The Return of the Only One

YZ was New Jersey’s rap ambassador years before anyone else came on the scene. He’s influenced everything in rap from business to its sound. He deserves his flowers.

Rap unlike other genres puts a premium on youth, discarding anything and anyone who doesn’t fit into what’s booming then. There are a few older rap figures who’ve felt slighted by the culture, taking to various platforms and sites to air their grievances. There are others though who instead take every chance they can to give props to the sound of the youth, choosing not to bring attention to their accomplishments despite all they’ve done. YZ would be in the latter group.

By the age of twenty-five, YZ, born Anthony Hill, accomplished everything a musician could, launching a successful rap career as a solo artist, owning a record label, and discovering once in a generation talent with the group Poor Righteous Teachers and rapper Yasin Bey formerly known as Mos Def to name a few.