We had the good fortune of connecting with E-roc Young and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi E-Roc, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Independence is very important for regular people, but extremely important for minorities. Starting your own business is the start of independence. Being a business owner gives you a sort of freedom. The freedom to make a honest, living and take care of your family as well as the freedom to help others in your community by supplying jobs. With supplying jobs, it becomes a valuable resource for the community and it allows you to invest back into your people.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve been a hip-hop artist for well over 20 years hip-hop is my life music is my life. I truly feel that we are losing originality and substance in today’s hip-hop atmosphere. When I was coming up in hip-hop, you had to be original you couldn’t sound like anyone else authenticity was everything originality was everything, artist took pride in being original. I got where I am today as an artist by sticking to my core values of being original. By never riding the wave of someone else, but setting my own wave in the industry and my own sound. It was never easy and I guess that’s what made me have so much love and passion for this game of hip-hop. I’m proud that I was able to put out over 5 albums and several mixtapes hip hop albums. I’m proud that I was able to open up for the Dogg Pound, Crooked I, Jayo Felony and Lil Kim just to name a few. Also to work with artist like Glasses Malone and I watched his growth and grind with Cash Money Records/Blue division Records. Some of my proudest moments in hip-hop is being able to introduce my son, Don Ali into the hip-hop game as well as my artist The Dapper, and Melah Deuce watching them grow has been remarkable and to see where they can be in the future will be a sight to see.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I try my best to stay away from the tourist conversation. I try not to give out advice on where to go in the city, because what’s cool for me to go to may not be cool for you to go to so I’ll leave that there. If you want to try some nice soulful go down in Los Angeles off of western between 39th St. and Martin Luther King Blvd. you can go to Jack’s excellent soulful breakfast food. If you want a hamburgers, try out any Fat Burgers they’re all Bussin. And if you like going to the beach or anything like that, try Manhattan Beach, Santa Monica, Venice Beach.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have two people I would like to give a shout out to that was very influential in my upbringing and understanding of the music industry. From an artists standpoint of being a true MC. My first shout out is to MC Frosty, one of the first original gangster rap artists on the West Coast. You might know his song (Radio Activity Rap) Snoop Dogg later did a remix of his song called (Cali Is Active). He really showed me what it was to be a true MC. My 2nd shout out is to another West Coast legend and one of the first Crip Hop artist Little Ke-Ke Loco. He was also super influential in my understanding of the entertainment business not just from an artist standpoint, but from a CEO independent standpoint. He was the one that helped me understand what points on an album meant how to promote an album independently and how to build a following crowd from scratch. Tools and knowledge that I still use to this day.

Instagram: @erocyoung

Twitter: @erocyoung

Facebook: @erocyoung

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@e-rocyoung2465?si=rjkSCKje_XBO96uq

Image Credits
E-Roc Young

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