New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Beyoung Official Website) Rising hip-hop artist Beyoung's third album, titled "Validation" and scheduled for release in March 2011, borrows heavily in some places on the artist's experiences as a social services manager working with troubled kids in Portland.
Three years in the making, the self-produced compilation of the lyricist/beat maker's most sophisticated song mix to date, Beyoung stretches his songwriting and musical talents with "Validation," to achieve a total package that addresses some serious social issues, takes some punches at mainstream rap and balances the menu with a few sophisticated instrumentals that borrow on classic techno and some 90's west coast underground sounds.
From the soul-searching, self-defining title track to the darker themed "Stockholm Syndrome" which examines domestic violence, Beyoung is a modern-day cultural folklorist, weaving words and beats into 13 unique tracks.
"All the tracks on 'Validation' are honest tracks about myself," Beyoung says.
Beyoung splits his performances with his Korean alter ego "Chung," a fallen, wise monk with whom Beyoung identifies. The traditional Korean mask, called a talchum, that transforms the artist into Chung has been historically used by Korean performers wishing to express criticism of powerful locals freely.
"The original sense of the mask was 'to let something go' or 'to be free,'" Beyoung says.
Chung does just that, transforming Beyoung's laid-back style of performing into a powerful production of his darker tracks. The duality of his onstage performance mirrors his real-life challenges as a social services counselor and mentor to troubled kids, and his passion for hip hop music.
"Being a hip hop artist is not without its difficulties, because many people in the business class look down on what I do," he said. "It gets frustrating because I can't explain my passion for my work to people who don't understand the genre and have a preconceived notion about this style of music."
Still, nothing interferes with his focus on a musical career, even though his insistence on pursuing it non-commercially means that money is tight, and living lean may be a long term part of Beyoung's vocation.
"It's tough, it's always a struggle financially but that's OK," he says. "Some of my favorite underground artists are still living in apartments at 40, putting out free albums and waiting tables to buy music gear.
"As long as I'm getting my music out there, I'll stick to it."
In addition to his two previous albums, "Truth be Told" and "Thinking Too Much," Beyoung gets airtime on Portland's Wild 107.5 Radio and has been featured on two Portland artist compilation albums including PDX Pop Now!'s 2010 Compilation (https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/pdxpopnow2010) and Failing Records: A Compilation of Portland Music.
More About Beyoung:
Beyoung Yu (his real name) is a 23-year-old Portland native determined to pave his own non-traditional path in hip-hop and distance himself from the mainstream. A 2009 graduate of Portland State University, Beyoung spends his weekends working with some of the Northwest's most troubled kids as a social services manager.
For more information on Beyoung, visit his website at https://www.timetobeyoung.com, or E-mail at Beyoungyu(at)gmail(dot)com.
