Between trying to prepare for online classes and taking care of myself during the pandemic, I came across Yung Stevie on Soundcloud, a Kenyan rapper based in Cyprus with a melodic approach to his rap. Releasing his second album Sauce Island which is a collaboration between him and producer Albeezy, I managed to hold a discussion with him about his time in the industry. Starting out in 2017 with his debut single Lakers, Stevie has experienced absolute growth and it is visible in Sauce Island. 

“I don’t know what put me to writing music but I was thinking about it for a while”

Currently studying, Stevie tells me as a matter of fact he has never met with Albeezy and they just work over the phone. Albeezy sent him some beats last year in August and that was the hallmark to making Sauce Island. ‘The Sauce Intro’ gives you an insight of what to expect followed by Gucci Mane which talks  about having the sauce. Drawing inspirations from Tay-K, YBN, Lil Yatchy and Playboy Carti you can hear their music influence as you graze through the 22 minute project. 

“Sauce Island had a different sound from the start”, he explains to me adding that the initial song that influenced the sound didn't even make it to the album track. The creative process involved the production of numerous songs the remaining of which will be featured in his deluxe dropping on 7th May. 

“I have grown immensely from back when I started music,” Stevie tells me. Looking back to his EP “Western Culture”, he felt it was rushed despite his fans loving it. The cover art to Sauce Island brings an Island vibe to the Album. Created long before they finished the production of the tracks, Albert came up with the concept and they made a little touch up making the art more dark. Terming “The Light '' as his favourite track he gives accolades to Carrrpenter who produced most of the project’s songs. What makes the track his favourite is the transition between ‘Tell Me About It’ and ‘The Light’ and the hypnotic beat that draws you to it.

“Really Blessed” is one of my favourite tracks from the album as it brings out a more vulnerable side of Stevie. Written during the lockdown, he tells us that despite being 

blessed, once in  a while he feels a little deprived of his blessings. He broke down the fact that he is from a stable background but once in a while we have feelings of dissatisfaction and it is okay to feel that.

“I have never met Albert but what’s interesting is we make such good music together all it takes is for him to send me a beat”

Sauce Island has a couple of collaborations from household names such as Jovvie Jovv to underground rappers such as Yung Baby Uzi. Stevie goes on to tell me that it was Albert who made these collaborations possible after a studio session with the artists. The most interesting part of making the album was the whole procedure. Stevie doesn’t have a repetitive sound in Sauce Island as he put his melodic rap to test. He manages to captivate different audiences in each track from his project.

The deluxe contains 7 new tracks bringing a different vibe from his vocals to the atmosphere. Looking to experiment in different types of sound, he tells me he isn’t confined to any musical space. Stevie is featured in an upcoming track “Vibe Freestyle” which is a collaboration with Kenyan artist  Ced which dropped on 30th April. Yung Stevie brings a different element from what we are used to.

While Corona might have affected people negatively, for Stevie it is a plus. It has enabled him to make more music which he promises to drop throughout the year.

Sauce Island: Deluxe is dropping on 7th May.

Sauce Island is available on all streaming platforms.