Katorah Kasanova Marrero (born April 3, 1992), better known by her stage name Young M.A (
acronym
An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...
for Young Me. Always), is an American rapper.
She first gained widespread recognition with the release of the quadruple-platinum hit single "
Ooouuu
"Ooouuu" (stylized in all caps) is a song by American rapper Young M.A. The song was produced by U-Dub (of NY Bangers). It was released as a single on May 12, 2016.
Background
In an interview with Genius, Young M.A spoke on the creation proces ...
", breaking the top 20 of the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, boasting over 300 million YouTube views on the music video.
After the success of her debut single, Young M.A was nominated for
BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...
and
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
Artist of the Year and Female Hip-Hop Artist of the Year awards. She began appearing on magazine covers.
She has been featured in global ad campaigns for
Google Pixel 2
The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are a pair of Android (operating system), Android smartphones designed, developed, and marketed by Google as part of the Google Pixel product line. They collectively serve as the successors to the Pixel (1st generation) ...
,
Beats By Dre
Beats Electronics LLC (also known as Beats by Dr. Dre, or simply Beats by Dre) is an American consumer audio products manufacturer headquartered in Culver City, California. The company was founded by music producer Dr. Dre and record company exe ...
and
Pandora
In Greek mythology, Pandora (Greek: , derived from , ''pān'', i.e. "all" and , ''dōron'', i.e. "gift", thus "the all-endowed", "all-gifted" or "all-giving") was the first human woman created by Hephaestus on the instructions of Zeus. As Hes ...
. She has appeared on a variety of television shows and performed alongside
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
on ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...
''.
In 2018, Young M.A was featured on the
'' Forbes'' 30 Under 30, the same year she launched the KWEENZ Foundation with her mother.
Early life
Katorah Marrero was born on April 3, 1992, in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York.
Her mother is
Jamaican, and her father is
Puerto Rican. Her father was incarcerated when she was 1 and was not released until she was 11, spending approximately 10 years behind bars. With the absence of her father, Young M.A grew close to her brother, Kenneth Ramos, and her mother. When Marrero was 7, her mother decided to relocate to
Chesterfield, Virginia
Chesterfield is an unincorporated community that is the county seat of Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. It was a census-designated place (CDP) at the 2020 census. It was not delineated as a CDP for the 2010 census. The Chesterfield ...
, as it provided better school facilities and her children would remain away from the violence of
East New York
East New York is a residential neighborhood in the eastern section of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City, United States. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise, are roughly the Cemetery Belt and the Queens borough lin ...
. In Virginia, she started to play tackle football. When she was 10, Young M.A started to write rhymes in her schoolbooks. Her mother encouraged her and purchased a karaoke machine, which M.A would set up as a makeshift studio in her closet. In 2010, she graduated from
Sheepshead Bay High School
Sheepshead Bay High School is a defunct public high school in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. Closed in 2016, the building currently operates as Frank J. Macchiarola Educational Complex, housing several smaller high schools.
History
Sheepshe ...
.
Career
Music
Young M.A raps about many of the same topics as male rappers, such as violence, sexuality, wealth, and acquisitions. She stated, "this industry is male-dominated, we can't pretend that it's not. So when you do make it as a female, you feel more honored, because the guys take over so much." When she was a child, Young M.A exhibited a passion for music. When she began seriously focusing on music as an adult, she self-funded a recording studio with local record producers while working at the
Shake Shack
Shake Shack is an American fast casual restaurant chain based in New York City. It started out as a hot dog cart inside Madison Square Park in 2001, and its popularity steadily grew. In 2004, it received a permit to open a permanent kiosk with ...
and
T.J. Maxx
TJ Maxx (stylized as T•J•maxx) is an American department store chain, selling at prices generally lower than other major similar stores. It has more than 1,000 stores in the United States, making it one of the largest clothing retailers in ...
.
In 2014, she gained notoriety when a Facebook post criticized her song "Brooklyn Chiraq", a freestyle to
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...
and
G Herbo
Herbert Randall Wright III (born October 8, 1995), better known by his stage name G Herbo (formerly Lil Herb), is an American rapper from Chicago.
G Herbo is signed to Machine Entertainment Group. He has released the mixtapes '' Welcome to Faz ...
"ChiRaq"; the song then went viral.
The post's author, pundit
Boyce Watkins, said the song promoted "violent, negative, and genocidal energy", but the controversy expanded Young M.A's name recognition and brought new listeners to her work.
