North Richmond Rap Pioneer Young Los

When you think of ambassadors in the Bay Area, hip-hop legend E40 comes to mind, but with the burgeoning rap scene in North Richmond, California, Young Los holds that position. In his latest album, “No Face No Case his lyrical maturity is on full display. Born and raised as Carlos Gatlin in the projects, Young Los began rapping in the early 2000s. As a result, in 2003, he caught the attention of San Francisco rapper and entrepreneur JT The Bigga Figga, who took him on as an apprentice. Young Los explained that these were his formative years and that during these developmental stages, he learned the music business as a student of JT The Bigga Figga. However, as time went on, another relationship was budding with the late great Johnny Ca$h, a fellow North Richmond rapper known for his wizardry with the pen and lyrical delivery. As the two young men grew closer, they began creating music together as Johnny Ca$h expanded the Money Gang Mob brand. Once again, Young Los watched and learned from a master, this time focussing on lyrical content and songwriting. Unfortunately, in 2007, his mentor Johnny Ca$h was murdered in Vallejo, CA. In the years to follow, rapping took the back seat to trapping (hustling), and Young Los was sentenced to five years in California Correctional State prison. While in prison, Young Los realized the talent he possessed and vowed that when he got out, he would take the rap game seriously and apply the game ( knowledge ) he had soaked up over the years. In 2012, Young Los was released from prison and, for the last 9 years, has propelled himself to the top of the Bay Area rap game. Releasing countless albums, singles, collaborations, and videos with various artists such as Mozzy, Mista Fab, Nef The Pharaoh, Mista Cain, Rydah, Johnny Ca$h, Blata, Da Boii, EBK Young Joc, and more. Reportedly there maybe a project in the works with Empire. However when asked about the upcoming project, Young Los prefers to stay tight-lipped when it comes to business, only disclosing “it’s about to be really big in Narf Richmond Mf’s go see.”

By Peter Ross Editor- In-Chief