Following the recent release of 'Pull Up To the Party' DELUXE (as seen in CLASH & Wordplay Magazine), alternative artist - YOUNG JIMMY - is slated to release the second body of work in his discography of genre-defying sound. 'Sweet Maria' is out now, and excited audiences await the upcoming 'DELUXE' album that will be reaching anticipated listeners this year.
“There is a lot of truth in the lyrics, it's meant to be a modern rock love song... I decided to add a solo at the end and played how I felt.” YOUNG JIMMY
Initially playful lyrics and guitar composition, 'Sweet Maria' blossomed in its recording stages. Adding a drummer and bassist, Young Jimmy looks back at his own experiences as motivation for the track. Recalling two Hispanic ex-girlfriends (Mexican & Dominican) and his experiences of falling in and out of love, Maria symbolises a lot of truth explored in the lyrics, opening up a melodic vulnerable side to the riff-heavy artist.
Young Jimmy was the juxtaposition to an environment dominated by hip-hop, gangs, and gun violence (read more about the history of New York’s largest Gang bust). The Bronx is the birthplace of Hip-Hop and a fundamental part of Young Jimmy's inspiration when drawing from his own experiences: with the borough being the only one in New York with a Hispanic majority. A high school dropout, Young Jimmy attended the Art & Design High School and Greenwich House Music School, where he studied Classical, Jazz, and Rock music. Often performing recitals under a scholarship, he began defining his own music and identity.
Rock N Roll Hall of Famer, Grandmaster Mele Mel, was his stepfather growing up. He helped nurture his musical ambitions and introduced Young Jimmy to the music business, inviting the budding artist to accompany Mele Mel as a Guitarist on multiple sold-out shows. Young Jimmy has gone on to share the stage with reputable artists like Kendrick Lamar, Freddie Gibbs, Saul Williams, and many more.
Raised in the poorest Congressional district of America, located in the Bronx, Young Jimmy's background has been a fundamental part of shaping his musical career and passion for recognising Rock N Roll’s roots in African American culture. From a single mother household and growing up in the surroundings of Congressional District 16 - notorious for the largest gang takedown in New York City history - Young Jimmy escaped through his musical upbringing. With Black American parents from the Carolinas and both families migrating to NYC in the 1960s during the ‘Great Migration’, his background heavily influenced the Recording Artist and the music released today.
Continuing to explore the subject of race through rock and roll in his anticipated 2023 ‘Deluxe’ album, this unreleased work features track ‘No Racist’ - a creative collaboration with Kendra Foster (2X Grammy Award Winning Singer/Songwriter as seen on Rolling Stone and Pitchfork) that was inspired by racial justice protests following George Floyd's death, also falling on Young Jimmy's birthday. This perspective will force listeners to confront the stark reality in these unprecedented times of American History and Music.
With respect for Contemporary Artists like Rage Against The Machine, H09909, King Krule, and Yves Tumor, Young Jimmy strives to elevate his recording artist skill but excel his unique sound. In 2021, Young Jimmy released his Debut Studio Album, 'ROCKETT 88' - a name inspired by the 1951 #1 Billboard hit by Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm - widely considered the first Rock N Roll song ever recorded.