Indie Midlands: How was Young Jimmy created?
Young Jimmy: I was dubbed ‘YOUNG JIMMY’ at age 19.
Indie Midlands: What is HOOD ROCK and what does it signify?
Young Jimmy: HOOD ROCK to me is exactly what it spells, HOOD + ROCK, when people ask me “what kind of music do you make?” I usually say. “What is the opposite of ‘Suburban Rock’?” Ight so.. Suburban Rock is white rock bands like Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday, The Used from the early 2000s. I am not White, I did not grow up in the suburbs, and lastly I don’t appropriate another man’s culture. Black people listen to rock music too we created it. We exist, we are just often ignored, shunned and shamed from my experience. There are a lot of us ‘alternative’ ‘HOOD ROCKERS’ even more so now. That being said, despite the content of my Rock songs that alone makes me as an artist as a musician in rock n roll culture ‘HOOD ROCK’(people love labels). Im from New York City, born in Manhattan I grew up in The Bronx, in the projects, in tha HOOD. I grew up as an city kid obsessed with rock music and culture in the HOOD, in an urban environment that’s my perspective as an African American rock artist. Learning as a kid and knowing rock culture was created by my people here in America always intrigued me, It gave me a sense of pride and acceptance (despite not feeling accepted). When ignorant people in the HOOD called me white boy or oreo for listening to rock music and dressing like a rock star, deep down I knew I was acting black. Racist and ignrant people are the same to me, culture is the expression of the people who created it, not the appropriators. I make ROCK music with a very HOOD perspective that’s my authenticity and I can’t change it, it’s a part of who I am now. Even if I moved to a nice big house in the suburbs I will never forget where I came from and what I experienced.
Indie Midlands: What aspects of ‘Pull Up to the Party’ showcase features of Hood Rock?
What makes a track, sound or artist part of the genre?
Young Jimmy: Pull up to the Party is a very ‘HOOD ROCK’ song, I played hard rock rhythm electric guitar on the track, and a lead guitar solo with a bassist and drummer. My vocal cadence is very much a HOOD version of Zack de la Rocha (rap/ rock). The vocals has a very heavy Hip Hop street element in the content and delivery with a touch of rock n roll. I would say my vocals and perspective on that song combined with the rock music features HOOD ROCK the sub-genre. But on second thought, I have another song on my album called ‘I Never Would’ which is a straight rock song about how I would never do the things people have done too me. If you listen to the lyrics I’m saying some HOOD shit on the track,”I’ve always been misunderstood/ people lack sympathy in the HOOD/ I trade places if I could”. There’s no hip hop influence there at all just my perspective, “I only smoke chronic with backwoods/ relentless attacks on my manhood/ I never would”. When I was growing up I was constantly called gay by people in the streets and from some family members simply because of the way I dressed. I am not gay I just refuse to conform to what niggaz was doing at the time, being a HOOD ROCKER was literally a lifestyle choice that I paid harshly for. I’m always gonna do what I feel is right. That song is also very HOOD ROCK as well as the intro ‘Rockett 88 Enters Orbit’, like I said before its the perspective which creates the content plus rock music. Audiences will be forced to enter my world when introduced to my music.
What makes an artist sound part of the genre HOOD ROCK is pretty simple, its the same as what makes an artist sound ‘Suburban Rock’ or ‘Country Rock’. Rock music plus perspective which is your environment which has heavy influnce on your content. I came up with that name only as a means to describe my sound and perspective as an artist and musician. You have to be a person of color from the HOOD or urban city environment who creates and listens to Rock music, that alone creates a unique perspective I have yet to see in rock music until now. HOOD ROCK is a new subgenre of Rock N Roll culture. I only incorporate Hip Hop in some of my songs because I grew up in The Bronx around Hip Hop music and culture. I knowingly and sometimes unknowingly regurgitate what I went through and the aggressive raw energy ive experienced into my music. Theres a release there like venting.
Indie Midlands: Do you face any setbacks in a genre that is quite contemporary?
Young Jimmy: The only set backs I have honestly seen or experience is being black in a culture that has become very white. Yes I have experienced a lot of RACISM in rock, and i’m not light skin, mixed race, I didn’t grow up privileged at all, i’m quite the opposite. I really came from the bottom, unlike Drake. HOOD ROCK is a contemporary sub-genre based around the marginalized have-nots perspective which creates the content, its still rock music its just not appropriation, its authenticity.
Indie Midlands: How have you evolved to be the artist you are now?
Young Jimmy: I started as just a Guitarist, then I became a singer/ songwriter, then a Rapper, I combined all of those talents and here we are.
Indie Midlands: Is there anything significant you have learnt on your musical journey so far?
Young Jimmy: Invest in yourself, try new things, and know the business side of things.
Looking to the future, where do you want to see the music industry?
Indie Midlands: More black people in rock music in general, I see it starting to happen now which excites me, I dont think Hip Hop would of made it to the #1 spot in America if there were more black people in rock culture. Rock was #1 in America for a long time now its not. We have to call out and get rid of those racist gate keepers in the industry and give more oppotunities to black people in a culture they created. We exist, we out here, we make rock music too.
Indie Midlands: Where do you see your future self?
Young Jimmy: Happy with a successful music career taking care of my family in my first house paid for.