Within the last 3-4 years, the hip-hop world has witnessed the return of regionalism – that distinctive sound indicative of the culture-mixing that sonically occurs in poor neighborhoods around the nation. Here in the West Coast, the torch has been best held by the new movement in the Bay Area. Usually slept on, Bay artists – and their classic drums that everyone has to have in their production – have in the last few years completely infiltrated a rap system that formerly excluded many of them. Young Iamsu! of the HBK gang represents this new crop of artists coming out of Bay with ambitious aspirations. [more…]

His strong features on recents hits like “Function” with yay ambassador E-40 and the summer club hit “Gas Pedal” with friend Sage the Gemini have proven that this new sound is no fluke and is ready to play a major role in the ever-changing hip-hop landscape. We sat down with Iamsu! after a recording session in LA and chatted about this newfound attention the Bay has been receiving, the power in staying independent, and moves artists should make in order for them to not be just another flash in the pan. -The Hundreds

SENAY KENFE: All right, I’m sitting here with Iamsu –
IAMSU!: What’s happening!

How you doing, man? How has LA been treating you?
It’s been fun, I’ve had a lot of fun. I got really drunk on Sunday, I met Lebron James on Sunday.

How was that?
That shit was crazy, I met Chris Paul.

You just played at the Sunset Music Strip Festival, how was that?
It was a lot of fun. Shouts out to Murs he showed us a lot of love. He interrupted one of my interviews and gave me a shout out about my album. So shout out to him.

Sincerely Yours, how has it been since putting out that album? Because it came out in May?
It came out in May and it’s an independent album. What I wanted to do was show that my music needs to be sold. I feel like I’m that new generation of artists and how I present my stuff is not the conventional method. It takes a longer time to explain ideas and get your point across. I’m willing to take that time because I feel like it will lay the foundation for people to come after me. I have to plan to this system. We’re in the Atlantic office but I’m not signed to Atlantic, but I’m still getting to work and do shit there.

That’s good that you have that mentality of being a businessman. Do you think you took that, not just from your upbringing, but from the fact that you actually went to college?
Yeah, college moreso was just for being able to socialize. I didn’t graduate, but the things that I took back from being in school is having to speak up for yourself and socialize.

I sucked at school, I wasn’t interested in none of that shit. So once I figured something out that I was interested in, it just stepped my whole game up. But I took the same mentality from school, be personable, be nice to people – you never know who could do what. That’s what it was about.

When did you feel like, “Okay, I’m a rapper now”? Did you start producing first?
I started producing first. Honestly, I always knew I was going to be a rappper, I could always rap but I never took it like, “Let me go out and be that nigga.” Probably four years ago I was like, “I’m a rapper.” I was 20.

The first mix tape, what was that, was it the Su –
My first mix tape that I put out that got love, it was called Su! The Right Thing. But I put out three mix tapes before that on Myspace just on some Cudi shit. It was called Iamsu off my rap name but it was Iamsu pt 1 and 2 and 3. Then I came out with Su! The Right Thing and people back home took notice.

Then I just kept building from there to Young California, Kilt 1, Million Dollar Afro, $uzy 6 $peed, Kilt 2, then it came to the album.

MAKE SURE YOU READ THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW VIA THE HUNDREDS HERE.