Read our thrilling conversation with breakthrough emcee and songwriter Yung Sammy. Born Samuel Lloyds in Nigeria, the young Greater Noida-based artist is at the heart of Indian rap music.
From a historic partnership with Desi Trill to releasing his debut project “In The Building” within just one year, a confident Sammy has a lot to say about the rare journey.
In an exclusive conversation with us, the infectious “G-Class” rapper talks about his global rap life while staying true to his roots – both in Africa and India’s massive rap scene.
Read about Yung Sammy’s extraordinary journey through the streets of London and New York while reppin’ Indian rap music on stage and Nigerian roots back home. The ‘humble’ rap provocateur opens up about his come-up, years of grind and recording at studios visited by Pop Smoke & Eminem.
Hey Yung Sammy, ‘sup? How’s everything?
Everything’s good, man. The music’s going well. I’m planning on more collaborations & tracks… and planning on releasing more music to drop as well. So yeah, many many things on the plate.
Just dropped my EP, like, five months ago. So yeah, we’re in the building.
We gotta chat about that. The EP has been received so well. Before we get there and talk about your debut … let’s have a word about your come-up because you’ve been rapping for a minute now, however it’s still very fresh for you.
You released your first track in 2023, and you broke through the scene with ‘In The Building’ EP. To have a massive project with Desi Trill within just a year is a rare accomplishment and we gotta give you flowers for that. What was the beginning like though? You flew in from Nigeria and now rep Indian rap music at the highest level.
Yeah for sure. So I love, I love the question, though, because usually… why I said, I love your question, yeah, because it’s different. Normally, when I go to interviews, the only thing they ask me, you know, it’s always safe. You know, there’s something I want to tell people about as well. So yeah, I’ve been rapping for a minute now and… I’ve been rapping for like, seven to eight years. I’ve been following the scene, and I’ve been writing. I’ve been listening to many of the underground rappers, and you know, I’ve been beefin’ up my writings and everything. It was 2012 yeah… back when I heard Yo Yo Honey Singh’s track and I was amused.
I was like, “Damn this is unheard of”. I knew Hindi already but I wasn’t that fluent. So, for me, that was a cultural shock, you know? Then I discovered Bohemia, Mafia Mundeer, Ikka, and Raftaar and it just kept on going.
At the time, I remember listening to such artists that I’m sure no one knows to date. Most of them have even stopped rapping. I love listening to underground raps and it’s something that brought a lotta depth to my writings too.
Since you asked me about releasing my first track last summer, the one which went up on Spotify… that isn’t my first released track. No one knows about this, except only my close ones who have been with me since day one. It’s before Spotify days, bro. I remember dropping my debut track “Ek Kahani” with my friend Jazz Kumar from West Delhi around 2015 or 16.
I was just starting at that time, bro and we just dropped it on YouTube. So yeah, man… I’ve been following the scene since then and whether it was Spit Dope in Vasant Kunj… you know, MC Kode used to invite me and I just loved being a part of it.
However, I was just writing at that time… taking notes. I was quite hesitant to put myself out there ‘cause…you gotta understand bro, my father is a priest and for me to tell him that I want to be an emcee… It was something that I had to think through, you know? But yeah man, I used to get invited to most of these rap battles back then… and not just me, it was Seedhe Maut, Calm and Encore and all of us. So yeah, I’ve been part of that scene since that time but I was not out there… like those guys.
And to be honest, it isn’t that I was restricted from doing this or my parents didn’t want me to do rap altogether. They’re cool, bro. So for me, it was more like… if I gotta tell my Dad that this is what I want to do with my life, I wanted to make sure that I bring my best foot forward, you know? So yeah, I was just doing my thing… my own way.
When I say my own way, it simply means that I was not doing it correctly, you know, I didn’t know much. I didn’t have people to tell me how to do it. But I still remember I was good at writing… I was a storyteller back then, you know, I was good at writing, and I was still learning, listening to more raps and everything. Then after years, I would say in 2018 or 19, yeah, that’s when I really started.
I shifted to Greater Noida from Delhi… found a studio called “God’s Den” and we just went off. I met my guys Urban Poet, BB (Boyblanck) and Flyboy and I was just prepared myself too… all those years of just writing and you know, hours invested into the artform began payin’ off. I’ve been practising… I do it to this day man but yeah, once I began in 2018, there was no lookin’ back.
You listen to “4×4” and it shows. That was my first track on Spotify and it went viral on Instagram and streaming platforms as well. That track introduced Yung Sammy to the world, you know? So yeah, it went viral and a lotta people from abroad were reaching out to me… a lotta interviews. There was BBC Asian Network… There are different types of people reaching out to me, labels reaching out to me, and then eventually, the correct one always lands. Eventually, Desi Trill reached out to me… Shabz… shout out to Shabz, man and yeah, then the rest is history.
Before Yo Yo Honey Singh, what were you listening to? Comin’ from a deeply religious home, rap was somethin’ that you came through after years.
Even southern emcee Irfana, who happens to come from a deeply religious home in Tamil Nadu, discussed how she was introduced to Hip-Hop through ‘gospel raps’…
It is a whole different world. I was even mindful in the beginning and even today because a lot of people know my parents ’cause they’re priests. Especially most of the Africans in India, yeah. So, I have to be very careful of my movement, you know? I have to be very careful of what I’m doing because my parents are in the church preaching, yeah, and telling them good things to do… and if I’m found somewhere doing something… you know, it’s Hip-Hop man, it’s competitive and we flex sometimes.
So yeah, I was that type of child who had to be very careful of his movements. But yeah, to answer your question, gospel was number one for me too.
At the same time, I was aware of the rap music goin’ down in the West. I knew Tupac, Jay-Z but I wasn’t really… I wasn’t inclined to it. I mean a lot of rappers that I listened to were also just bragging and even people at the time, bro, they would listen to rap because they just want to be labelled as someone who has been in hip hop, you know? I was always a fan… just listening to their music but did I relate to everything they said? Nah, ’cause I was just too young.
However, when I listened to Honey Singh and his raps in Hindi, I was blown away.
I was so interested in Hindi, because I was learning it, and I just heard Honey Singh. It was so new to me, bro. “Excuse me miss? Kis Kis Kis…,” I was shocked when I first heard it. I do hear a lotta global rap music now… I want to take it global and obviously… I have deep admiration and respect for Pop Smoke, Central Cee and Jay-Z.
You mentioned that when you released your first track on Spotify “4X4”, and how there were so many eyes on you. Would you say that in part, it was also because of the shock value that the media saw in you? You must be aware that your identity as a young African man rappin’ in Hindi is something which stands out.
At the same time, because media tends to be quite populist and over-generalising sometimes, did you get tired of being labelled and boxed in and felt like, I came here to make music but we’re just circling back to my identity and not my music or my art?
I love, I love the questions you’re bringing up and it’s something that you know, I want to discuss about too. In most of the interviews I’ve gone to or the podcasts, they would always ask me tirelessly about how I know Hindi because I’m not from around here. It does get bothersome and rather boring a lotta times. I’ve talked about my identity and my admiration of Hindi as a language everywhere I went. I know it’s a USP for me, you know, and it’s working for me but I don’t want to be an artist that is just known for his Nigerian descent in India.
My endeavours, when I drop music is more like… even if you’re not seeing the visuals, you know, and you’re just hearing the tracks, I want you to connect with my music and expression. Every track that I write is a deeply personal creative process and I want my listeners to get more excited about that.
My music is autonomous of my African identity… it’s me. I don’t want to be viral solely for my appearance ‘cause it’s my music which will be remembered when I’m not here, you know? I want people to hear my music first and then perhaps, find this part of me exciting and feel how multicultural and global Hip-Hop can be.
So yeah, that’s my vision. The goal is to be successful, to be recognized, to make money and everything too. But I do it for the love of music.
That’s certainly a strong, and rather personal, aspect of it. Also, with that overgeneralization, where you may not find yourself being able to fully express yourself on other platforms, you’re still part of a massive industry and growing as an artist with every single and now, a massive project.
So, do you think that perhaps, from the young Yung Sammy in 2015 to now when you release music with a label as massive as Desi Trill, you could be misunderstood? The opportunity is rare, man and now we’ve made it out to New York and London after all. Are you sometimes mindful about that?
Yeah, for sure, bro. Every time I’m in this scene, I feel I have a different recognition, and it can go two ways as well. Yeah, I need to be mindful of it, because see, hip-hop is multicultural, but at the same time it’s geographical.
I mean, if I’m talking about Central Cee, what comes into your mind? UK Rap. Even though rap is global, Central Cee will always be a British rapper. We talk about Drake, he will always be a Canadian rapper, you know? However, I am representing India and Indian rap music and representing my culture as well. So, how do I define me?
