Yung Berg Interview

DJ Booth: What’s going on ya’ll? It’s your boy Z doin’ it real big, and joining me inside the DJ booth is an upstart rapper, signed to Epic, and luring all the sexy young ladies his way. Originally from my hometown of Chicago, say what’s up to Yung Berg. What’s goin’ on?

Yung Berg: Chillin’ man—how ya’ feelin’?

DJ Booth: M-a-a-a-n, I’m great. I saw you wearing a fitted White Sox hat in a few promo pictures. When you’re out, where do you say you are from? L.A. or the South Side of Chicago?

Yung Berg: I say I’m from the south side of Chicago all day—everyday.

DJ Booth: A lot of people are most familiar with you because of your new single, Sexy Lady, which is blazin’ the radio. For everyone else, tell the world about Yung Berg?

Yung Berg: Well, basically Yung Berg is a product of Hip-Hop music. When Hip-Hop was “dead,” it wasn’t really dead. It was just having a baby and it created me and the YBMG. We had triplets. I’ve written everything on my own. Every rap on the album is written by me. Every track you listen to on the album is by me. Any thing you hear produced on the album is strictly by me. I’m just an all around sexy guy, lookin’ to hook up with a sexy lady.

DJ Booth: Berg, why did you decide to spell your name “Yung” as opposed to the traditional spelling which includes the “O”?

Yung Berg: I don’t know, it was an epiphany out of nowhere. I just wrote it down one day, and thought it looked good like that. So I decided to rock it like this.

DJ Booth: Cool. Okay, hypothetically say you and I were out at the club and there are some sexy ladies on the dance floor. The DJ changes up the set, you look at the young lady and say, “Hey sexy lady it was nice to know you, but I gotta move on.” What does that girl say back to Yung Berg?

Yung Berg: What else could you say? I wasn’t bein’ disrespectful; in fact I called you a “sexy lady.” I just told you I gotta move on, and at the same time, I gotta take it to the next one. I’m just bein’ me.

DJ Booth: When a fan hears a song like that, first thing that comes to mind is, “This is Berg’s life. This probably happened to Berg.” In your personal experiences, how do you treat your relationships?

Yung Berg: Uh, I haven’t really been in a relationship, since like 2 years ago. I’ve just been fallin’ back now. The single life has been good. Every girl I ever come in contact with is great. I have great respect [for them,] but ever since that last relationship-- she cut me deep. Its been hard getting back. I’ve been on that Omarion with the icebox.

DJ Booth: You’re young and life goes by too quick, so why not enjoy the single life?

Yung Berg: Definitely, you gotta enjoy the good life. When you get married, and do the Wifey-thing, it’s kinda hard.

DJ Booth: Besides your debut album coming out in August, you have an EP entitled “Almost Famous,” dropping in July. Talk about it…

Yung Berg: Yeah, I got a new EP coming out in July, first or second week. It’s gonna be incredible. Its 5 music videos, coordinated with 5 songs. You’ll get the sexy lady song and video, along with a remix featuring Jim Jones and Rich Boy. You’re also gonna get the “Into It” video which features my artist, Tony Loco, and my producer JFK. Then you’re gonna get the “Bouncin’ Back” track and video on there, which features Shawnna, Ray J, Cap 1 and my other artist, Hundred Grand. Then you’re gonna get the title track of the EP, Almost Famous, and the video for it is going to be incredible. It’s directed by me and its going to be great.

DJ Booth: You got a lot going on. You mentioned a song Shawnna, who is also from your Chicago. I read that you hooked up with her and worked as her hype-man. That’s puttin’ in work. A lot of people feel like deserve to be at the top, but they don’t have to put in the hard work, and all of the hours. It’s kind of like interning at a place of business. Do you feel like even though you’re only 21, you’ve put in enough hard work that you’re deserving?

Yung Berg: Definitely, yeah I’ve been grindin’ since I was fifteen. It’s been rap or die. The bottom line is when you be careful, and you work hard at what you’re doin’ and your good at what you do, it’s gonna work out for you. Just keep goin’ and keep pressin’ on, because a lot of people want you to quit. They want you to give up. They want you be like them, and unfortunately you could never be like them. You just grind hard, and go forward.

