Homegrown & Heartfelt: YOUNG GUY Talks Southern Soul.
In a world of trying to appease algorithms with quick viral hooks, Young Guy is keeping something sacred alive: Southern Soul music that actually means something. The Mississippi-raised artist knows his lane, and he’s driving it slow and steady with the windows down, speaking straight from the heart.
“The thing about Southern Soul is— it’s homegrown,” he says during his interview with E. CEO of BOSS TALK 101. “Once you do what you gotta do musically and really get people’s attention, they’ll take care of you forever.” That loyalty is something Young Guy doesn’t take lightly. In return, he’s given us tracks like “Take Heed”, that have pieces of personal wisdom. When asked if he takes heed to his own advice, he laughed, but answered “I feel like I write for myself. I write according to my life experiences, or what I wish somebody would tell me”. For anyone trying to hold his words against him in ‘Take Heed’, a song giving some gems on how to keep your woman —he jokingly reminded us that he did follow up with ‘100 Missed Calls’, a song about doing him and not giving a damn about answering the phone. That’s called balance.
His love for the genre runs deep, and he expressed a genuine respect for legends like Bobby Womack and the emotional weight music used to carry. “Back then, music made you love your woman more,” he reflects. History repeats itself though and “that good music is coming back”.
He expressed being unafraid to introduce his music to hiphop and r&b crowds. As an independent artist, theres a certain level of strategy that goes into it. “I control everything I do,” he says, proudly standing on his independence. However, he’s also not blind to the fact that Southern Soul, as rich as it is, doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. “If Southern Soul had the machine and the eyes on it that it deserves, more artists would see success”. One example of that kind of mainstream success would be the viral hit ‘Boots on the Ground’ by 803Fresh.
Even still, for Young Guy, the music isn’t about chasing trends. “Some music has its time. Some music is timeless.” he says. And when it comes to soul’s roots , he’s quick to let us know: “Mississippi got everybody. Sam Cooke. Elvis Presley.” The list goes on.
As the new wave of Southern Soul continues to rise, artists like Young Guy remind us that this music isn’t just about a sound—it’s about a feeling. And his? Comes straight from the soul.
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