborative project brought to you by Red Bull x Daily Chiefers to help curate and be involved in making the first ever Red Bull Mixtape. I had the pleasure to sit with Yung Icey and ask him a few questions on his journey through music to this point. Check the Q&A out now and get to know more about Yung Icey.
City of Birth: Rock Hill, South Carolina
Current City: Columbia, South Carolina
Age: 22
Q: How did you first get involved with artists such as SmokePurpp, Famous Dex, and Denzel Curry?
A: Well I first linked with Denzel Curry on Twitter early on before he was huge. Originally, I had sent the Ice Age beat to Mike Dece, Curry heard the record and took over from there hence the first Ice Age Record to drop was featuring Mike Dece before they dropped the remastered version with just Denzel. I produced that song in Highschool so I really didn’t know how big it was for me until years later. I was making moves very early on with producing.
I also got in tune with Purpp early before he got well known and even signed. I saw some of his music on Twitter and he had hit me asking for beats, I thought he was dope l, so I sent him some beats and we made a song called Zips. After that we kept working and making more music. We kept in contact as he continued to go up and met for the first time in New York when I pulled up to one of his stu sessions, ever since then it’s love every time we see each other.
I got in tune with Dex thanks to D Savage. Savage been rocking with me for a while and we had been working before I even got Dex on some of my beats. D Savage was in the studio with Dex in LA and he told me to send him some beats and they ended up rapping on my beat for their first song together. Fast forward to 2018, one of my artist, NGeeYL, signs to 300 and him and Dex become lable mates. So from there I just been working with Dex through mutual relationships. I met Dex this summer in New York as well and we chopped it up he’s dope. We got a lot of work on the way.
Q: What sounds do you like to use that influence your music in an original way?
A: A lot of people like the way I sample beats and chop them in a way that they turn into something new. With my music I like to leave an impression on people and have them wanting to come back for more. Really music is about waves and vibes now a days so if you can make people vibe or evoke emotion through your art you’re golden. I’m from the south as well so I like hard and loud 808s. I also like to make melodic melodies that are dark or bouncy on a more happy feel , I try to keep it simple and not overdue the process. Really my beats match my moods whenever I make them.
Q: Where do you see production for hip-hop going in the next 5-10 years? What do you think will change for the worse/ better?
A: I see hip-hop evolving more and more every year. There is always something new coming out that gets everyone’s attention. Essentially, music is recycled and reformed in a way to turn it into something new. I think the production is only going to continue to elevate and people will gravitate to the new waves for the better. It’ll continue to grow and change daily as people press the creative boundaries that other people try to make. One thing I fear is over saturation in the game, a lot of people are trying to make music/beats and really it tends to be overwhelming.
Q: What are early influences that molded your music, lyrics and style?
A: I listened to a lot of reggae music growing up which helped me fall in love with music and inspired me. At a very young age I would hear things in the media around me such as video games, tv shows, and music on the radio and played loops in my head which would get stuck there. It helped me grasp how music worked and get a sense of a beat early on that stuck with me until I taught myself how to make beats. It’s like a light bulb went off in my head and it all added up.
Q: Who and what do you listen to now?
A: I really listen to my artist that I manage, music that I produce, and new artist that I’m looking it for. I like to listen to stuff that a lot of people aren’t listening to or haven’t caught onto yet. It’s fun finding new music before everyone else gravitates to it and watching artist come up from nothing to stardom.
Q: What are some of the collaborations that have shaped your career?
A: A lot of people know me from my early work with the likes of Denzel Curry, and Yung Simmie. Yung Bans has also been a big collaboration that has set a lot of my foundational work. We made hits early on and I produced some of his biggest and most known songs that have a lot of longevity. I’m grateful for the music we created because it help me in various amounts of ways and also helped me grow as a producer.
Q: Who would you like to work with in the future?
A: I really feed of genuine people who actually want to work with me. I want to advance but I’m all for organic interactions with artist. I want to work with Metro Boomin, Zaytoven, wheezy beatz, Southside, Sonny Digital, TM88 and a lot of others I just can’t think of everybody in one sitting. A lot of producers and artist inspire me though.
Q: What are your goals as an artist when it’s all said and done?
A: One of my goals is to have longevity. I want people to be able to go back years from now and be able to listen to my music and appreciate it. My main goal is to take care of myself and my family, art in the music is my career and how I provide for the people around me, so ultimately if I can use this gift to make my loved ones happy I’m satisfied.
Q: What goes into your decision to select and record over a beat?
A: Really I make beats specifically for artist. i don’t send random packs out. If I know I’m working with a specific artist I either go through my catalogue and find beats that fit them or cook beats specifically for artist. I’m very picky with my work and content.
Q: Tell us how you feel about being features on the Daily Chiefers x Red Bull Music mixtape.
A: I think it’s a dope opportunity and two companies coming together to change music and consumption of music. I enjoyed working with new producers and artist and thought it was a dope atmosphere to be in.
Q: What does the future hold for you? What are your plans for the next 6-12 months?
A: I plan to continue to make dope music and work with my artist under me helping them continue their career and reach our goals collectively. I have a lot of big plans for 2019 and think it’ll be another great year of success although I can’t speak on much. Be on the look out for me! Big things are happening.
