[Yung Bleu](https://www.instagram.com/bleuvandross/?hl=en) is an artist in his own lane, with his own sound, his own swag, and his own rags to riches story. Hailing from Mobile, Alabama, the rapper and singer comes from humble beginnings, rising high above the small city where the odds are against you. Surrounded by the streets and all that comes with it, real name Jeremy Biddle was determined to go even harder, proving people wrong each step of the way.
When it comes to his numbers and streams, there’s really no one doing it as big as Bleu. Each video he drops on Youtube hits millions instantaneously, while his streaming numbers are quickly approaching one billion streams total. With standout hits such as “Miss It,” “Unappreciated,” and “Ice on My Baby” (which received a fire remix from Kevin Gates), Bleu continues to feed the streets with his trap-influenced love anthems.
Beyond the music, he prides himself in keeping it real in all aspects of his life. Recently getting out of his deal with Columbia Records and going completely independent, he gives hope to the masses that they can do the same without having to sell their soul to a major. Now, he returns to bless fans with his [_Love Scars_ EP,](https://music.empi.re/lovescars) following the release of his critically-acclaimed _Blue Vandross 3._
**How’s it feel to be going from a major to independent, and signing with EMPIRE?**
I feel way better mentally. I feel way more free to drop music. I’m finna drop another [EP](https://embed.music.apple.com/us/album/love-scars-the-5-stages-of-emotions-ep/1533683402) on October 2nd. I’m not playing with them. It’s not going to be a full project though, it’s going to be 7 songs. I needed something to get off my chest right quick.
**Your fans love you because you keep feeding them music for the streets, talk about doing it for the people.**
The thing that makes my music different is I can do both. This project right here is going to be a full R&B project, so I’m finna be Vandross on here.
**Any features on the new project?**
None, I don’t get nobody on there. The only feature I’ve got is my artist, [Brooklyn Love.](https://www.instagram.com/iambrooklynlove/?hl=en) Everybody loves Brooklyn.
**Someone asked, is your new tape related to your baby mama?**
\[laughs\] Just go listen. Y’all going to take away from it what you feel like you need to take away from it. It’s music, everything’s not inspired by real-life events. Some things, you talk in third person.
**It’s crazy to think if quarantine didn’t happen, you might not have done your talent show on IG Live and discovered your artist Brooklyn Love.**
That was one of the first times I went Live and let people join my Live. It was crazy. I knew Brooklyn was a star from the first time I met her. I saw how dedicated she was to her music, I knew she was a star right off the bat. I love working with people who have work ethic, she’s got hella work ethic.
**How often are you in the studio versus not?**
Man, I’ve been in the studio nonstop lately. I’ve been in the studio more because my mental state has been so much better. I can drop one when I want to drop now, been in the studio way more consistent.
**Do you freestyle everything or do you write?**
I freestyle most of my stuff. I write in my heart. \[laughs\] My heart says the words. My heart writes it, I just say it.
**What’d it mean to get Boosie on the intro track, “Level 3”? He showed you mad love in the beginning.**
That’s natural. That’s big bro. I had to reintroduce people to what brought me into the game. I came up on Boosie.
**What’s your favorite Boosie song?**
I don’t have favorite songs, I have favorite albums. His first album, _Youngest of da Camp_. I only like his first music, him and Webbie’s _Gangsta Musik_. It’s so many. I probably know every Boosie song that he ever dropped. _Incarcerated,_ when he first got out of jail. _For My Thugz_ where he’s standing on the track with the bandana, that green and yellow CD. I’ve been fucking with Boosie since CDs.
**How’s it feel to have him fuck with you?**
Me reaching out to him, it happened naturally. It was all a grand plan, it was supposed to happen. It wasn’t no way it didn’t happen.
**Similar to you, he’s somebody who gives back and makes music for the streets.**
I started off in the streets. I started trying to bring something to the table that he didn’t already have. I wanted to bring a whole different vibe. My goal when I came to Bad Azz, “I’m finna turn this label up. Finna turn this bitch up.” And I did. I was the youngest new n\*gga over in that bitch, it’s natural.
**Will you and Boosie do an album together?**
I’ve been trying to get Boosie to do an album together. He always says “yeah,” but we’ve never been able to link our schedules up. I’ve got to go to Atlanta later this week, so I’ll probably get in there and make him do it.
