Illustration by Chris Taylor
In our second High Fidelities interview, we talk to Yons, a producer/songwriter based out of Louisville, Kentucky. It’s a wide-ranging discussion that highlights both the challenges he has faced and his sense of humor. I was honored to have been joined by Travis Harris, Associate Editor for The Journal of Hip Hop Studies, in posing the questions.Yons has a new EP out, The Goddess Equation, which you can find on Soundcloud, Spotify, and other streaming services. You can keep up with his work at thespacecampaign.com.
We’re also thrilled to have original art for this series by San Antonio based indie musician and artist Chris Taylor, who you can follow at his website christaylorworld.com.
RUD: Let’s pop this off with questions about getting to know you. Who are you? Where did you come from? How was your childhood?
Yons: I was raised the second oldest son of six kids in St. Petersburg, Florida. We grew up in downtown St. Petersburg near the gulf of Mexico. We didn’t have much, but we made do. We stuck together, my parents were and remain loving and always provided even if we had to stretch some meals out sometimes. I lived in DC for a few years in my early childhood with my grandparents, then we moved back to Florida. It was rough at times, but during the time it didn’t seem as bad as it does in retrospect, looking back. I realize now we were pretty poor. When we lived out of a motel for a year, back then it was just cool to have cable and watch shows like Quantum Leap on the USA Network, as we couldn’t afford it usually and didn’t own a TV for religious reasons. As I got older, the lack of stability started to cause a bit of anxiety that church seemed to answer at the time. I was raised pentecostal and was very involved in church growing up, took frequent youth trips to Indiana where conventions and revivals were held.
RUD: Let’s get into your music life. Are you the same on wax as you are off?
Yons: I try to be. Sometimes I go for a surreal or hyper version of myself. I can tend to be more serious in my music. In person I’m much more likely to tell a joke than talk about object permanence or capitalism. I use my music sometimes to say things I can’t really say in real life. Art, especially Hip Hop, can be that outlet often.
RUD: How did you get started as a rapper/emcee? What do you call yourself, are you a rapper?
Yons: Nowadays I’m more of a producer/songwriter. I feel a rapper means someone that just raps and that can have certain connotations. Like, I’m not really a ‘rapper’ and I don’t mean that negatively, I just don’t really focus on a lot of rapper stuff like I used to. I get nervous about cyphers and stuff because I am not practicing rhyming and freestyling like I did ten years ago. I write and produce much more than I rap, so I feel more like a songwriter and producer. Rap is more of a tool I use to showcase my production and ideas. But if that sounds pretentious, then yeah I’m a rapper.
RUD: You’re based in Louisville, Kentucky. Can you talk a little bit about the music scene there?
Yons: The music scene here is probably like many other undiscovered music scenes across the country. There’s a lot of undiscovered talent and artists trying to find their sound. I’ve gotten a chance to work with a lot of different artists in the city and most of my interactions have been positive. I don’t think there’s a specific sound on the scene. There’s influences from all over and many original sounds. But there are some great up and coming artists, the scene is getting better and better, and people are working together more. There’s still some friction, but not as much as I’ve seen in the past. A lot of artists are branching out in cool ways in their communities and funneling that back into the arts scene. We have a yearly Hip Hop festival called LouiEvolve and every year its gotten even more amazing. I’ve been well received on the music scene, being nominated for album of the year for my collaboration project, Inner Space, with Jordan Jetson in 2016, and making the front cover of local music and culture magazine, The Leo Weekly, this year for my work out of my home studio. It’s been super cool, despite a few unwelcome experiences.
RUD: What is the Space Campaign? Can you tell us about that? How did it come about and who is involved?
Yons: The Space Campaign is a cult I started a few years ago … joking. Not really. *stares*
But seriously, I can’t remember exactly when it started, but it was prior to 2014 as I started mentioning Space on my first EP, Physics on Paper. I’ve always had the space gimmick, or to put it nicely, “theme” in my music. When I was a Christian rapper, my debut album was called Galaxies. It was a mess. The Space Campaign has always been me and whoever was dumb enough to join me. Currently it’s my web-designer, producer, and emcee Luke Gary, my partner in rhyme Jordan Jetson (who was space way before I met him), and illustrator Maceo Lewis, to name a few. Space members come and go. I mainly use it as a means to promote artists and help them advance in their craft skill-wise and career-wise. I usually record artists at budget prices and try to get really talented, but hopelessly unmarketable artists like myself good production. We are the outcasts, the weirdos. Some of us are cool, but I make them weird just by associating with me. That’s what Space is.
RUD: You’re pretty active on social media and open about the struggles in creating your music. What would you say is the biggest challenge you face?
Yons: Money! Next question!
No, seriously though, I have great ideas that would really put my stuff in front of the audience I want, but then I’m like, “$15 probably isn’t gonna be enough to do it. Lets try it anyways!” But I’m learning more and more that if I had all the money to buy all the gear and hire the top videographers, etc., and do any merch idea I wanted, that would be so boring, right?
