The Young Gunz, comprised of Hanif ‘Neef’ Muhammad and Christopher Ries, are a rap duo from North Philly, and, at 19 years old, they are the youngest artists to be signed to Roc-A-Fella records. The name, “Young Gunz,” refers to the act of “gunning” in basketball, and the two often refer to themselves as the “Young Gunnaz.” Last Tuesday, Feb. 24, the Young Gunz released their first album, entitled “Tough Luv,” featuring the hit single, “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop,” and “No Better Love.” The following interview took place in the Young Gunz van outside of the WMRQ 104.1 radio station in Hartford, CT.
Q: What were some of your influences for this new album? What’s it about?
A: This album is called “Tough Luv.” There’s lots of real rap on there. The meaning of “tough love” is like correction and punishment, you know at the end of the day everything is business. We have songs about homies we lost while we were doing the album. Like the single; that’s a song for the growner sex—that’s a Luther Vandross sample right there. So I’d say we got a little something for everybody.
Q: Y’all have been around for a while, but only got big recently- what was that process like?
A: It’s easy to get signed, but hard as shit to put out a record. We’ve been signed for four, five years, and just grindin’ all throughout the time, featuring on albums, mixtapes, y’know? Then we put out the “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop” on the mix tape with my man DJ Enuff, most of the DJ’s were spinning it on their mix shows. We started getting a good response. The label white-labeled it, and Def Jam full-serviced it, you know, like, 6000 spares, nominated for a Grammy, and then it was time for us to step up with our album, and they put that on state property right there. We tryin’ to get everybody’s names out there.
Q: So what would you say is the best way to put out a record?
A: You gotta mixtape them to death until you get your name out, just to get a little respect. Like the “Can’t Stop,Won’t Stop,” we put it on a mixtape, and that’s what did it! Before that we was on the backburner, like they ain’t think nothing of us. You know, like Jay said- when you first get into the game they try to play you, then you drop a couple of hits, they wavin’ to you. Everybody’s in our ear saying: “do this” “do that”, everybody wants to be a part of the project now, tell us what to say, you know? We got the “No Better Love,” and that’s more mature; take it to another level on ’em, show ’em another side.
Q: What message are you trying to send through your songs?
A: We’re just trying to show kids like us- you know, the juvenile delinquents- and the kids that was off the step early and didn’t have no pops or none of that. We’re just trying to show them that there’s a better way; that you can make it out without the drugs and whatever else you doin’, you feel me? We were right on the block, and we’re just like them, and so we want them to see us being successful and doin’ Nickelodeon stuff, and letting them know that it’s all good.
Q: How do you feel about the fact that most of the people who buy your music are middle-class white kids? Do you think your message is still getting out?
A: It’s all good, that’s a good look right there. Now we just gotta get the young black kids focused back on hip hop instead of in the streets. You know how it is, everybody’s strugglin’ right now.
Q: How did y’all meet?
CHRIS: We met each other in the sixth grade in Nicetown. I used to be rappin’ in the lunchrooms, hittin’ the beats on the table. One day we was at my crib, I was writin’ at the time and [Neef] was like he wanted to do it, he wanted to see if he can do it, and he got out a piece of paper and a pen, or whatever, started rappin’, and every day when we were walkin’ home from school he had a new sixteenth, and it just clicked from there. We was runnin’ around barbershops, all around the streets, being the talk of the town or whatever.
Q: What artists do you have featured on the album?
A: We got Killa Cameron, a couple verses from Jay, Juelz Santana, Freeway, Chingy….
Q: Who would you like to work with that you haven’t yet?
A: Missy, Usher.
Q: What are your future plans? You guys were in “State Property” a few years ago, are you trying to do another movie?
A: We about to start shooting in two weeks. We got a cartoon ready to come out.
Q: Phillies or Dutches?
A: Backwoods.
Q: What was the first tape that you owned?
NEEF: Special Ed.
CHRIS: Run DMC. I forgot the name of the album. They had those puffy jackets and them chains on. It was a record. I scratched it all up trying to DJ.
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