It also serves as a positive representation of my people in India. Nowadays, I’ve seen a lot of Africans lovin’ what I put out. The same people I thought I would need to be wary of or was hesitant in front of, love my music. My dad is so proud of me, too. Previously, it was just Indian appreciation. Now, it’s more diverse. So yeah, I now love the fact that I’m representing two cultures. I’m still drawing global attention as well but I guess it’s more interesting for Indians, and at the same time, it’s interesting for people in Nigeria as well.
Especially for my Nigerian people, they love the fact that one of their own represents the African culture outside through music.
However, since you asked, of course, I gotta be mindful too. I did Fire In The Booth recently, and we discussed whether it’s alright for us to write Indian rapper Yung Sammy? ‘Cause while I represent Indian rap music globally, I am not an Indian rapper and was born in Nigeria. What if my people took offence to it and were like, “Oh, are you trying to be Indian now?”. These are interesting times man and challenging creatively too.
Before we speak about music, let’s chat about immigration and African immigration, especially in India. A lotta immigrants don’t do well here. There’s racism & profiling and deep inequalities.
We discussed this at Raga’s South Delhi concert earlier this year too and it’s baffling to see how disconnected African people, whether from Kenya or Nigeria, are and often live in the most impoverished blocks of Delhi’s poshest societies. They resort to crimes ‘cause opportunities for them don’t exist. So, one, does it hurt when you see your people go through this and secondly, do you feel that rap music is a strong avenue through which you can fix it or at least stir a conversation?
Yes, of course I do. Thank you for asking me about this ‘cause as an artist, whose job primarily is to observe, I’m deeply aware of these things which exist out here.
While it’s systemic and generational in India like any other country overseas, I know there are a lot of Africans who have spoiled our name ‘cause they get involved in illegal things. Both of them tend to portray us in a certain type of way. So I feel, proudly and humbly that I’m standing firmly within that gap and breaking those boundaries… and just to be able to say that we’re cool too and way better than what most people might think. My art helps people shift perspective towards what’s good too, you know?
We spoke to Yung Raja – a prolific Tamilian emcee based outta Singapore. Initially, before coming across rap music and finding a place where he could just be himself, he often struggled with his traditional Tamilian identity. His ambitions and influences were top-tier global, from 50 Cent to Travis Scott now, and he admires all of them.
However, because he came from a strong Indian cultural background, it took years for him before he could finally feel at ease with himself and find his comfort.
Did you face this situation too? Since you moved from your native land to this massive country?
While I won’t deny that I faced a lot of racism here, something which an African person goes through in Europe or the U.S. ‘cause of the colour of their skin, but it was also easy for me to make friends in India. Because of my skin and Nigerian identity, people at school went like, “Oh, he’s a different guy. Let’s have a chat”. Bro, I got friends now who at times even forget that I’m Africa, you know? That’s a crazy thing. However, I see it as a privilege ‘cause my people struggle to get even the smallest of things done around here sometimes. Whether it’s booking cabs or moving apartments… they do go through that.
Another thing which works in my favour is my fluency in Hindi. I’m desi as fuck and that helps me connect with everyone here.
We admire how deeply you think about rap music as a global art form. While it has become perhaps the biggest genre in the world right now, it’s a threat to be associated with it too and rappers are often jailed and even shot in broad daylight. British Gambian emcee Pa Salieu just got outta prison… rappers in the U.S. have been facing racism and police brutality since the 90s.
Yasin Mohammad was imprisoned in Sweden in 2021 and he was a black immigrant. African people make up just 3% of Sweden’s population and how many of them are even rapping? And then, of course, black rappers such as Nipsey Hussle or Pop Smoke passed away too because of conflicts within African American blocks in Crenshaw and N.Y.
Does this concern you? Especially because you’re in India which is infamous for the killing of Sidhu Moose Wala or revolutionary artists such as Chamkila?
Yes, the thought does cross my mind but to be honest with you… I mean I can give you an answer which is gangsta or something which people might expect outta a rapper but for me, it’s not that striking ‘cause I don’t come from that lifestyle. I mean, I hold deep admiration for Hussle or Pop Smoke but do I agree with the gang violence or being part of Blood & Crips ‘cause it helps me fit a certain image of an African emcee or an emcee of any descent? Probably not, brother. That’s the life that rappers choose to live and the violence was a result of that too. It’s as simple as knowing that you are rollin’ with gangs you’ll have blood shed. It’s the cost that you pay for doing that.
