Interview: Rising Chattanooga Rapper YGTut

While Tennessee’s rap history includes southern rap icons like Three 6 Mafia and 8Balll & MJG, young bucks have been seldom since Young Buck. And the current Tennesseans with millions of YouTube views (i.e. Yo Gotti, Young Dolph) sound more like the Atlanta artists with whom they collaborate.

Chattanooga could change that.

If you can name five rappers from Chattanooga without the aid of the Internet, your phone number probably begins with 4-2-3. If you can name one, it’s probably Isaiah Rashad. Displaying both the wisdom and lyricism characteristic of much elder peers, the TDE recruit and 2014 XXL Freshman’s debut, Cilvia Demo, made several EOY album lists last year. Tempering his rhymes with a keen ear for lush and innovative production, it was also one of rap’s most musical.

It’s no coincidence that this year began the arrival of Rashad’s Chattanooga compatriot, 23-year-old Tut, AKA YGTut. Tut’s self-released debut, Preacher’s Son, garnered a 7.3 from Pitchfork in January but has received little press since. A markedly assured record, it touches on the ills facing Chattanooga (e.g. gang violence, drugs) while retaining the levity that belies someone in their early-20s. And, like Rashad’s Cilvia Demo, the album features rich, soulful production throughout. However, Tut trades a list of hired guns for cohesive and consistent production from Chattanooga producers like Ktoven and D. Sanders. At times, the suites sound like a contemporary approximation Aquemini-era Outkast, with brilliantly integrated live instrumentation courtesy of Tut’s band, The House.

We recently spoke to Tut over the phone while he was recording in, of course, Atlanta. We discussed Preacher’s Son, Tennessee rap, his relationship with Rashad and more. If you’re in Austin this week for SXSW, you can catch Tut on Wednesday at Palm Door on Sixth and The Madison on Saturday.

Your father, Kevin Adams Sr., works as a pastor at Olivet Baptist Church. Has he had that job your entire life?

Yeah. That’s good. You did some research. He pretty much started preaching when I was born.

Your mother is gospel singer. She’s recorded an album or two, right?

She is, she’s a gospel singer. She actually has two gospel albums that she came out with, which is pretty dope.

What name does she sing under?

Lady Cynthia Adams. She sings when my pops preaches. It’s pretty dope. They have a saxophone player. Actually, the saxophone player from Preacher’s Son, Swayyvo Sax: I got him a job at the church now.

What’s your relationship with your parents like?

It’s great. Everything’s come full circle. Just like any other family, we’ve had our rough patches and shit, but we’re a family. I talk to my mom and my pops every day. I just got off the phone with my pops before this interview.

Do they support your rap career?

Yeah. But I can’t lie. It wasn’t always like that. They came around. They wasn’t necessarily supporting what I was talking about – the fact that I’m smoking weed and shit. It’s straight now.

How often did you attend church when you were younger?

Every weekend. When I was younger, I [also] went to Bible study on Wednesdays. When I got older I just went on Sundays. I mean I like church. Church is cool, especially hearing my pop preach. I like going to hear him preach more than anybody else. He be speaking that real.

Do people automatically assume that you’re a very pious person because of your parents?

Yeah, kinda. Once you get to know me – people just know I’m kinda a silly, laid-back dude.

Music is generally large part of spiritual worship. Do you think attending church played a role in your wanting to make music?

Not necessarily. I mean yeah, in a way it did. [But] I like rap. That’s what fascinated me and made me want to do music – riding around in the car with my pop when I was younger and listening to Nappy Roots, A Tribe Called Quest, and the type of music that he liked.

When he was bumping that shit, that’s what fascinated me. Even hanging around my older cousin, he was a big fan of 2Pac, Lil Wayne, Juvenile, Pimp C, and Master P. Those are the things that made me fascinated with rap and want to do it. The older I got, I just ended up around people that were into rap.

Did you listen to Tennessee rappers (e.g. 8Ball & MJG, Three 6 Mafia, Young Buck)?

I listened to Three 6 Mafia and 8Ball & MJG, but I was more into Outkast, UGK, and Juvenile. Those were the n---s that I were listening to. Pretty much all them n----s from Cash Money is what I was playing, and Master P and shit. 8Ball & MJG [and other Tennessee rappers] weren’t in my top listens, but I put them on from time to time.

Do you think that listening to Outkast influenced the live instrumentation present in your work?

Definitely. When I first met Isaiah [Rashad] that was the type of shit we were listening to all of the time. We were just bumping Stankonia, Aquemini, ATLiens. That’s what we kind of latched on to. That became our shit.

Is there a big rap scene in Chattanooga that people don’t know about?

It’s growing. It’s getting there.

Is it bigger in Memphis?

Yeah, there’s a good rap scene in Memphis. You got Yo Gotti, Young Dolph, Starlito, Don Trip. Them n----s working. But over here in Chattanooga – we had Pinney Woods, but he got murdered. After that it was a drought. Wasn’t nobody coming out of Chattanooga until Isaiah. And now you got your boy right here, I’m doing something. But Memphis got it on lock.

