LOCAL Houston | The City Guide NOVEMBER 2015 | Page 48

RECORDING

YUNG SURREAL

By Lance Scott Walker | Photography by Anthony Rathbun

HE’S GOT A NEW SINGLE OUT (FEATURING LEGENDARY HOUSTON
RAPPER KLONDIKE KAT) CALLED “HUNGRY,” BUT IT WAS THE
HONGREE MOBB WITH WHOM RAPPER YUNG SURREAL DEBUTED.
HE TALKED ABOUT THOSE BEGINNINGS ON THE EVE OF THE RELEASE
OF HIS EP “GHETTO BLUES.”

When did you start writing your own verses?
I started writing verses when I was 12, when I got locked
up. From 12 to 18, I probably seen about six months in
between. I was writin’ songs like a motherfucker,
freestylin’… I came out and just started hittin’ record. I
seen everybody out here makin’ mixtapes, so I jumped in
the mix. I been tryin’ to stay out of trouble, man. I just got
stopped by the police the other day, and I got a punk ass
warrant. He was searchin’ my car. I didn’t have nothin’ in
my car. I wasn’t worried about that. But he had put me in
the back seat, and he ran my background. He was gonna
take me to jail, man. I was already in handcuffs. He saw
my lil’ CDs and posters and shit. I said, “Man, I’m doin’
music, tryin’ to stay out of trouble.” I talked to him like he
was a regular person. You know, not give him the benefit
of the doubt, but just tryin’ to talk to him straight up: “I’m
doin’ this music. Ain’t doin’ none of that other bullshit.”
And he let me go! So, you know, I’m doin’ somethin’. I’m
doin’ this for a different reason, but, man, it’s been a
blessin’ to me.
Has anything changed since we’ve had more
awareness of police brutality?
I think that they got themselves underneath the spotlight a
little too much lately. I haven’t been stopped all year, but
in the past month I’ve been stopped twice, and they let me
go. And that’s surprisin’ to me, because I did 26 months
for a half a sweet. I got burnt, so this past month tripped
me out! A few other people, too; I know they been lettin’
’em slide on shit. I think it’s ’cos they finally startin’ to see
that the bullshit is just not gettin’ nowhere. Lockin’ people
up for petty shit, wastin’ everybody’s time. But I know from
day one, I been on the other side. I seen them jump my
mama. I was 12 years old and they tried to rough me up.
I got jumped by the police in Galveston. I’ll never see eye
to eye with them, but if they wanna clean that act up,
that’s cool with me.
48

L O C A L

| november 15

www.soundcloud.com/yung-surreal

Was Hongree Mobb already formed when you got together with Spiktakula
and Big Gerb?
Nah, it was Big Gerb and Spik. I see ’em at the House of Blues, and Spik was up there, “When I say
BIG, you say GERB!” And I was like, “That’s some real shit.” Because I know Spik’s been in the game
a little longer than Gerb, as far as makin’ beats and doin’ shows, so for all the haters I know out here,
to see Spik as an artist up there, gettin’ the crowd to say, “Big Gerb!” That’s the kind of team I wanna
fuck with, the way they mobbed in there. And then Gerb put together a show and had a bunch of lil’
opening acts, and I killed one of them shits. Gerb was right there in the front, sittin’ in the crowd. After
that, Gerb hit me, was like, “Man, I could use a hype man, somebody like you to rock with me and
shit.” So I linked up with him, I let him hear all the shit I had in my backpack. At that time, I just had
backpacks full of raps for days. Years’ worth of notebooks of songs.
.
So he kinda was thinking a hype man at first but, “No, this dude’s writin’.”
Man, it was really what’s allowed me to push this shit, because I was just out reckless, man. I was eatin’
everybody up freestylin’. I ain’t met nobody who could fuck with me, man, at parties and shit. But I tell
everybody, “I’m cold, but Big Gerb is ice water.” I got my money on Gerb all day. And for Gerb to
turn around and shine that spotlight on me, that’s some real ass shit. I’m watchin’ Gerb from the crowd
and next thing you know, I’m backstage with ’em. I had already known I was gonna do music with
him when I met him, man. I said, “That’s who I’m gonna fuck with right there.” Nothin’ but love.