We caught up with the New York rapper to discuss his new album ‘Art With No Easel’ and much more.
African Hype: Let’s start off by telling us where you’re from Young Budd?
Young Budd: I’m from New York. Spring Valley, NY to be exact, bout a 20-30 minute ride outside the city.
African Hype: Where do you reside now?
Young Budd: I live in South Florida. Been here 4yrs now.
African Hype: Dope. Ok let’s get Into it.
African Hype: What is it that drivers you to create art and music?
Young Budd: My son kahlik and my daughter Mya, is what drives me. My struggle is what drives me. What I’ve been through that’s what drives me. I’ve lost a lot on this road. Friends, family, people i loved and trusted. It’s not easy keeping everything together while at the same time shaping your reality. Honestly the loneliest part is being away from kids, it’s crazy cause we talk almost everyday but you still feel something missing you know. The music keeps me alive, keeps me motivated, inspired and focused.
African Hype: What inspired the lyrics for your most popular song ‘CMB’?
Young Budd: Aaghh yea CMB is a good one. I was really tapped in when I wrote that record. Touching base on points in my life, from family & friends to the senseless murder of my uncle, to motivating my young niggas yea I feel I covered a lot of ground with ‘CMB’. Covered a lot of truths to certain things me or my listeners are going or may have gone through. I wanted to write a record that would resonate with people from all over the world, give them something they could relate to. Like when I said “From the start it was from the heart, but things change and people do to shit is bound to fall apart” that’s something people can feel not just hear and that’s what I feel being creative is all about being able to feel the art you know.
African Hype: What inspired the lyrics for your latest single Members Only?
Young Budd: I write the music the way I see it, If you’re listening right you’ll hear my story. Shit be like a movie sometime for real. Members Only is about family and doing right by the niggas younger then you. Quality of life type shit.
African Hype: What type of movies do you like? What are some of your hobbies, or interests that might surprise your fans?
Young Budd: I like Mob Movies. I watch series mostly, action thrillers are my go to tho. I like hitting the beach as much as possible, I’d definitely say I’m more of an outdoor spontaneous type of person. My favorite food is spaghetti. Favorite color is blue. I like all kinds of music. I have a Renovation company, interest in stocks and other investments. I read and listen to a lot of books, articles and podcast.
African Hype: Are you signed to a label or independent, do you have a management team?
Young Budd: I am independent. To be honest I am the artist, manager & owner of my music and brand. I’ve had a few people at that manager role come and go, I honestly got tired of waiting on the right people, shit I’m the creator at the end of the day, so that’s what did I began to manage myself and when the right person catches up with me ill have everything ready, he or she could just get to work.
African Hype: What does Kultivation mean?
Young Budd: The kultivation is our core network of supporters who help assist with the sharing aspect of our music, insights, methods and material. The Anchor represents Love, Honor, Loyalty, Trust And Respect. Holding shit down. Staying solid. It’s a way of life, staying true to the rules that’s always been there and to what you believe in. It’s about up lifting others by sharing our art and stories.
African Hype: Do you have a merch line?
Young Budd: Yes we do and will be Releasing the first few items soon. The Kultivation Store is on the way!
African Hype: Where can people find and stream your latest single Members Only?
Young Budd: It’s been released on all streaming platforms. Most popular for me are Spotify, Youtube, Apple Music, Tidal, Google Play and Amazon.
African Hype: 2020 going into 2021, what can we expect from Young Budd?
Young Budd: A harder grind. I got things more organized, I’ll be out interacting with the people but cautious at the same time, Covid been hating hard. I got some shows lined up, I’ll be traveling to work with other artist, different producers and engineers. I have a lot of visuals I’ll be shooting as well as an in-depth look at the process. I Just want to connect with my core base and support system a little more, they keep me focused. My music is in the world now and people love it. Forever grateful.
African Hype: Lastly, what do you have to say to the up and coming artist’s out there?
