Youngn MH Talks “Money Hungry,” Giving Back, Old Brooklyn Drill, New Music & More

What they do with me now? [music] We meet him around [singing] the barrel and lower the sound. >> What's up y'all? It's Kobe. We on a new episode of Talk of the Town. Today we got a special guest. Young MH in the building. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Let's go. What's going on New York? What's up? Money hungry in the building. E for S. What's going on y'all? What's up, man? >> Yeah, I was going to ask you what MH stood for, but then I saw the merch. >> You see, >> and I seen the >> You peeped that, right? Yeah. That's Money Hungry. That's the collection, you know? That's like >> the brand. That's the team. That's the family. You know, we started this in um 2016. >> We made the LLC in 2021. >> Okay. >> And then here we are now. >> Okay. All right. Nice. So, why your your name was kind of hard for me to find cuz you don't spell Young the right way. Yeah, I did that on I did that for a reason because >> why? >> I wanted it to stand out. You know what I'm saying? I felt like if I put the I in it then my name would pop up with a lot of other simil similar artists. So I took the eye out and then it's no eye in team. So that's another little way I >> figured I'll put it like you know. So I took the eye out put it young and then put the MH kind of like how >> you know the way like how NBA Young Boy, you know what I'm saying? NBA and a young boy. You know what I'm saying? Young and MH. You know what I'm saying? >> Okay. So, yeah, it was a little hard to find, but I end up find a goodie. Saw it. >> Finding it. I end up finding it. Okay, that's cool. All right. So, tell the people that don't know where you from? >> From East Flatbush. Uh 34th 34th in church. Uh that's the neighborhood. Uh we hang out on 37th. That's where we be. That's where I'm from. >> Growing up, who are you listening to? >> So, you you could honestly say a mixture of everything that's going on, right? We got um Sosa, you got Chief, you got you know Bobby and I'm from the city, right? You got them. >> And then before that obviously you got people like 50, you know, hip-hop. I listen to I I was listening to whatever was hot at the time. >> So I'm from Guyana. So >> Okay. >> Um >> so no SOA, no >> a little bit of that. That's when a family turned it on, you know. >> Yeah. Okay. But you don't bump that on your own? >> Nah. Nah. >> No. So you wasn't into the >> Yeah. >> backyard parties and all? >> No, we was doing some of that. We was doing some of that [laughter] for sure. We was doing that. But >> growing up in Brooklyn, it's fake regular though. >> Yeah. You know, that's that's that's every day. Every every every time you come outside, that's what you going to hear. Especially in East Flatbush, you know, predominantly a Caribbean, you know, neighborhood and, you know, SOA reggae and then obviously you hear the hip-hop, >> right? All right. So when did you get into music though? So my older brother, Royal Blue, he has uh well, he had um a team called M3. So this was like early 2000s, right? I'm his little bro. So >> I kind of like like what they had going on cuz he had put me a part of it. >> And then um I formed my own group with my own friends, you know what I'm saying? And that's when Money Hungry came about. My older like like my big my big homie uh he passed away in 2019. His name was Spliff. He was like one of the first people to invest into me >> to show me, you know. >> How old was you around this time when all this was happening? >> Oh, this is going on. I'm probably around >> like what year is this? 2014, 2012. >> This is like 20 15 2016. >> Okay. >> So, you can say I'm roughly about 19 around then. >> 19. Okay. >> 20. >> Okay. >> Around then. Growing up in Flatbush, you were listening to Lil 50, a little bit of everybody. >> Everybody, Jay, everything. Everything that's going on. F. >> Did you go to the J pop-up shop? Did you popup shop? >> Nah, I didn't go. I should have went. I should have went. It's funny cuz one of my homeboy is going to the show tonight. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I got to make my ways around. >> Yeah. So, that's cool. All right. So, when did you know you wanted to make music? Um, honestly, I could honestly say like, >> well, did you know >> as as as as as crazy as it may seem is like in like 2021 is when I knew like I this is really what I wanted to do because people started to take to the music differently. >> Okay. >> Um, I don't know if it was because the company I was around or like the things that I was doing or the places that I've been, but more people started to listen to me more and more. I started to collaborate more and then so on and so forth. >> Okay. Before that, everything was trial and error. Like, I ain't even going to lie to you. Everything is just was like shooting throwing blank paint at a blank canvas. >> Yeah. So, before music, what you wanted to do? Like, you wanted to do anything else? >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Like basketball or something? >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Before music, um, I was actually skateboarding. >> Really? >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I was skateboarding. I was skateboarding. Me and my homies, we used to go to Alas, um, Lower East Side Manhattan and [ __ ] We used to go skate all the time. >> We used to go to Brooklyn banks. So that was that