Wrong! I need money! Next question!
RUD: Your music has been described as Hip Hop that reunites with its roots in soul, funk, and jazz. Do you think that’s an accurate description? What would you call your music?
Yons: That’s pretty accurate so far, but not after this upcoming mixtape I’m dropping called Space Waves. It’s all trap and pop. So they will have to put an asterisk next to that description. But I’m a soul boy, so I definitely lean more towards soulful or funk-inspired melodies and chord progressions. Half due to my church upbringing, the other half due to my dad turning me onto Tarantino movies as a teen.
RUD: What is Hip Hop?
Yons: I honestly have no idea anymore. I think the only thing I can safely say is that Hip Hop is not what anyone thought it was.
RUD: What are your thoughts about where rap is today?
Yons: It is what it is. Every time I complain about the industry or lack of free thinkers among fans, I’m rightly reminded I’m 30 and probably shouldn’t be here. But I’m getting support and young people are liking my music, so I should probably not draw too much of the wrong attention to myself, I might actually break through.
RUD: Hip Hop has plenty of critics. Fox News says it’s corrupting people. And there are those who say Hip Hop is misogynistic and homophobic. How would you respond to that?
Yons: Yes. Hip Hop is honest and if life is misogynistic and homophobic, Hip Hop will be too. Artists bear some responsibility, but let’s get Fox News off the air first then come back to Hip Hop.
RUD: How do you approach songwriting? Do you start with a lyric, a beat, a sample?
Yons: It varies. My work commute got longer, which has worked wonders for my songwriting since I get my best ideas when I’m on the interstate. I almost cause accidents every day trying to type lyrics in my notes app or video record them. Me rapping lyrics using the voice to text feature is pure comedy. I usually have to sound like the furthest thing from a rapper for it to work. I usually make multiple beats once I get a song idea. My song, The Reality, from my new EP, The Goddess Equation, was 3 different songs with 3 different progressions and melodies before I settled on that one. I definitely build using a piano patch on the keyboard. I play out all the chords and melody, then bassline, then drums.
RUD: What’s your creative process? Do you work with a team? Go away on a trip? Lock yourself in a cave?
Yons: I’m mostly just in my home studio. I wish I had something cool to say here, but I’m mostly just in the spare room that my wife lowkey wants to be an extra bedroom. But she loves me so she is letting me get my dreams off in it. That’s where all the magic happens. Nothing fancy at all.
RUD: How has making music affected your growth as a person?
Yons: It has helped in many ways, hurt in some. If it wasn’t for music, I wouldn’t have the outlook I have on life today. I meet all kinds of different people from different walks of life thanks to music and just hearing what everyone has to say definitely broadened my horizons. But on the flip side, the music business is cutthroat. Making yourself vulnerable to be torn down again and again as an artist can take a toll on mental health, especially if prior mental health issues existed. Pursuing a career in music for this long can also leave you immature or inexperienced in many other aspects of life. Like whereas others might have started learning how to build—I don’t know—like houses or whatever. You’re spending your Saturday mornings trying to make your snare sound like a snare that was on a record from 40 years ago. And it’s hard convincing your wife that what you’re doing could actually be worth a house if you can pull that off.
RUD: Tell us about the new album. And where is it available?
Yons: It’s out now! It’s been sent to all streaming services, its on Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Apple Music, etc. But definitely visit my website, thespacecampaign.com, to check it out. It’s called The Goddess Equation and it’s a short concept project that was inspired by a line in an interview Stephen Hawking’s first wife gave: “The goddess Physics was Stephen’s idol. I was not jealous of her, but she did give me some cause for concern.”
RUD: Can you talk about the art for the new EP? Who created that? What was the process in getting that made?
Yons: It was created by Maceo Lewis and thanks for asking! He’s a frequent collaborator who will be doing my upcoming projects as well. He really listens and puts little elements in the art from the music. Overall, he just tries to display the sonics visually.
RUD: What music are you listening to right now?
Yons: ThunderCat, The Internet, Gotye, Dom B, Jay Atoms, Tierra Whack. I am not a music snob at all and I am so busy making music I rarely have time to really listen. I mostly play the same music over and over like Stevie Wonder’s Songs In The Key of Life or oldies hits. I’m very basic as a music listener. I’m not a connoisseur when it comes to what I listen to. If I listen to something complex, it’s mainly to learn how to play it or sample it so I can make something simple.
RUD: What’s next for you?
Yons: I have an album I’ve been working on that 40 people helped raise over $1,000 for me to make. It’s pretty big sounding. It’s another concept project that the fans will enjoy. My song Inspiration is the first single from that album. So it will have more of the Gospel trap soul sound, along with some blues elements. I’m really excited about that project and getting it out to to the people who supported. I have two other projects as well I’m deep into. So a lot of music is definitely coming this year and next. We plan on hitting the road next year and branching out regionally, then nationally. I’m excited, it’s going to be fun. It’s going to be Space.