Young Budd: Don’t quit. I know it sounds cliche’ but that’s the one thing I haven’t done. I’ve been up been down and back up but through it all I never gave up nor do I plan to. So if you’re an artist out there and having a hard time, step back for second analyze, plan and then attack it with no fear!
African Hype: Where can people follow you to stay updated?
Young Budd: The Kultivation website will be available soon!
You can follow me on Instagram: @realyoungbudd
Spotify: Young Budd
Apple Music: Young Budd
You can also follow me on Spotify, Apple Music, or Tidal: Young Budd
Thanks for having me, I enjoyed it, very informative. Appreciate the love and support of my fans, my hood and the ones that raised me. Thank you!
Katika wimbo wao mpya wenye mchangamsho “Play Your Clarinet!”, Into the Blood wanaunganisha midundo ya kielektroniki inayoshika kwa urahisi na mgeuko wa kusisimua: solo la klaneti lenye mionjo ya jazz kutoka kwa Peter Fuglsang. Uchezaji wake unaongeza mguso wa uchezaji wa moja kwa moja unaokamilisha msingi wa kidijitali wa wimbo huu, na kuunda tukio la kipekee kabisa la kusikiliza.
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Jiunge nasi katika safari ya kimataifa Acha “Play Your Clarinet!” ikupeleke kuvuka mipaka, sauti na tamaduni. Wimbo mmoja. Lugha kumi na moja. Utasikika kwenye majukwaa yote makubwa ya kusikiliza muziki mtandaoni, na video za maneno ya wimbo zitapatikana kwenye YouTube. Jifunge mkanda na ufurahie safari!
Kuhusu Into the Blood Duo la Into the Blood—Jens Brygmann (sauti za kuimba na ngoma za kidijitali) na Carsten Bo Andersen (kinanda na sintesa)—imekuwa ikifanya kazi tangu mwaka 2016. Muziki wao umekuwa ukipigwa kwenye vituo mbalimbali vya redio duniani, vikiwemo vya Uingereza, Australia na Ufaransa.
Toleo la asili la “Play Your Clarinet!” pia linapatikana kwenye rekodi ya vinili ya inchi 12 kama sehemu ya mradi wao mkubwa wa Destination 11, unaojumuisha video ya muziki ya dakika 11. Video hiyo imewahi kuonyeshwa katika matamasha mbalimbali ya kimataifa ya filamu fupi, na hadi sasa tayari imeshinda tuzo mbili nchini India, kufikia hatua ya fainali kwenye East Village New York Film Festival na Las Vegas International Film & Screenwriting Festival, nusu fainali kwenye Seattle Film Festival na robo fainali kwenye Synergy Film Festival huko Los Angeles.
Mradi wa Destination 11 umefadhiliwa na White City Consulting na Custom Coaching.
Montreal-based pop sensation and LGBTQ activist Van Hechter is back with “Boy Problems,” a stunning new single. The track merges his signature upbeat charm with rare emotional depth. Hechter, known for hits like “Disco Brother,” “Hot Damn,” and “Love Elastic,” reveals a new side to his magnetic electro-pop personality, offering a message that is both radiant and raw.
At 4 minutes and 24 seconds, “BoyProblems” is a bilingual (French & English) eruption of glitter, melancholy, and empowerment. It’s built on irresistible synths, glossy production, and pulsing basslines. The song invites listeners into a world where heartbreak beats in rhythm with liberation. The melodies feel euphoric on the surface, yet are stained with a haunting vulnerability, proving that dancing and deep feeling can exist together.
At its core, the song is a manifesto about refusing to settle for half-love. Van delivers lyrics that make you sway, smile, and suddenly pause; the truth stings. If love isn’t loud, real, and fully given, he’d rather walk away. It’s a reminder wrapped in rhythm: loving yourself means refusing the small version of what you deserve.