Is there a lot of Pinney Woods music people have missed out on?

I don’t even personally know a lot of Pinney Woods music. I think he had one song with Lil Wayne and Kanye West that used to be big. But dude didn’t even really get a chance to shine and show n----s what he had because as soon as he got that advance he got murdered in his old hood. That’s fucked up.

Is there a lot of violence in Chattanooga?

There’s a lot of violence everywhere. I’m not fitting to make it seem like Chattanooga is more violent than anywhere else, but it got its share.

Where do you go in Chattanooga if you want to see/hear live rap?

We really the only people in Chattanooga giving live rap music with a band and the whole nine. That’s only us. We bring a lot more to the table. When you come to a show in Chattanooga I’m bringing out the whole band, a full band. We’re getting better too. There’s not really anybody from Chattanooga getting gigs on the rap side besides us and Isaiah.

What if you want to see a rap show in town, where do you go?

Track 29 maybe. That’s really the only place rappers come to down here. McKenzie Arena, the Memorial Auditorium. There are clubs down here, but I don’t know man. There’s just something about Chattanooga… People come, but not often.

Are there other rappers in the city that more people should know about?

Chris Paul [AKA] ChrisP. And y’all already know about Michael da Vinci.

Where does the name Tut come from?

If you break it down, it’s an acronym for “The Understood Truth.”

Was King Tut, the ancient Egyptian pharaoh, also inspiration?

Yeah. Just like royalty, being a king and being young [like he was].

When did you decide that you wanted to rap?

Probably when I was like 13 or 14, when my pops took me to his studio for the first time. Then I ended up recording this song and after that, about a couple weeks later, he ended up bringing a whole bunch of studio equipment to the crib. I was fascinated with it. Then at 14 or 15 I ended up meeting Ktoven and we recorded our first song together. Me and him have been cooking ever since.

Did you ever release any material under a different name?

I released music under Kev Adams at one point, but I think all that was poorly mixed bullshit. [laughs]

Did you erase it from the internet?

I’m pretty sure it’s not out there no more. You can go look if you want to. I don’t really think you’ll find anything worth listening to.

Where do you do most of your recording?

Me and Ktoven have our own studio in Chattanooga, just a the crib, and sometimes when I’m down in Atlanta I’ll go to Sonny Digital’s house and record there. Last night we went to Tree Sound Studios. That was pretty dope.

How did you meet Sonny Digital?

My homie is friends with Sonny. That’s just my n---a from high school. He’s my business partner and he be working shows with me too. He took me over to Sonny’s crib and we were listening to stuff. Some of it was for Preacher’s Son and some of it was just some random shit, but he was fucking with it. Then after that it was cool for us to just keep coming through. So whenever I’m in Atlanta we go over there and show love, put some smoke in the air, and try to record something.

Was rap the only career you wanted to pursue? Did you enroll in college?

I went to Middle Tennessee State University. Actually, that’s where me and Isaiah [Rashad] met. Me and him actually dropped out of college at the same time. I just knew at the time that college couldn’t help me do what I was trying to do. I got other ventures that I’m trying to do. I’m a businessman too.

The name of your mixtape appears on the cover of Isaiah Rahad’s Cilvia Demo. Was that intentional?

I’ve been waiting for this question. It was intentional. Because when Isaiah was working on Cilvia Demo that’s when I had just started working on Preacher’s Son. He had asked me when he was in Las Vegas working on the cover art. He was like, “I was just trying to see if it was cool if I put Preacher’s Son on the album cover as like some early promotion.”

It was just like letting n---as know what’s coming. I ain’t going to front, I didn’t really see the purpose of putting Preacher’s Son on the cover, but that was my n---a and he wanted to. Isaiah is a big supporter of my shit. That’s the homie. We talk damn near every day. He working on his new project and I’m giving a little bit of input on that.

What do you think Cilvia Demo means to rappers/rap fans in Chattanooga?

People are bumping it. They love it. It’s real music. I’m proud of him. That’s my n---a. I feel like we all make these projects together, giving each other input and just helping and contributing. Isaiah didn’t have a verse on Preacher’s Son, but it was so cool for him to come at the end of “Sunday Service” with the adlibs. His new shit is fitting to be crazy. He working.

Are you talking to any labels at the moment?

I ain’t really trying to talk to any labels at the moment, honestly. A couple people done hit us up. I know Atlantic and Warner Bros. hit us up. We just trying to build our brand.

Do you feel that because you’re from a city not typically associated with rap that it’s been difficult for you to gain traction?

It’s definitely not an easy thing. It’s not like Atlanta. But it’s all about how n---as go about doing shit. All n---as really need is a strategy and got to know who to talk to. As long as you figure that out and build on those relationships and connections you can pretty much do anything. That’s a big thing Isaiah taught us as he got into the industry.

What’s next?

I’m working on my next project. I was fitting to come out with a deluxe version of Preacher’s Son, but me and Ktoven said, “Fuck it. Let’s just give them another project.”