was a little part of my you know growing up childhood and [ __ ] like that. >> Okay, cool. All right. So music when did music started picking up for you? >> So music picked up for me um again uh 20 2020s 2021 around those times. Like >> what did you see that you knew was picking up though? Like what you saw like >> it was it's the views, the notoriety. um the people that's listening to me um you know the people I'm able to get access to um real engineers real studios real cameramen real graphic designers everything around me just started making sense for me like it just started working for me instead of me working towards it >> all right and did you have a team at this time or this is still all independent >> n this is just all me and my friends this is just all me the homies my mindset right and then a little bit of the money that we running around putting together in the streets you know we put together here however we do and then you know the engineers or whoever might know an artist will be like hey yo come through this artist dope let's see let's see if y'all could get get a song in and then you know things like that and then magic magic happens >> when did you start creating MH when did that come about >> all right so that happened basically like um at the end of my skateboarding >> uh thing the whole situation um >> I like hurt my ankle and then like I was Yo, [ __ ] this. Like, [ __ ] need some real money. Like, you feel me? Like, we got some real [ __ ] So, >> I was always talented. Like, people always tell me, "Yo, you can rap. Yo, you you nice. You nice." And I sat back and I'm like, "You know what? I'mma rap." And then my my my bigger homie would started putting money into me, videos and certain things like that. And then that's when I like, you know, took it upon myself. And then, you know, I kept going and here we are. >> Okay. So when MH was created, like who did you and your friends come up with the name? >> Yeah, me and my homie right here came up with the name right right here. My homie Playboy. >> Okay. >> You came up with the name? >> Yeah. >> And then um I hit my boy Tro two raw graphic designer. >> He uh drew up the design >> after that. It was it was history. It >> was history after that. >> Yeah. It was funny cuz I was moving around a lot. I should have had the penant on too. You know what I'm saying? >> It's okay. So um All right. So started doing music, started going up. So, what's the plan with MH? Like, what's the goal? >> The plan for this, come on. We got merch, we got music, we trying to build a whole enterprise. I want to give back to the community. >> You know what I'm saying? If I can, I want to I want to do a festival. Um, >> I want to build a marketing team, >> anything on like helping and giving back to the industry and the communities that help me, you know what I mean, to become the person I am today. >> How do you feel about the like community give backs all in all? Do you feel like it helps? Do you feel like >> some people feel like the culture be draining a lot out of artists when they do that? Some people feel like, oh, it helps. Some people feel like, you know, they got to do it cuz >> I agree. I mean, I like I feel like if you could if you could do it and your team or your label could afford to do it, then why not? Because I'm going tell you why. Because sometimes to me like people look at artists as I would say like superhumans in a way or like they look at like artists like you know like they're nonhuman. >> And um I just feel like >> it's important to give back um being looked as even in that light because >> as a celebrity you're not supposed to be idolized and certain things. So at least the least you could do is give back to the community. You know um money's going to come and go. That's regardless. Money's here to be used as as a tool. >> Yeah. >> So the quicker people understand that then they could you know the world could be a better place. >> Okay. But in a lot of in those situations a lot of times pe people are ungrateful. So do you still give >> or do you just >> Well that's the thing. See because you got to know where to give to. It got to be like toy drives schools. >> Yeah. >> It's not about >> give to the youth. Don't give to >> Yeah. Don't Yeah. You can't give to the greedy. Don't give to the greedy adults. You you got to give to the youth. And that's mainly what I what I mean. It's like we going to give back to the youth, to the people that need it. And even to the ones that might not need it, the ones you might need a little guidance or just you might need a new idea. That's so that's why we here. >> All right. So, I was doing my research on you. >> Yeah. Appreciate you. >> Yeah. So, you got a song with Fetty Fetty Luciano back in the day. You been outside. >> Free Freddy. Free Freddy. Free that boy, man. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I've been outside. I know like I've been outside. I know those guys well. Um well, all of them. OP. >> All of them. Scooby. What up, Scoob? >> Um >> Fatty, uh Free Him, like Yeah, that came about just running around. Um I met >> Bro a minute ago, like just running around the streets and obviously, you know, studio work and stuff like that. >> We kept that relationship. Yeah. >> And when it was time for me to pull pull put my project out, I called him up. He pulled up to the studio. We knocked that out. One, two, three. And then now I'm head over I headed over to the 90s >> and we shot the video because I'm from the 30s. So I head over to the 90s >> and we got that done. >> Yeah. >> It's on YouTube for y'all to see Aquafina >> Young Mage featuring uh Freddy Luciano. >> Yeah. I was about to say you have >> a lot of features. >> You kind of like I feel like they're all like spread out. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> In this life like Jim Jones wisdom. >> Yeah. A little bit of everybody. So, a lot of that stuff came about, too, because >> I'm an album I'm an album artist. I'm not like a single type guy. >> Yeah. >> So, I I focus on projects. I focus on bodies of work. So, that's why the the features is, >> you know, this they're spaced out. I'll have three on one. This project might have dropped a year ago, then two two a year and a half later, I might have Hurricane. I might have my homie from Atlanta, Land Strip. I might have him on that one. And a year after, I might have Jim. You know, me and Jim, we got a good relationship. Uh, that came through my engineer Sammy. Yo, Sammy, what up? If you see this, you already know. Love always. >> Mhm. >> Um, and yeah, he put that together and we did that um over at Heat Makers. >> Okay. So, >> Arsonist, what up us? >> So, when doing collabs, some artists feel like they don't want to reach out. >> Yeah. >> Do you feel like you want to reach out? You feel like you have to? You feel like >> Nah, see me. See me, I'm different than all these guys, man. these guys, I don't know if they got a vision. That's the whole thing is like like the song and the artist that you put on the song, it has to fit. It can't just be like, "Oh, I got a song and I just want a feature." Yeah. >> It has to make sense visual. You know what I'm saying? You got to you have to see it. So, a lot of my songs, I see it before I lay it down. >> And then that's when I'll call them up and be like, "All right, cool. Let's do it." You know what I'm saying? Like depending on the beat that the producer send or that depend on what I'm writing in my pad. When I go to the studio, oftent times it's either my ideas is well thought out or when I go to the st studio it's half thought out and then I'll think about the rest you know I freestyle I come about it with the with the time that I have but I always go there with something with some type of idea because you don't want to go there with nothing with no empty clips like what >> no definitely I'm more so talking about getting a collabs right because you you have to like if you don't know these people already you got to find a way to connect with people so how are you connecting I'm connecting because of just like word of mouth and then just like who I am like and just >> me >> being outside and actually shaking the hands of people. That's how the collabs happened. And like even a artist like Hurricane that happened before Hurricane even >> got on his run. Yeah, I see. >> You know what I'm saying? So by me being outside and by me working, I'm catching moments and that's what happens when you're on the grind. And that's just how I look at it. >> So you agree being outside is is important for an artist. >> Yeah. It's half and half. Half social media, half outside and then it all comes together cuz you can't just do media and nobody knows you >> real world cuz you got to get to the people who don't got Instagram too, >> right? So it's like >> yeah, >> that's how that's the true celebrity, right? Like you got people like a Jay-Z or Drake, they could come outside people who don't even have Instagram >> is aware of them and that's what that's what you want and that's what I strive for. >> All right. Yeah. A lot of I mean a lot of people feel like the internet can really carry your career right now. >> But you definitely got to be outside. >> It it it can that too. But you still got to you know >> you got to get money. You got to you got to touch the people. You got to shake the hands. >> And it got to be transparent. >> Yeah. Did someone teach you that or you learned through trial and error? >> Ah, this is everything I'm learning. Just trial and error. Looking at dudes like Nipccy, you know, things like that. like artists like that, you know, people that do the in independent groundwork. What they got the new dude uh what's the dude's name? Lar Russell. All these dudes, you got Russ. >> Yeah. >> All these dudes who preach the independent um uh route and the just the information is there. It's there. People just got to want to know and want to learn and you could be informed. >> How do you feel about the independent route? I feel like you could do it if you got if you're if you got if you and your team got the money to do it, you could do it because if you could make a 200,000 in streets and a label's giving 200,000 for an advance, it's pretty much the same thing. You might as well bet on yourself and not owe no one. That's just how we on it. >> Cuz I feel like back then everybody goal was to get signed. I want to get signed. I want to get signed. But now everybody's kind of going independent route. >> Yeah. Cuz it's about ownership. That's that's what Hoveve did, right? He went made Rockefeller and went on about his business. So, I feel like a lot of people just ain't do their history. They just jump in and rap without like knowing like fully like you could do it too, like on your own. You know what I'm saying? Just hustle harder. I'm not saying it's easy, >> but you could do it. >> So, being