Born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, Yung Swerv is a 19-year-old independent artist to keep an eye on. In early 2020, he released his eagerly-awaited EP Before It’s Too Late, garnering the attention of many. Yung Swerv draws inspiration from the Chicago legends that came before him such as Lil Durk and Polo G. His sharp lyricism and melodies tie in with his bold persona perfectly.

In our latest interview, we spoke with Yung Swerv about his introduction to hip-hop, music influences, and growing his audience amid the pandemic amongst other topics. Read the full conversation below.

For those people who aren’t aware of who you are, please could you tell us a bit about your upbringing and how you were introduced to music?

As a kid, I grew up in two neighborhoods so my OG tried to keep me safe at all times, but I was just always outside doing my own thing you know. I look at myself as a leader because where  I from it’s easy to get caught up in the mix, but I chose to channel my frustration through music. What’s crazy is I got introduced to music through a cousin of mine. He used to rap all the time and show me music that’s how I got interested in it. 

Were there any artists in particular that you used to look up to?

At a point, Durk was an idol for me but the more I dipped into music myself the more it just turned into respect for him and other artists like Polo G. 

Outside of your own, who are some of the artists that you’re currently listening to?

Right now I’m rocking with Lil Poppa, Sterl Gotti, Rylo Rod Rodriguez and NBA YoungBoy.  

Where do you think you are in regards to the evolvement of your sound? Do you think you have fully found it now, or do you plan to go into various sub-genres as time goes on?

Honestly, bro, it feels like every day I unlock another part of me. If you go back to my first video and then watch my latest you will hear so much growth in my sound. To say I fully found my sound would be a lie, I’m only 19 and still playing with different flows and pockets. Far as going into sub-genres, I don’t know at the moment but only time will tell.

When it comes to making music, where do you go to for creativity and inspiration?

My creativity comes from my pain and experiences. I try to pull from real life because it’s one thing my big bro Veto told me, he said when everything else goes out of style Swerv the real is always relevant. I felt that and I understand trends eventually die, but real music can stand the test of time.

What can we expect to see from you in 2021?

You can expect what I did in 2020 but on steroids. On bro, right now my work ethic is super crazy last year I recorded 130 songs, this year I need 260. I definitely want to drop more videos and level up when it comes to the video treatment.  So 2021 expect big things from me.