DJ Booth: Exactly. Your debut album which I mentioned earlier is titled, “Look What You Made Me.” Two-part question: What are you now and who made you that way?

Yung Berg: What I am now is a product of the music, and who made me that way is every artist, actor, everybody that’s influenced my life or touched me. If you’ve been in my life, look what you’ve made me. If I’ve heard your music, and been moved, look what you made me…

DJ Booth: If those inspirations fir into a pie chart, who would have the biggest slice? What individual is mostly responsible for where you are right now?

Yung Berg: To be honest with you, it would be DMX, Jay-Z, and Nas.

DJ Booth: That’s pretty good. That’s a lot of albums sold right there. Currently 21 years old, you’re young. Was going to college ever a consideration for you?

Yung Berg: Never.

DJ Booth: Okay, if you did go to college, and music was not an option, what would you have studied?

Yung Berg: To be honest, I don’t know. I was so tunnel-visioned and this is no diss on school. I respect everyone that is in school, doin’ there thang and staying positive. Like, if you go hard at school… then go hard at it! Like I said, I was just tunnel-visioned into rapping. I got my deal early, when I was real young, so other options were not a reality.

DJ Booth: A lot of young artists, like yourself, have seen a lot of success on their singles; however it has not translated into albums sold. Do you feel ring tone sales are a sufficient measure of success?

Yung Berg: Naw. I’m trying to sell records. I want to be at the Grammy’s next year. You know what I’m sayin’? I want to be holdin’ trophies and things of that nature, and just due to my album, and the all-star cast that I put together, is kind of like a Diddy album. Not exactly like Diddy, you know Diddy is the greatest. I could never be like him, but just the elements of an All-Star cast. It’s just crazy. I think I got 10 major features on my album, which is almost ridiculous.

DJ Booth: I like the way you covered that one up. Let’s be real here, Diddy is great as we all know, but he’s not the best rapper in the world. He would probably even agree with that statement.

Yung Berg: No comment on that one. I’m gettin’ down with Diddy right now, last night, hey.

DJ Booth: Okay—you could party with him. He could put together a hell of an album, but I still think he would agree. Okay, let’s play a game now. Its called “Chicago or Los Angeles.” I’m going to give you a category and you tell me which city wins.

Yung Berg: Okay.

DJ Booth: Who has the better food, Chicago or Los Angeles?

Yung Berg: L.A.

DJ Booth: Okay—who has the better nightlife?

Yung Berg: L.A.

DJ Booth: Now taking into consideration that Chicago winters are very cold, who has the better-looking women, L.A. or Chicago?

Yung Berg: L.A.

DJ Booth: Who has better traffic conditions?

Yung Berg: Chicago.

DJ Booth: Who’s got the better B-ball team?—The Bulls or the Lakers?

Yung Berg: Chicago.

DJ Booth: Who’s the better Mecca for up and coming talent in the Hip-Hop industry?

Yung Berg: L.A..

DJ Booth: Yung Berg, in 10 seconds—tell everybody when in July your EP drops, and in August when your album drops, that they need to save up all of that money from their summer jobs, so that when the calendar flips over to the next month, they need to pick up a copy of your debut album.

Yung Berg: Yes sir, okay 10 seconds I’m gonna rap it up. Be a young boss and get all those pennies together, because I am dropping a classic. Get one for the car and one to keep in the plastic. That’s all.

DJ Booth: Ten seconds! You’re the first person that actually finished on time, in exactly 10 seconds. Sometimes I’ll say 10 seconds, and it turns into 45 seconds. Go ahead and give everybody your website, and MySpace address, so they can find out more about you and your impending releases…

Yung Berg: If you want to check me out go to www.myspace.com/YungBerg. You can also go to www.yungberg.net, or on YouTube, Yahoo! (for the video), and vote my video on 106 and Park to #1. Let’s make it happen baby!

DJ Booth: I appreciate your time, and we wish you nothing but the best of luck.

Yung Berg: Yup, I got you. Thank you sir!

source : www.djbooth.net