Filled with Hechter’s signature humor, glamour, and optimism, “Boy Problems” is a club anthem and a soul-stirrer all at once. The bilingual lyrics expand its emotional reach. The track feels at home anywhere, from Parisian dance floors and New York rooftops to headphones on a bus or speakers at Pride.
This is a jam that makes you feel like you’re flying, free from pretense. It’s definitively dance-pop and unmistakably Van Hechter, though the smile has a real heartbeat underneath. Listeners will hear that signature flair; he’s still cheeky, stylish, and unapologetically queer. His artistry is simply sharpened with new emotional honesty. This is a growth moment, delivered with a wink and a synth hook.
“Boy Problems” is a significant step beyond a simple catchy single. It’s a toast to self-worth. A glittering rebellion against lukewarm love. A reminder that the dance floor can be a place to heal. This sonic centerpiece belongs on your playlist, and on your friends’ too.
Sometimes a song shows up like that friend who kicks open the door without knocking, grinning and saying, “get your shoes, we’re leaving.” “Tule Tule,” the new single from South Sudanese artist TR Craze featuring Jamaican-UK rapper Caine Marko, moves exactly like that. The track is bold and charged, carrying the weight of lived experience while stomping over a dark, menacing drill beat that feels built for the streets as much as the club.
TR Craze’s backstory reads like a movie script Hollywood studios would fight over. He was born in South Sudan, shaped by the trauma of civil war, and pushed into the harsh realities of refugee life. He literally survived the treacherous routes through Libya and across the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe. This man distills survival into rhythm. On “Tule Tule,” you can feel that heart, that urgency, and that fire in his delivery, channelled into a raw, assertive drill performance that cuts through even if you don’t understand a single word of the opening verse. At its core, “Tule Tule” is a raw, assertive drill track that isn’t afraid to bare its teeth.
The word “Tule” comes from Nuer. It refers to youth games and the electric thrill of chasing something, whether that’s victory, joy, or destiny. TR Craze uses that spirit like a drumbeat beneath his voice. The choruses hit with a communal, call-and-response warmth but here that playfulness is flipped into a gritty, chant-like hook – “Tule Tule” – that feels like the rallying cry of a crew on the move. Even without translating the lyrics, the tone tells you everything. This is about motion, pursuit, celebration, and refusing to stay stuck in the past, all wrapped in an unapologetic, high-adrenaline atmosphere. Lyrically, the track leans into street life, dominance and crew loyalty, matching the tension in the beat.
Behind them, producer Kyxxx builds a dark, tense soundscape, stitching drill drums with Brazilian bounce and Bhangra-flavoured rhythmic elements that keep the track constantly on edge. The result is a gritty, energetic and unapologetic atmosphere that pulls you straight into their world.
Then Caine Marko slides in for the second verse, and the whole energy pivots into a sharp, swagger-heavy bounce. His flow is clean but gritty, confident and confrontational, shifting between braggadocio and sly charm.
“She knows I’m a wolf and I run the pack,” he starts, classic alpha talk, but delivered with a laid-back grin. “She come first like running track,” he continues, flipping between affection and athletic metaphors like a man who’s too used to moving fast.
Then he opens up the verse more: “Doing dirt and getting with a bitty, I only pretty… then back to the city. Got me some liquor then it got me some weed.” It’s lifestyle rap, but the reckless, unapologetic kind. It’s the messy, outside-at-night, live-in-the-moment vibe that balances TR Craze’s more grounded narrative. When he ends with “you going to hang with the gang,” the energy snaps into a group-hyped finale, a reminder that music like this isn’t meant to be consumed alone, underlining the crew-first loyalty at the heart of the record.
“Tule Tule” works because it blends worlds without softening its raw, street-hardened edge. It merges East African emotion, Caribbean-UK swagger, drill and hip-hop grit, Brazilian and Bhangra textures in Kyxxx’s production, diaspora storytelling, and a spirit of joy that refuses to be dimmed by pain.
Let “Tule Tule” run while you’re walking, cooking, texting, or plotting big dreams – or getting ready to step out with your crew.