In 2015, Young M.A released a new song, "Body Bag", which became a "YouTube hit", said ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'',
along with the release of her mixtape called ''Sleep Walkin'', which
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
described as a "thoughtful debut project".
In 2016, Young M.A released her official debut single, "
Ooouuu
"Ooouuu" (stylized in all caps) is a song by American rapper Young M.A. The song was produced by U-Dub (of NY Bangers). It was released as a single on May 12, 2016.
Background
In an interview with Genius, Young M.A spoke on the creation proces ...
,"
which peaked at number 19 on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. In September 2016, the song had nearly 7 million plays on Spotify and was widely remixed by other
rapper
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
s and hip hop artists such as
Remy Ma
Reminisce Mackie ( Smith; born May 30, 1980), known professionally as Remy Ma, is an American rapper. Discovered by Big Pun, she came to prominence for her work as a member of Fat Joe's group, Terror Squad. In 2006, she released her debut stu ...
,
French Montana
Karim Kharbouch (Arabic: æɾiːm χɑɾbuːʃ born November 9, 1984), better known by his stage name French Montana, is a Moroccan-American rapper. Born and raised in Morocco, he emigrated to the United States with his family when he was 13. ...
,
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...
,
Jadakiss
Jason Terrance Phillips (born May 27, 1975), better known by his stage name Jadakiss, is an American rapper from Yonkers, New York. He began his career in the 1990s as a member of the rap trio The Lox, managed by Ruff Ryders and signed with Bad ...
,
Uncle Murda
Leonard Grant (born July 25, 1980), better known by his stage name Uncle Murda, is an American rapper from East New York, Brooklyn. He is Afro Panamanian of his mother's side. He is currently signed to G-Unit Records. He is known for his annual ...
,
ASAP Ferg
Darold Durard Brown Ferguson Jr. (born October 20, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Ferg (stylized as A$AP Ferg), is an American rapper from New York City's Harlem neighborhood. Aside from his solo career, he is a member of the hip hop collec ...
, Bryan Mathers and
Tink, all of whom released their versions of the song.
Stereogum
''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine.
''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...
's Tom Breihan said "Ooouuu" was "a brash, intense, hard-as-fuck piece of rider music... the song feels like it marks the arrival of a major rap talent." ''
The Fader
''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes.
It is o ...
'' said Young M.A has "
stablishedherself as a quintessential New York MC", and MTV's
Doreen St. Félix
Doreen St. Félix (born 1992) is a Haitian-American writer. She is a staff writer for ''The New Yorker'' and was formerly editor-at-large for ''Lenny Letter'', a newsletter from Lena Dunham and Jennifer Konner, Jenni Konner.
Early life
St. Féli ...
said, "This summer, the atmosphere belongs to Young M.A and her single 'OOOUUU.'"
The song's popularity drew attention from labels, though M.A remains an independent artist.
At the
2016 BET Hip Hop Awards
The 2016 BET Hip Hop Awards were held on September 17, 2016 and aired on October 4, 2016 at Atlanta’s Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. The nominations were announced on August 18, 2016.
For a third consecutive year, Drake heads the list ...
, she performed a freestyle on a cypher and performed "Ooouuu", giving what ''
XXL Magazine
''XXL'' is an American hip hop magazine, published by Townsquare Media, founded in 1997.
History
In August 1997, Harris Publications released the first issue of ''XXL''. It featured rappers Jay-Z and Master P on a double cover. In December 2006 ...
'' described as "show-stopping freestyle... one of the best freestyles of the night". Despite the enthusiasm for her performance, Young M.A expressed disappointment, saying
BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...
cut out a portion of her performance.
Remy Ma
Reminisce Mackie ( Smith; born May 30, 1980), known professionally as Remy Ma, is an American rapper. Discovered by Big Pun, she came to prominence for her work as a member of Fat Joe's group, Terror Squad. In 2006, she released her debut stu ...
featured M.A at
''Hot 97'''s
Summer Jam 2017, where she performed alongside other female rap greats. M.A was quoted as saying "There's been a lot of opportunities, and of course a lot of money, but then there's the downside: you lose a lot of people that were once around you once their true colors start to show".
Freestyles such as "Who Run It" and "I Get The Bag" have gained millions of online streams and views, along with her previous single, "Walk", which has amassed over 20 million listens. M.A's single titled "Praktice" is supposedly a reference to the idea that her previous releases have all led up to the full album. Young M.A's debut studio album ''
Herstory in the Making
''Herstory in the Making'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Young M.A. It was released on September 27, 2019, by M.A Music and 3D. The album features guest appearances from Max YB and Relle Bey and features production from Zaytoven, Mi ...
'' was released on September 27, 2019, and peaked at number 16 on the
''Billboard'' 200. It included the singles "Big" and "PettyWap 2". On May 22, 2020, she released the EP ''Red Flu'', marking her first new project since the release of her debut album. On May 21, 2021, she released her second studio album ''Off the Yak''. ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'' rated the album 6.9 out of 10.
Other projects
In 2016, during an interview with ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', Young M.A said
Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels (born December 24, 1959) is an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter. His first producer credit was '' Monster's Ball'' (2001), for which Halle Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress, making Daniels ...
offered her the role of "Betty Bars" on the show ''
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
''. The character and role were made especially for her, but she turned it down, preferring to pursue her career as a rapper on her terms and with her moniker instead of being known first as a fictional character.
She references being offered the role in her freestyle "Check," rapping, "Shout out to Fox trying to get me on that Empire / At first I had to turn it down, wasn't up to par / 'Cause it's Young M.A, bitch! Fuck is 'Betty Bars'?"
In 2018, she directed her first
pornographic film
Pornographic films (pornos), erotic films, sex films, and 18+ films are films that present sexually explicit subject matter in order to arouse and satisfy the viewer. Pornographic films present sexual fantasies and usually include eroticall ...
, which was a
lesbian porn film, produced by
Pornhub
Pornhub is a Canadian-owned internet pornography website. It is one of several pornographic video-streaming websites owned by MindGeek. , Pornhub is the 10th-most-trafficked website in the world and the second-most-trafficked adult website aft ...
, titled ''The Gift''. In 2019, she also appeared in the fourth and final season of ''
Mr. Robot
''Mr. Robot'' is an American drama thriller television series created by Sam Esmail for USA Network. It stars Rami Malek as Elliot Alderson, a cybersecurity engineer and hacker with social anxiety disorder, clinical depression and dissociati ...
'' as Peanuts, an employee of criminal Fernando Vera. In 2020, Young M.A appeared as the first feature on
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
's surprise-released album ''
Music to Be Murdered By
''Music to Be Murdered By'' is the eleventh studio album by American rapper Eminem. It was released on January 17, 2020, by Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. Just like Eminem’s previous studio album ''Kamikaze'' ( ...
'' on the song "
Unaccommodating".
Personal life
Young M.A has been open about her sexual orientation in her music throughout her career. During an interview with the
'' Breakfast Club'', she stated that she has liked girls since the first grade.
She told ''
Vogue
Vogue may refer to:
Business
* ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine
** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine
** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine
** ''Vogue China'', ...
'' that coming out was an important point in her artistic development, stating "I held in being sexually attracted to women for so long that once I got that out of me, the music became easy."
As of 2019, she no longer likes to use any kind of label for herself; when Jason Lee of ''Hollywood Unlocked'' asked Young M.A about her orientation, the rapper stated, "No, I'm Young M.A . . . . We don't do no labels. I just wouldn't date a guy. Nah, bro, I don't like that."
In an interview with ''
The Breakfast Club
''The Breakfast Club'' is a 1985 American teen coming-of-age comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by John Hughes. It stars Emilio Estevez, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, and Ally Sheedy. The film t ...
'', Young M.A stated that she often felt out of place when she was hiding her sexuality.
Her mother would often try to get her to discuss her sexuality, but she would always deny she was a lesbian. She stated that she feared her mother wouldn't accept her if she came out. In the interview, she said, "I used to be scared to tell my moms, though I knew my moms wasn't the type of mother to be like 'Oh, I don't like you' or 'I'm gonna ignore you,' but part of me still was scared."
Young M.A also said in a different interview, "I was scared to express it to people who are close to me, That was me not accepting it yet, even though I knew deep down in my heart that I liked women."
When she came out to her family at the age of 18, she saw this as a turning point in her rap career.
She also said in an interview with ''Noisey Raps'',
"Since I came out officially, that's when all the girls flopped, that's when it was a wrap," she laughed. She also said people "feel her more" because she's more comfortable. To continue, another time she said, "Once I became myself, the music was a wrap. Music is my expression. Music is my release. Music is my therapy. This is where I’m going to speak about my sexuality. I’ve held it in for so long, now I can express it."
Marrero revealed that growing up in New York City helped her accept herself and sexuality. The rapper stated, "In New York City, it’s popular. I used to think to myself, man, there’s a lot of gay people out there. And it makes me comfortable, it was like, I can be myself! I used to still try to hide it until it was overwhelming — there were just too
anygirls attracted to me!" However, even though she is open about being a lesbian, she doesn't want it to define her as an artist.
On September 26, 2009, Young M.A's brother, Kenneth Ramos,
was stabbed to death by his former friend. Young M.A missed school for a month due to depression and mourning,
and later underwent therapy to deal with the tragedy.
Philanthropy
KWEENZ Foundation
Young M.A is the founder of the KWEENZ Foundation. KWEENZ foundation "helps those residing in her East New York neighborhood overcome the grief and trauma that comes with the loss of a loved one." "It’s for women and for men—Kings and Queens…KWEENZ," she says. "I got my mother involved because she sadly lost her son, my brother, in 2009 and this is something for her to get into and give her a little relief and meet other mothers who have been in that situation so they’re not alone." Regarding the vicissitudes of life, Young M.A said, "No matter how much success you have in this life, you still go through those struggles and still go through that pain."
Television appearances
Young M.A appears regularly at the end of ''Vice News Tonight'' (on
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
) episodes critiquing many genres of music.
She has also appeared on the ''
Wendy Williams Show
''The Wendy Williams Show'' (often shortened to ''Wendy'') is an American syndicated talk show created and hosted by Wendy Williams, and produced by Wendy Williams Productions, along with Perler Productions. The show is distributed by Debmar-Me ...
'', ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...
'', ''
Viceland
Viceland (stylized in all caps), and Vice TV in the United States, are brands used for television channels owned and programmed by Vice Media. Viceland launched on February 29, 2016, with two branded cable channels; the American version (rebra ...
'' ''The Therapist'',
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...
's ''GGN'',
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's ''
Ridiculousness'', ''
Hip Hop Squares
''Hip Hop Squares'' is an American television game show originally hosted by Peter Rosenberg, which debuted on MTV2 on May 22, 2012. The show is a licensed format of CBS Television Distribution's ''Hollywood Squares'' (King World Productions, CBS ...
'', ''
Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party
''Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party'' is an American variety show starring Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg. The series premiered on VH1 on November 7, 2016.
It is filmed at CBS Studio Center in the Studio City district of Los Angeles
...
'', ''
Wild 'n Out
''Wild 'N Out'' is an American sketch comedy and improv game show series that was created and is hosted by musician and comedian Nick Cannon currently airing on VH1. It debuted on July 28, 2005 on MTV.
In April 2019, the series had been rene ...
'', ''
Safeword
In BDSM, a safeword is a code word, series of code words or other signal used by a person to communicate their physical or emotional state, typically when approaching, or crossing, a physical, emotional, or moral boundary. Some safewords are used ...
'', ''
Total Request Live
''Total Request Live'' (known commonly as ''TRL'') was an American television program broadcast on MTV that premiered on September 14, 1998. TRL featured popular music videos played during its countdown, and was also used as a promotion tool by ...
'' and ''
Mr. Robot
''Mr. Robot'' is an American drama thriller television series created by Sam Esmail for USA Network. It stars Rami Malek as Elliot Alderson, a cybersecurity engineer and hacker with social anxiety disorder, clinical depression and dissociati ...
''
On October 28, 2019, Young M.A appeared as a guest on ''
Angela Yee
Angela Yee (born January 3, 1976) is an American radio personality. She hosted the nationally syndicated morning show ''The Breakfast Club'' along with DJ Envy and Charlamagne tha God. She is on the Board of Governors of the We Are Family Fou ...
's Lip Service''.
Discography
Studio albums
Mixtapes
Extended plays
Singles
As lead artist
As featured artist
Other charted songs
Guest appearances
Awards and nominations
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
East Coast hip hop musicians
American lesbian musicians
LGBT rappers
LGBT people from New York (state)
Living people
Musicians from Brooklyn
American women rappers
American people of Jamaican descent
American people of Puerto Rican descent
Puerto Rican women rappers
21st-century American rappers
21st-century American women musicians
1992 births
21st-century women rappers
Rappers from Brooklyn
American women hip hop musicians
African-American women rappers
20th-century LGBT people
21st-century LGBT people
LGBT hip hop musicians
21st-century African-American women
21st-century African-American musicians
Hispanic and Latino American rappers