that you have walked that path and you're still walking that path, what are some early mistakes you caught like early on? >> Some mistakes you made that you caught early on? >> Not being prepared. >> Pretty much. Give me an example of >> not being prepared, you know, um not having the camera like like like the like the the the money to shoot the videos, not having the right money to promote the song. These things are are are very important like it's is is promotion and the cameraman. Two things is that are very important in today's age. And you could have the song, you could have the content, but if you can't promote it to the world, it does you no good because now you have no visibility. You know what I'm saying? And that's >> what we what everyone wants. You want you want you want to be visible. >> You want to be heard. So >> yeah, >> you know, I definitely say not being prepared. >> So preparing your budget ahead of time. >> Ahead of time. Definitely. Definitely. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then also just like >> you just got to stay sharp out here, man. Cuz everybody wants to to be an artist. Everybody wants to be the best version of themselves. So you got to be on it every day. >> And success is rented. So you know it's like rent. You got to, you know, wake up every day and be successful. >> Yeah. Do you have an example of an opportunity that you missed out on that you was like jamming? >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um >> story. >> Um a good opportunity I can say this is like awesome like on the music side more like >> Yeah. Yeah. >> For instance, I was supposed to shoot a video with um Vory. I got a song with a artist named Vory. >> Oh, nice. I know who that is. >> He's coming up on my album, Certified Finesser. Um he wanted me to be in Houston at a certain time. >> Yeah. >> And I couldn't. And it's just like I wasn't prepared because I had things going back here. Okay. New York >> and you know, I missed that opportunity. So now, you know, maybe later on we still good. Yeah. We patched it. You know, he's on the album so everything is good. So, I can't wait for y'all to hear it. Like, honestly, I I'll play some [ __ ] for y'all. >> We got a release date for the album. >> Nah, October, though. I'll just say that. October. October though. Okay. >> After the summer, I'm ready. >> I'm about to say cuz like every year you definitely give us the album. >> Yeah. This year we back. October. We back. I got a show in August. Um, Pomona New York with Bass Swag. >> Okay. >> Um, HypeFest 2026. Yo, Jerry, what up? Jeffrey, what up? Ashton, what's good? >> Okay. Um we gonna be there. So after that the roll out gonna start. >> So what's the inspo behind this album? >> Album is called certified finesse. So the last two was uh still adjusting two and then still adjusting one. So certified finesse is basically me kind of like mastering who I am as an artist and myself. It's kind of like another person. You know, I'm the certified Young Image, aka the C. It's still me, but it's like another version. It's just like the final version cuz now I'm like here now as an artist. So, now you could get the story of the certified finesser. >> Oh, yeah. So, tell us, give us the definition. What's a certified finesser? >> Uh, someone who going to go and get it. You know what I'm saying? A finesser, you going to find a way even if there's not a way. You know what I'm saying? Even if it's not easy, you going to find a way cuz you going to finesse the situation. Okay. >> And you certified in that field. So you know what you're doing and you've always got it under control. >> Okay. So you're always going to finesse the situation. You feel? >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And and and and and turn it into my favor for sure. >> Okay. Um >> that's what we here to do. We finessing the game. We going to finesse the rap game. You know what I'm saying? That's what it's about, you know. >> All right. So we going to play a game. I'mma give you a scenario and you explain to me how you gonna finesse your way out of it. >> Okay, [laughter] >> I'm ready. I'm ready on that. >> All right. You got a feature with an artist. >> Yeah. >> You tell him to come to your session to do a feature with you, >> but he taking too long to finish the song. >> How you finessing your way out of this? >> That's That's easy, man. That's easy, man. I'll tell him I'm leaving, right? I pay for the uh an extra hour or two. Send me the song when he finish. I'm going home. >> The studio is open. I got [ __ ] to do. We got You know what I'm saying? We got to go. We taking too long, homie. We was here for three, four hours already. >> Do you still want the song or you over it? >> Nah, we working. So, I I ain't gonna put I don't put time I don't put time on creativity. >> Okay. Because when it comes to songs, you you you could write a song in 30 minutes or it might take you a whole day or it might take you a week depending on what you putting into it. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> So, I don't put >> So, you're not rushing the process. >> N Yeah. I got to get up out of there. Especially when we got [ __ ] to do now. We gone. We out of there. >> All right. You next situation, next scenario. >> Let's get it. >> You booked the pier space >> for 3 hours. Your cameraman's an hour late. >> Yeah. You have a backup cameraman, but he's too far away. >> Yeah. >> How are you finessing the situation? >> All right. Now, that's that could that could be done in two ways. So, >> that could really happen. That really >> So, that do happen, too. So, >> let me book a certain time. >> It depends on what I'm shooting. If I'm shooting a real or something, if Brody got a iPhone 17, we shooting off the 17. >> That's it. That's it. So, you got to make it work. >> You got to make it work. You got to make it work. Other than that, >> [ __ ] we might have to wait for one of them boys. >> Wait for them boys X. >> We might have to wait for one of them boys now cuz now we got to get the content. You know what I'm saying? We got to get the content. >> Got to get the content. >> You know what I'm saying? So, for sure. >> All right, last one. You booked the modeling agency for a music video. >> Oh, man. >> All the models that pull up is trash. >> Oh, man. >> How you finessing this situation? >> Oh, I'm running. We going to run down in the streets. We going we going to see something that's walking by. We going to have to >> But you booked this agency. You already paid. >> Ah, they going to have Well, say you're right about that one. They going to have to send some new draws through cuz we ain't doing that. We ain't doing cook John. We ain't doing you telling them that they Johns are bad. >> Oh, listen listen listen. I'mma just tell them nicely in a nice polite way. We need a We need a new order. That's it. We just need a whole new order. You know what I'm saying? Just send us a new order. Set us a new order. >> So we can get the show rolling. [laughter] That's it. All right. >> Okay. >> That's it, man. >> Okay. So October. >> Yeah. >> We'll have more certified. >> Certified. Certified. Hell yeah. Money hungry. Certifi. A lot of certified situations. You gonna hear all on album. >> Okay. Any features confirmed or working on or? >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I was in there with Vory. I got Vory on there. >> And looking anybody else? >> Mei. I got Meei on there. Yeah, I might do a third. I might do a third cuz I'm I'm trying to do 14 to 16 songs. >> Okay. >> My last project was uh 10. >> Uh-huh. >> So, I'm trying to do um Yes. 14 to 16. So, yeah, I might do a third. I I don't want to say the third cuz then I'll spoil it. >> Okay. >> But, >> but you have somebody in the works that you're talking to. >> Building on. >> All right. Nice. >> Okay. So, October, no release. No date after summer. >> Wait. Oh, yeah. You know what? I'm going to bring you some merch, too. I'll bring some >> He brought me nothing. And I got no business though. >> Don't worry. I was running around a lot. Me and the doggies. You know what I'm saying? So, I got you. >> That's right. Now, you made it happen today. I told you I'm leaving tomorrow. So, >> yeah. I had to I had to slide through before you slid out. You know what I'm saying? So, >> I'm glad I'm here. >> How do you feel about the music scene right now? You know, you've been doing music from beginning of like Brooklyn drill. Now, switching it up, right, to now where I'm like in my melodic pocket, right? >> Exactly. >> How do you feel about the sound in New York City right now? I feel like it's growing and it's going to continue growing and you got to get in where you fit in and that's always where music is going to go. >> It's never going to be in one place and >> you got to get with the times and that's what we doing and you got to stay fresh and you got to stay active and consistent and you do that and you going to find your way up. >> Okay. >> For sure. >> So it's growing. So you you think it's in a good space? >> I feel it's like it's in a good space. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But I do feel like >> as artists in the city, we need to collaborate more. Okay. >> Like artists in the city need to collaborate more like you know what I'm saying like and make good records and you know what I'm saying do shows together more because that's going to bring people out more and bring excitement out more and you know what I'm saying people need to see that >> and um it'll help everybody help the whole ecosystem of New York. That's just what I feel like. I don't know how these guys feel but >> yeah. >> Yeah. I think I think collaboration would help. I think everybody in New York going to collab because of the politics. >> Yeah. Yeah. That too. Of course. You know we know that. >> Makes it weird. No. >> Yeah, that makes it so weird. So, it's like I don't know. >> But, um, all right. So, tell the people to find you. How can they tune in? >> Yeah. Young and MH Instagram, Young and Mage YouTube, Young Mates, uh, One Twitter, Young MH, uh, Tik Tok, um, www.mmoneyhungryforever.com. Uh, you can get the merch, you can get the gear, you can get the music, everything one place. Um, >> waiting on my merch. >> Yeah, it's on the way. Everybody, don't worry. Next time we pull up, we gonna set the whole house straight. >> All right. In October, I >> October. Don't worry. Um, I'mma invite you to the listening party, too. >> All right, let's do it. >> You know what I'm saying? Um, I definitely would would love y'all there. Um, come listen. You know what I'm saying? What I got going on, me and the team. We going to have merch there, drinks. Okay. >> Everything everybody need, whatever you need it, we'll be there. Free, of course. You know what I'm saying? So, don't even, you know, I mean, we straight. >> Okay. M. >> Yes, sir.