**Do you prefer to work with artists in person?**
I like to fuck with artists I’m actually cool with, people that’ll pull up on me. My release party: Lucci, K Camp pulled up on me. These people I really fuck with. If you can’t pull up on me, then I can’t do a whole album with you because the chemistry’s got to be there.
**How’s it feel to come up on a billion streams?**
It feels rich. \[laughs\] Nah, but it feels good. It’s an accomplishment once I hit that billion.
**Someone asked, can you leak the song you posted yesterday on your page?**
No, I want y’all to hear it on the album. I need to give y’all a reason to go check out the album. That isn’t even half the shit I got on there. No lie, I think that bitch a single. That bitch too hard, it’s going crazy right now.
**Someone asked, can you make a song with NBA Youngboy?**
I already got a song with NBA Youngboy. It came out earlier in my career, _Investments 4._ That was when Youngboy was first coming up. We got one together.
**You’re lowkey tapped in with everybody out here.**
Man, everybody fucks with me because I don’t be in no shit. They don’t have any reason not to fuck with me. I make good music, I fuck with everybody in general. I don’t ride n\*ggas’ wave.
**Who’s your favorite R&B artist?**
Bleu Vandross. Yung Bleu. \[laughs\] I like PARTYNEXTDOOR, he’s hard. He’s my favorite right now. New PARTY, that n\*gga’s new album snapped so hard.
**Will you go to the UK and tour?**
I’ve been supposed to go to the UK for so long, just getting my passport. They’ve been hitting me up from so many cities from the UK to go do a tour, like London. They like me over there. Africa, too. A lot of people from Africa want me to come over there. My first show out the country was in the Bahamas, me and Roddy Ricch did 2 back-to-back shows around 9 months ago. It was cool, they lit out there.
**Do you still feel you got something to prove as an artist?**
Hell yeah, I’ve got something to prove. I want to prove that I can make records endlessly. I want to prove to all the people that slept on me that I’ma be here. A whole lot of shit I’m trying to prove, that’s a good question. I’m trying to prove everything.
**Someone asked, song with PnB Rock?**
Me and PnB are supposed to be doing an EP too, that shit’s going to be too hard. PnB my dawg though. Me and PnB sit on the phone and talk. It doesn’t even need to be about music all the time, it’ll be about bullshit. I already got a song with PnB that’s already going crazy, called “Elevatorz.”
**You want more kids or that’s it?**
I’ve got another kid on the way right now, got a month. I be excited for all my kids. This is the third. One of them’s 7 and one of them just turned 3. They know all my music, especially the little one. They know all the words.
**What’s your favorite car?**
I love my Bentley. I love Bentleys. I like the Lambos too. I had one but I sold mine, because it was too low. I was too tall for it. It used to be hurting my back. The Bentley’s more comfortable, it’s luxury. Lamborghini sounds like you get in and hit a block or 2. Bentley, that bich has a massaging seat, it massages your back. All types of shit.
**Who’s your favorite female R&B singer?**
Brooklyn Love, not just saying that because she’s my artist. She’s really the truth. Ya’ll going to see when y’all hear my album, she’s really the truth.
**Is there a deluxe of _Bleu Vandross 3_ coming?**
Nah I’ma leave BV3 alone, keep letting it grow. I’ll bring the series back when I get big in my career but right now I’m going to leave the _Investments_ and _Bleu Vandross_ series. I’m going to end them off, like classics. Years later, I’ll come back and surprise my fans.
**Do you write all your songs?**
Yeah. I’ve never been in the studio with a real songwriter, but sometimes my homeboys give ideas. If I’m vibing or doing a melody, they’ll give me ideas. As far as verses, nobody ever wrote any of my verses. I’ve gotten help on hooks, not a lot though. I got help on one or 2 hooks. Wasn’t really help, it was “yeah that shit sounds good” type shit.
**What advice do you have to give underground artists motivation?**
You don’t really have to be as big as you think you have to be to make good money off music. If you know your business and you own your shit, then you can make a lot of money off music with having a nice little fanbase. That’s really motivation. People be thinking they’ve got to be on Drake’s level to really see m’s, but you don’t.