I rap because I want people and myself to feel better. I love to entertain people… I mean, of course I flex on tracks sometimes… make flex rap but that’s just one part of it. I feel rap culture is deeply misunderstood. It ain’t black or white, it’s blurry, you know? I follow a lotta rap artists who aren’t mainstream but rather really underground. They’re real gangsters… the things which they’ve been through in life shock me to the core but they’re still at it… still rappin’ in these rap battles which don’t even come to light. I feel like people are too real with their lyricism o’er there in the West.
Also, in India, people rap for the sound, the flow and the flex as well. Indian rap music hasn’t stemmed from violence but from cultural alienation within the global rap industry. So for me, I feel concerned that it’s happening to rappers all around the world but am I concerned for me here in India? I’m not. I haven’t chosen that lifestyle.
We gotta talk about your music, man. British drill is somethin’ you seem strongly inclined towards. Even Flyboy had a brief conversation with us about the major influence of British drill & grime on his music and you guys are tight.
Your lyricism and the production in your discography is damn cinematic. Whether it’s “4×4” or “The Intro” from your debut EP. How did you find a home in London and British drill?
My debut EP “In The Building” was recorded in London. While Desi Trill is an American label, it’s based outta London and that’s where I made that project. That played a huge role in my creative process and as I’ve told you, I love Central Cee and his music. I admire Pop Smoke. So, to record the EP in Cee’s city… of course drill just made its way into how I wanted the project to sound like. So, yeah.
Now, with that being said and done, I’m pushing my creative envelope even further. You’ll be hearing me rappin’ in Punjabi, Hindi and even my African accent too. You’ll hear a lot of Afro beats from now on too.
Even my track on DRV’s album, it’s a collaboration with Loka and Nanku and my verse is in an Afrikan accent. I haven’t done somethin’ like that before, you know? It’s about me trying newer things from now on and just taking it from there. I’m just tryin’ to bring two cultures together ‘cause why not?
What was your mindset towards making your debut EP? You’ve been rappin’ for a minute now for sure but this was also your first project with a major label such as Desi Trill.
A lotta conversations, negotiations, strategising and so many other things must’ve been involved. It’s a whole other ballgame to drop projects with massive record labels. What did you learn from that and perhaps, unlearn too? How did you navigate through music and business? Talk to us about that.
For me honestly, working with Desi Trill was easy ‘cause they never forced anything on me or decided things for me creatively. It was all about suggestions and really good ones.
Even Ty Ty, who is one of the OGs in the scene and played a pivotal role in pushing rap music and R&B by building Jay-Z and Rihanna from scratch, his role in Roc-a-fella Records… he helped me out in every way he could. Then there’s Shabz of course who played such a massive role in popularising Desi communities and South Asian music in Britain and across the globe… they felt like friends and brought so much warmth to the table. I feel honoured to be a part of this partnership to this day, you know? To have this much cooperation at that highest level, it’s very rare.
So yeah, the whole process has been about mutually suggesting each other ideas, you know, corrections and everything and caring about my reservations at the same time. There was nothing like, “Oh, we want this, you can’t do this. You can’t do this.” It was more like… it was our project… a collective creative pursuit. When I first made Desi Trill listen to my EP, Shabz was fuckin’ with it, Ty Ty was fuckin’ with it… even though Ty didn’t know Hindi… he could still sense the depth of my music and I just felt so accepted as an artist.
I went to London, I went to New York ‘cause of this partnership… I went to Hot97 to speak about my music and it felt surreal. I mean how many people from our side of the world have been on that station?
I went to studios where Eminem recorded his music, Pop Smoke recorded his album in the same studios that I was in. So, to go from hidin’ from my parents that I’m a rapper to be in those rooms, it was surreal bro. I couldn’t believe it. So yeah, havin’ all of these opportunities… it’s ‘cause of Desi Trill.
It’s been an honour to speak with you Yung Sammy. Thank you for being so honest and open to our questions. What do you want your fans to take away from this conversation?
All I can say is, I see it coming. We’re gonna be talkin’ very different things in 2025. And I say it humbly. I’m working on a lotta tracks, collaborations… I’ve got a track comin’ out with Sikander Kahlon which I’m stoked about. There are international collaborations too… I can’t announce it just yet but yeah, we’re working bro. Me & Desi Trill… we’re working, bro.
Thank you for this conversation. The music sounds tight, the love is intact. The fans are waiting.
Yessir. We outside. Thank you.
Earlier today, Yung Sammy released his debut “On The Radar” Freestyle. Watch it below.
Stream ‘In The Building’ EP via Spotify
