Spotlight on Young Tameeka (@YoungTameeka)
EAST WINDSOR, NJ – Recent current events throughout the U.S. involving alleged police brutality, violence against officials and racial tensions are all symptoms of a larger issue for today’s younger generation, according to up-and-coming hip-hop artist Young Tameeka.
And her new mixtape, “A World With No Direction,” is her attempt to help young people understand what it takes to affect positive change without violence in a culture that seems eager to turn to violence as its only recourse for justice.
“I don’t like the way this new generation is going right now,” Young Tameeka said. “They’re misguided on a lot of things. It’s sad. They need to be more educated on what’s going on in the world and they’re just not. They’re like the walking dead, basically. I’m trying to reach out to these younger generations with my music about what’s going on in the world. How they’re dealing with things is not right. The killing and fighting is not right. That’s not the answer.”
Two singles off of the new mixtape speak directly to that sentimentality. With the song “Battles,” Young Tameeka talks about the struggle of all people who have issues with corrupt police officers. In the song she lauds the efforts of respectable police officers who do their job justly, and criticizes civil rights leaders who she claims aren’t standing up the way they should be.
With the song “Spread Your Wings,” she uses a message of hope to help young people believe that they can make a different.
“There’s a lyric that says, ‘I’m in the city of dreams with people,’” Young Tameeka said. “Basically that means don’t get down about yourself, but reach for the sky. You’re on the same platform as me and we can make a different together. I want people who hear my music to get that message. I want them to think – to stop doing the negative things that they’re doing out there. There are other way to deal with thing than violence. Use your head.”
Young Tameeka collaborated on the Mixtape with producer The Sounds of the One Armed Bandit, Kelvin Knight Productions. She’s been working with that producer for awhile, and has been making music since she was 8 years old. She also collaborated with Robert T. Hodge Jr., and artists Stalin the Inner City Rebel, Vin and Merty Shango. She credits Minister from Astoria Queens – who was in the group 10 Below during the 1990s – as the person who helped her understand the music industry.
Her mixtape is scheduled to be released in September. In the meantime, she’s also busy running her own record label and launching a new clothing line. The record label – Kimsha Records Inc. – has just signed its first artist and will be releasing a mixtape from him in September. JP Smooth is a 16-year-old hip-hop artist who has a flow that Young Tameeka describes as a laid back type of flow. More information about JP Smooth and Young Tameeka’s music can be found online at www.kimsharecords.com.
Young Tameeka has also recently released a new clothing line under the label Kimsha Wear. She named both the record label and the clothing line combining letters from her name and her sons name to form Kimsha. The clothing line is something she describes as “Urban,” and will feature a full like of hats and T-shirts.
To hear more of Young Tameeka’s music, visit Reverb Nation, and to find out about upcoming live performances and release dates for singles and the new mixtape, follow her on Twitter @YoungTameeka.