Yungen, CJ Brooks, grew up in Herne Hill Estate, South London with the dream of being an MC after his older cousin inspired him to do so. Despite showing his gratitude for his upbringing stating, “Growing up on an estate was everything to me” to the Evening Standard, the trauma that some youngsters go through in such areas as this can be life altering. At the age of 16, a death of Yungen’s friend saw a change in Brooks path.
After feeling too shy to really give music a go in the past, artists like Giggs and Wretch 32 inspired Yungen to pursue a childhood dream to the fullest. After the release of his first YouTube video ‘Hometown,’ the channel SB.TV gave him his first shot and thus he delivered his ‘F64 Freestyle’ in 2011. In 2012, Yungen signed with the very recognisable Play Dirty team, run by none other than Krept and Konan, which lead him onto a steady incline in the years to come. Mobo award nominations, mixtape releases, it was all happening and Yungen’s name was popping up everywhere.
For many fans, it wasn’t until a certain beef that Yungen fully made his mark. As mentioned in our previous Across The Pond, Chip was sending shots at just about every artist he could, because he could. Yungen was one of those to stand tall and take the challenge. The whole scene was watching and although Chip came out proving he ‘Can’t run out of bars,’ Yungen came through with two heavy hitting diss tracks, solidifying himself in the game for many.
In recent years, Yungen has been making chart success with a slight change to his sound. The commercialised rebranding from some of his harder hitting tracks of the past like his Project Red and Black era in 2014, saw his first platinum single in the UK, a Top 10 and headline slots at festivals around in the country. Not a bad move to say the least. Yungen is a star in his own right, with no doubt more heights to come and quite the journey in his past. He really is an artist from Across The Pond worth checking out for all his range of styles and catchy tracks, but for now here’s just three to get you started.
Ain’t On Nuttin
The original track was being bumped in every car across the nation, but when names like Stormzy signed up to be on the remix, this track went to whole new levels. A raw taste of UK rap delivered by a younger Yungen; still sounding fresh today.
Comfy
Arguably what Grime would still be sounding like today if Drill hadn’t taken the wheel, this track hits hard. The Garage vibes are still shining through each element of sound design and Yungen raps like he’s in the booth doing a freestyle. The authenticity of this track is what makes it great and you’re guaranteed to want to hear it again.
