One of Cleveland’s latest artists to create a heavy buzz in the music scene goes by the name of YSN Flow. With over ten million streams across 4 videos on his YouTube channel, Flow has demonstrated a clear ability to grow his digital audience. His voice and melodic ability have served him well thus far, and it’s not going to stop any time soon. We got a chance to sit down with the 15-year-old who’s making waves all over the internet.
DailyChiefers: What’s good bro, excited to have gotten a chance to talk… We’ve been keeping up with you since “Want Beef” was under 10k plays on YouTube (now at 10M+). Also really happy to see you’re out of jail.
YSN Flow: Yeah, that shit was fucking terrible- I hated that shit.
DailyChiefers: You good now? Or you still got some shit to settle with it?
YSN Flow: Nah, I still gotta go to trial to straighten everything out and go to trial.
DailyChiefers: I saw you had turned yourself in; did you just want to get in front of that shit?
YSN Flow: I was supposed to turn myself in two Mondays ago, but I never did because I wanted to shoot the “Geeked Up” video”, so I just like stayed out. I didn’t go to school or nothing I didn’t want anybody to pick me up, and on Monday I decided to just turn myself in.
DailyChiefers: Word, well everybody here at Chiefers is wishing you good luck, that process sucks but we’re hoping it all works out for you.
YSN Flow: Thanks bro, I appreciate that, and I pray it does.
DailyChiefers: What led you to choose the name YSN Flow?
YSN Flow: My rap name used to be ‘K Flow’, and then ‘Lil Flow’, and then me and my homie Marlo made a group called ‘YSN’, so I changed my name to ‘YSN Flow.’
DailyChiefers: So you said you started out with your boy rapping. Was there anything that inspired that (like an artist) or did it just feel right at the time?
YSN Flow: At the time it just felt right.
DailyChiefers: Did you have any prior musical experience or did you just go straight to rapping?
YSN Flow: I ain’t really have no experience. I was just listening to music like local rappers and I would rap at recess with my friends and shit. I just felt like it was good so I started, and it just started taking off slowly but surely.
DailyChiefers: Yea bro I’ve been noticing, and it seems like the rest of the world is noticing too. You’ve racked up millions of views, not to say I didn’t expect it, but your YouTube skyrocketed from the jump. So what do you think has been to you being so successful this early?
YSN Flow: Just patience and putting my trust in God- like I’d be doubting myself for real, but then I just put my trust in God and hope everything goes the way I want it to. It always ends up going the right way. For real you just gotta pray and wait for shit to happen. Gotta make moves.
DailyChiefers: Some manifestation shit. So how do you balance high school and a rap career at the same time? Do you find it difficult?
YSN Flow: Yea it’s hard as hell. I don’t be even finding time to write and shit. And then I’ll be missing school cause I have to go to meetings and shit. And I need to get a doctors-note cause I‘m on probation so I ain’t allowed to miss school for nothing. So I have to like fake sick and go to the doctors, and when I go back to school I have hella makeup work. I never have time to do that shit. Yea it’s just hard as hell. I can’t wait till I’m off probation so I can just drop out.
DailyChiefers: Yeah I was about to ask you if you had any plans to continue your education after high school, but it sounds like you’re just going straight into focusing on music. Is that right?
YSN Flow: Yea but out here it’s illegal to drop out so I might have to do it online, and I’m gonna have to get to someone to do my work for me.
DailyChiefers: Word, I love the finesse. I see you’ve been doing a lot of performing lately; What’s been your favorite performance so far?
YSN Flow: The Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash, for real.
DailyChiefers: How was the crowd? Did you get to catch up with any fans?
YSN Flow: There were hella people there, and I did get to meet with some fans. I gained some new fans while getting to meet people who already were supporting me. The fans were rocking to my music heavy.
DailyChiefers: I saw footage of you and your homies messing around at the Summer Smash, it seems like you’ve got a great team dynamic between all of you guys. Do you think that helps make things easier from a marketing angle?
YSN Flow: Definitely, they’re always helping me to push me and promote my shit, and they respect the way that I had came up. I moved out here from the hood to the suburbs, and all the people I keep around are on the same shit- they know what it feels like to come from nothing, so we’ve got a good respect for each other.
DailyChiefers: Being that you’re in a suburban school in Ohio, what’s the demographic like?
YSN Flow: It really isn’t too diverse, it’s probably 90% rich ass kids who really got it.
DailyChiefers: Word. Well, being from Cleveland, are you a big Cudi fan?
YSN Flow: I ain’t never listen to Cudi in my life. Nobody stays talking about him in Cleveland.
DailyChiefers: What’s the main goal that you’re aiming for with your career?
YSN Flow: My biggest goal is to sell out an arena by myself.
DailyChiefers: I notice certain artists have trouble finding a longer-term vision, so that’s admirable that you know exactly what you’re looking for from the game. Are there any artists you want to collab with currently?
YSN Flow: Polo G and Juice WRLD.
DailyChiefers: When you were growing up, were there any artists in particular that you were listening to?
YSN Flow: I didn’t listen to music as much when I was younger, but now I’m always listening to Polo G, Lil Tjay and NLE Choppa.
DailyChiefers: So “Want Beef” is at over 10 million streams on YouTube- what inspired you to make that record?
YSN Flow: Quin NFN definitely inspired me. I had recorded it back in November and had waited on the right time to post it.
DailyChiefers: That’s interesting, what’s your writing process like?
YSN Flow: I freestyle for real, I normally freestyle two to three bars, and just punch in after that.
DailyChiefers: That’s dope, sounds like a very original approach to be creating music with. What’s next for you? You planning on dropping ‘Want Beef 3.0’ next?
YSN Flow: Right now, my drop is either gonna be ‘Want Beef 3.0’ or ‘Illegal Guns’- there’s a snippet on my Instagram. Y’all should check it out.
DailyChiefers: Lastly, if you weren’t rapping right now, where do you think you’d be?
YSN Flow: If I’m being honest, I’d probably be dead or in jail cuz I’m a fucking hot head.
DailyChiefers: I love how honest that answer was, thanks for your time bro. Good luck with the whole legal process. You’ve got the whole Chiefers team rooting for you.
YSN Flow: Appreciate it bro, thank you.
[…] SZN, dropped. It was great catching up with the buzzing young act since we last spoke during our interview. Flow SZN features Quando Rondo, Lil Tjay, Justin Rarri, and YSN Jayo, and contains fire […]