Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Fresh Every Time

Young Mass (a.k.a. Fifth Element) is, at age 21, the youngest member of the rap and hip-hop collective Digital Underground. His family moved from Chicago to San Diego when he was 10.

At the 2003 “Gutfest” in Mission Bay Park, Digital Underground producer and performer Shock G (a.k.a. Humpty Hump of “The Humpty Dance”) discovered the 16-year-old Stanton. “It was the first time I heard his jam ‘Down in Diego,’” says Shock G. “We must’ve blasted it out the ride about ten times that day, and it sounded fresh every time.”

Shock G included Young Mass on two tracks of his 2004 CD Fear of a Mixed Planet: “Cherry Flava’d E-mail” and “Hold Me Down Up.” Young Mass has shared the stage with George Clinton, Tone-Loc, and Mopreme Shakur. His self-titled CD has recently been released.

Shock G contributed to the following Q&A.

MOST DIFFICULT ASPECT OF PERFORMING LIVE?

Young Mass: “It never lasts long enough. It’s like a drug, and the fix only lasts for only a little while and is too far in between.”

Shock G: “When Young Mass grabs the mike, it dates us. Him just doing his regular thing makes me and the rest of Digital Underground sound like dinosaurs. I ain’t mad at him for that, though.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?

Young Mass: “Dr. Dre told me I have the potential to be the best ever if I apply and dedicate myself to my craft.”

Shock G: “NYC, L.A., or ATL — dive into the scene, work with everybody and anybody, from hip-hop to rock. Blaze everybody’s albums, shows, and mix tapes. Get the voice and production out there on as much stuff as possible.”

WHAT’S IN YOUR CD CHANGER?

Young Mass:

1. UGK (R.I.P. Pimp C)

2. Kanye

3. 50 Cent

4. Jay-Z

5. And, of course, Young Mass.

THREE WISHES FOR A GENIE IN A BOTTLE…

Young Mass:

1. Own a marijuana factory.

2. Have a house big enough to fit all of my friends and family in.

3. Be regarded as the best human to ever live.

FIVE THINGS THAT SUCK:

Young Mass:

1. San Diego artist exposure.

2. Racism.

3. Being broke.

4. Being rich.

5. Sex with the wrong person.

EARLIEST CHILDHOOD MEMORY?

Young Mass: “Fighting my cousin for a dollar for our parents’ amusement.”

BEST AND WORST GIGS?

Young Mass: “Worst gig moment was at the Sunset House of Blues with Digital Underground. I had the honor of performing with George Clinton and his funky violinist Lili Haydn. I accidentally knocked the violin out her hand as I went to give the crowd dap — she was steamin’.”

Shock G: “Best was ’Canes at Mission Beach, by the roller coaster. Even though we begged the staff to let our Young Mass in, they insisted that he wait outside until his turn onstage and that he could enter only to say his raps and then must leave immediately. We thought this was silly because he would cross the line anyway to do his part in the show — why can’t he chill backstage? Mass swore to stay in the dressing room and not be near any alcohol. He didn’t even drink back then. Still, they insisted. ‘No ID? Can’t chill inside!’ So when he reached the stage, first thing he did was let the doormen have it over the microphone. I don’t remember exactly what he said, but Money-B and I were crackin’ up. It was funny as hell — Mass was really salty.”

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Big kited bluefin on the Red Rooster III

Lake fishing heating up as the weather cools
Next Article

Bringing Order to the Christmas Chaos

There is a sense of grandeur in Messiah that period performance mavens miss.

Young Mass (a.k.a. Fifth Element) is, at age 21, the youngest member of the rap and hip-hop collective Digital Underground. His family moved from Chicago to San Diego when he was 10.

At the 2003 “Gutfest” in Mission Bay Park, Digital Underground producer and performer Shock G (a.k.a. Humpty Hump of “The Humpty Dance”) discovered the 16-year-old Stanton. “It was the first time I heard his jam ‘Down in Diego,’” says Shock G. “We must’ve blasted it out the ride about ten times that day, and it sounded fresh every time.”

Shock G included Young Mass on two tracks of his 2004 CD Fear of a Mixed Planet: “Cherry Flava’d E-mail” and “Hold Me Down Up.” Young Mass has shared the stage with George Clinton, Tone-Loc, and Mopreme Shakur. His self-titled CD has recently been released.

Shock G contributed to the following Q&A.

MOST DIFFICULT ASPECT OF PERFORMING LIVE?

Young Mass: “It never lasts long enough. It’s like a drug, and the fix only lasts for only a little while and is too far in between.”

Shock G: “When Young Mass grabs the mike, it dates us. Him just doing his regular thing makes me and the rest of Digital Underground sound like dinosaurs. I ain’t mad at him for that, though.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?

Young Mass: “Dr. Dre told me I have the potential to be the best ever if I apply and dedicate myself to my craft.”

Shock G: “NYC, L.A., or ATL — dive into the scene, work with everybody and anybody, from hip-hop to rock. Blaze everybody’s albums, shows, and mix tapes. Get the voice and production out there on as much stuff as possible.”

WHAT’S IN YOUR CD CHANGER?

Young Mass:

1. UGK (R.I.P. Pimp C)

2. Kanye

3. 50 Cent

4. Jay-Z

5. And, of course, Young Mass.

THREE WISHES FOR A GENIE IN A BOTTLE…

Young Mass:

1. Own a marijuana factory.

2. Have a house big enough to fit all of my friends and family in.

3. Be regarded as the best human to ever live.

FIVE THINGS THAT SUCK:

Young Mass:

1. San Diego artist exposure.

2. Racism.

3. Being broke.

4. Being rich.

5. Sex with the wrong person.

EARLIEST CHILDHOOD MEMORY?

Young Mass: “Fighting my cousin for a dollar for our parents’ amusement.”

BEST AND WORST GIGS?

Young Mass: “Worst gig moment was at the Sunset House of Blues with Digital Underground. I had the honor of performing with George Clinton and his funky violinist Lili Haydn. I accidentally knocked the violin out her hand as I went to give the crowd dap — she was steamin’.”

Shock G: “Best was ’Canes at Mission Beach, by the roller coaster. Even though we begged the staff to let our Young Mass in, they insisted that he wait outside until his turn onstage and that he could enter only to say his raps and then must leave immediately. We thought this was silly because he would cross the line anyway to do his part in the show — why can’t he chill backstage? Mass swore to stay in the dressing room and not be near any alcohol. He didn’t even drink back then. Still, they insisted. ‘No ID? Can’t chill inside!’ So when he reached the stage, first thing he did was let the doormen have it over the microphone. I don’t remember exactly what he said, but Money-B and I were crackin’ up. It was funny as hell — Mass was really salty.”

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Operatic Gender Wars

Are there any operas with all-female choruses?
Next Article

Born & Raised offers a less decadent Holiday Punch

Cognac serves to lighten the mood
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader