Young Chop got bored with producing and decided to jump into the booth for the 12-track King ChopLP. But don’t think that he is slowing down behind the boards anytime soon. The Chicagoan is in the lab with Mike Dean and is getting calls from Scott Storch.
“All the OG niggas reaching out,” Young Chop says in an exclusive interview with HipHopDX, “so I’m really just taking advantage of it and just vibing. I’m not even trying to go all crazy out here, but I am.”
As Young Chop moves towards new heights with rap’s elite, he mourns the loss of someone who supported him since day one. King Chop serves as a tribute to Young Chop’s mother, who died while her son was crafting the project. Chop says Mama Chop fully supported his musical career and in the wake of her passing, he took a break from music, but used her as motivation to finish the album strongly.
“My mama was a big part,” he says. “I used to take her everywhere with me like when I’m in sessions with people, or going out of town and doing shows and stuff like that. I took her everywhere, so she was basically my manager and my road manager and stuff like that so she was really on it.”
AD LOADING...
King Chop was released independently while Young Chop is in talks with different record labels. All of the production for the album was from his Chop Squad team.
“I did everything myself, I wanted to just prove my point as to me being me, and just doing what the fuck I want to do at this point because I been in the game for like 4 years,” he says.
One detail of King Chop that he did not initiate was RiFF RAFF’s verse on “Ring Ring Ring.”
“That was a surprise verse by my engineer,” Young Chop says. “My engineer had sent the verse off to them and I got back to the studio and he was playing it and I was like ‘Who the hell is this?’ He was like ‘It’s RiFF RAFF’ and I was like ‘Really?’ I wasn’t even expecting him to do the verse. I was shocked, because I already had the Keef verse on it. That was the last song before turning the album in. I had to tell the label we had to switch the song before it even went out. There was just so much crazy stuff going on. We had to go back and reupload the album.”
AD LOADING...
The Windy City native was sure to put on for his city with Chief Keef also on “Ring Ring Ring” and Vic Mensa on “Around My Way.” He says he especially appreciates Mensa because of his willingness to portray reality in his music. Chop’s favorite song from There’s Alot Going On is “16 Shots,” a political cry and tribute to Laquan McDonald who was killed by a police officer who shot him 16 times in October 2014.
“I like seeing how he brought the message when all that stuff was going on because he’s talking about Chicago and I see it on the news and everything,” he says. “I like when niggas tell the truth about stuff. That’s why I fuck with Vic.”
Production-wise, Young Chop has worked with everyone from Cash Money and Busta Rhymes to Gucci Mane and Freddie Gibbs. He says his role as one of the top beatsmiths in the game led him to name his project King Chop.
AD LOADING...
“It’s saying I’m king of the beats and Chicago and shit,” he says. “But it’s like I’m really just using it as like a joke just to piss a lot of mothafuckas off. They going to hassle me about being arrogant and cocky and stuff like that. I know it’s getting in a couple niggas heads like, ‘Why he name it King Chop?’ I really just be calling myself, that’s like my little alias name I call myself like I’m just playing around saying some shit and was like, ‘Damn I should have an album King Chop.'”
He also furthered his career with production on Kanye West’s Yeezus. Young Chop made headlines for criticizing Yeezy saying he exploits artists and doesn’t give back to the city. Chop says he respects West, but is not looking to suck up to anybody.
“I fuck with Kanye,” he says. “I know he’s the big homie and all that but I feel like he needs to fuck with the niggas in the city. But I see him out here. I see him out here but he out here fucking with all the niggas that’s poppin’. I see that. Sending them shoes and shit like that. All type of crazy shit. It is what it is though. I know he ain’t gon’ fuck with me because I already came at him so many times. I see you when I see you big dog. It ain’t no hard feelings. Because I’m not the type of nigga that’s gon’ dick ride. I don’t get down like that.”
Another criticism Young Chop has had of West was that The Life of Pablo rapper was wrong in labeling himself a god. He now says that Ye is competition more than someone to glorify.
AD LOADING...
“We all try to be god,” the producer says. “We all trying to be the best. You’re trying to be better than me and even though you’ve been out here longer than me, I’m trying to get up there with you by myself. You did it by yourself now I’m trying to do it by myself.”
Young Chop continues by saying the Internet age makes everything much harder in today’s music industry. He took a break from social media, which he says “is the fucking devil sometimes” to stay focused on his craft.
“One minute they love you, one minute they hate you it’s just crazy,” he says. “Talking bout ‘Oh you fell off’ and shit. It’s just be like so much crazy shit going on the Internet. You just got to take it in and bite the bullet you know. Shit like that.”
Despite the frustrations that the Internet can bring, Young Chop knows that his fans are supporting him. He gets even more affirmation from his talks with the record labels.
AD LOADING...
“I’ve been getting a couple calls,” he says, “I won’t say from who but it’s real nice man I’m down. I never thought they would listen to my shit.”
Young Chop says his next album, which he’s thinking of calling Stick to Beats to provoke conversation the same way the name King Chop did, will be released through whichever label he ends up signing with. With the momentum of King Chop and new projects coming from his Chop Squad team, Young Chop’s not planning on slowing down anytime soon.
“My next album is gon’ be like, the shit,” he says. “Like, I promise. The next one is just going to be everything going crazy. This album King Chop is a classic. The next one I’m already 50% done with it. Once I finish this album, I’m going into the next album I’m not stopping.”
