Young M.A is the Brooklyn sensation that is sweeping the nation. With an uncompromising, aggressive, and lyrical style, she has already won the hearts of the masses -- she is about to eclipse the one million followers milestone on Instagram (rocking the superb Instagram handle @hennynhoes). You cannot walk two blocks in Brooklyn without her breakout hit "OOOUUU" blaring from a residence, vehicle, or business establishment.
But who exactly is Young M.A? In this article, we cover the basics, from her upbringing to her development as an artist to the big names who have come out in support of her movement.
Early life
Young M.A (gov't name: Kat Marrero) was born in Brooklyn and moved to Virginia when she was seven. She played organized football from a young age and started rapping when she was nine. She returned to Brooklyn at age 17, around the time her older brother was murdered. She claims affiliation with multiple neighborhoods in Brooklyn: East New York, Flatbush, Crown Heights, Bed-Stuy, and others.
She doesn't want to be labelled a LGBT rapper
“Don’t label me as an LGBT rapper or a female rapper," she said in an interview with the Breakfast Club. "I don’t like to be labeled… I know I'm a dyke."
M.A knew she was gay in first grade, it wasn't until she he entered her 20s that she felt fully comfortable expressing who she was. Earlier in her career, she was often advised to cultivate a more feminine persona. (See the video embedded below, "Pretty Flacko," from 2012.) It is no coincidence that her career took off once she felt fully comfortable with the way she presented herself.
"I been through a lot with that situation as far as coming out the closet and really being who I've been wanting to be my whole life and just didn't know how to express it," she told Peter Rosenberg last October. "That was always a struggle for me growing up. So when it was really my time and I was comfortable, it was just like, 'I don't really care what nobody think no more.'"
Her "Chiraq" remix went viral in an unexpected way
"Chiraq" remixes helped launch the careers of Dreezy and Montana of 300. Young M.A's 2014 "Chiraq" remix went viral through unexpected means. Economist Dr. Boyce Watkins castigated her verse in a Facebook post, saying she was "rapping like a serial killer" and "needs love, therapy and an opportunity." Though many agreed with Watkins, at least as many thought the bars were straight fire. Through his post, M.A's "Chiraq" remix has been viewed two million times.
"OOOUUU" is one of the hottest records of 2016
Young M.A released two mixtapes in 2015 -- M.A The Mixtape and Sleep Walkin. She purchased the "OOOUUU" beat from producer U-Dub on NYbangers.com, recorded the song in January, and released it in May. The video immediately gained traction and had garnered a few million views by August. Since then, it has completely taken off. it currently has 63 million views, with nearly a million new views coming each day. It is #21 on the Hot 100 and #5 on the hip hop charts... and rising fast.
She has received co-signs from Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, and 50 Cent
Young M.A cites 50 Cent as her “favorite rapper of all time” and the reason she started rapping in the first place. In August, a few weeks before releasing a "OOOUUU" remix, he had the following to say about M.A: "YOUNG MA the hottest shit out right now, her swag reminds me of my mother. So offic[i]al, i dont like a lot a shit but this is Tuff. Im glad she from New York.#EFFENVODKA."
A host of rappers have released "OOOUUU" remixes of their own, including Nicki Minaj, Meek Mill, The Game, A$AP Ferg, Jadakiss, and French Montana. Beyonce used "OOOUUU" as the backing track for her celebratory 35th birthday Instagram post.
She's still unsigned
Young M.A has yet to sign to a major label, and maybe that is for the best. As Chance the Rapper has demonstrated this year, independence and massive popularity are not mutually exclusive. And it's not like M.A isn't already making money. She starred in the new Beats by Dre commercial. Earlier this month, she upgraded from a Hyundai Sonata to a 2017 Audio A7.
