Iron City’s Finest: You Gene Write covers motivation, the creative process, and The 20/20 Vision Project

Words by Jakob Frazier​

Imagine this: It’s December 2018. The year is bursting at the seams with hip-hop releases: Jay Z and Beyonce finally release a joint album; Kanye produces five albums over the course of five weeks; Cardi B, Travi$ Scott, and Drake dominate the airwaves; not to mention, within the humble Birmingham scene, plenty of local albums keep the city moving. Mere days before the start of 2019, local multi-hyphenate You Gene Write drops a loose single, “2020 Vision,” where the refrain says, “I’ll be gone ‘til 2020,” and that was no exaggeration. You Gene would go on for the duration of 2019 without posting on social media, performing shows, and even largely avoiding feature verses.

But on the third day of the new decade, You Gene announced a new endeavor that would tie up the Iron City for the next 20 months: on the first Friday of each month, we would see a 3-track EP (referred to as a “pack”) from You Gene himself, aptly titled The 20/20 Vision Project. In this interview, we discuss the conception of this lengthy mission, his thought process behind it, and what the future holds.

Phrasure: You Gene, thank you for talking to me. First off- how are you holding up? 

You Gene Write: I’m doing pretty good, all things considered. I’m excited that I finished these packs, and I can work on new endeavors. I’m also currently fighting COVID at the moment. I literally caught it days before Secret Stages, so I couldn’t make it out there. Nonetheless, still happy I was able to see some sets from afar and happy that I have to ability to fight this virus. Wear your mask, people (laughs).

Oh, I’m sorry to hear that; glad you’re finding the bright side at least. Now, before we talk about The 20/20 Vision Project, I wanna go back – I know that you had an early passion for music, starting around nine years old. Was there a specific moment where it clicked and you knew “oh yeah, music is my thing, and that’s what I’m gonna do?”

Yea. I actually got on stage at one of my dad’s shows [You Gene’s dad was a rapper too], grabbed the mic, and forgot all my words. I just started saying “Rock the house” over and over. After I got off stage, I knew I would never let that happen again. The mission has been to get better every day since that point. 

I love that kind of origin story. I saw you name drop fellow Birmingham MC Shaun Judah as an inspiration to start The 20/20 Vision Project. How did he plant that seed, and how did it change from its inception to when you started releasing the packs? And did anything change once they started coming out?

He gave me a talk about how I have the ability to bridge different types – artists, fans, and people alike. I knew I had to step it up to help fill some voids that the city was missing. Long story short, his convo inspired the start of what the Sankofa Suite media company will be overall, but the foundation will always be music. I didn’t want to waste time making an album, but I also knew I wanted to rebuild my catalog with changing my name from “Eugenius Neutron.” When I was working out of town in 2019 for about four months, I didn’t have access to a studio, so all I could do was write. I wrote 12 packs worth of music. And right before we dropped the first pack, me and my business partner Fresh had the idea to push it to 20 packs for 20 months instead of the 12 months for year 2020. 

That’s dope, man. Now, you’ve got a plethora of full-length mixtapes and albums in your catalogue. How was the creative process different from them to the packs, and do you have a preference for one or the other? And to tie into that, was it ever difficult to come up with concepts or stay motivated to complete the series?

The conceptual album will always be my primary preference. That allows for me to expand original ideas to the maximum plateau. With that being said, I literally drive myself crazy trying to connect an album from beginning to end. However, the packs was more fun. I was able to make music without the weight or pressure I normally put on myself. Some of these were album concepts I’ve sat on for years and some were perfectly aligned with the time. By using the consistent formula of three records per pack, it made it easier to lock in on ideas and execute them. 

I get that. Did you have a full vision for the entire set of releases, or is each pack intended as a stand-alone?

Each pack is definitely meant to be a stand-alone thing, but it will be a collective release. I’m trying to redefine what “commercial” music means, at least to me. Not in the “traditional hip-hop head” commercial equals sellout thing, but the music is literally just a commercial for everything else. Positioning it as a gateway to other things like a 61-record collector’s album, or merch, or products, or whatever else I have going on outside of music.

You collaborated on full packs with several artists: Suaze, ITP, The Monastery, FB Boochie, Dee Skillz… and that’s not to mention the scattered features on various tracks here and there. Is there anyone you wanted to work with but weren’t able to get to?

Yea, sure. Didn’t get the right record for Linnil, but he definitely deserves more than just a hook. He needs a verse on the album. Couldn’t finish the TPO pack; spoke with other artist like Rare Spliff about doing a THCBD pack; didn’t get a Kure collab pack; still gotta get verses from people like ChriStyle, Dotta, Brint Story, Mel. Crozby, Dolo Fibonacci, and a long list of others. It just leaves room for work in the future and something to look forward to.

I agree with that. Do you have a pack you made that is your favorite or that’s stuck with you the most? And is there one that was particularly difficult to write?

Hood N****s Need Love Too is probably the one that stuck because I never have records for women on my album, but my favorites are probably Golden Life Lover Boy, Duets of Love & War, and The Imaginarium just because I pushed myself to sing and create in different ways. It’s plenty that have great raps, but the point is to push my creativity in different directions.

Now that all 20 packs are out, are you planning on taking a break before your next project?

Probably so. l’m all about recharging as an artist, but I deliberately didn’t do videos because now I can use that as a new medium to express the music because it’s hard to expect everyone to listen to every pack. So that gives me a way to breathe new life into the music now that the music phase is done.

Huh, I hadn’t realized that, but you’re exactly right. Awesome, I can’t wait to see them. Any final remarks?

Just want to say I appreciate you as a person and an artist. I remember you rapping in the parking of The Syndicate [Lounge] and to see what you have grown into is hella dope. From being a fan in the crowd and being amazed at how different your set was and you embraced being you, to now and how you champion the city, the artist, and the sounds of the city as a whole makes me happy. Artists like you and your appreciation for the craft and culture don’t go unnoticed. Just wanted to say that on record.

I sincerely appreciate that. Thank you. And thanks for chatting with me, You Gene! 

Thank you, my brethren.

The entirety of The 20/20 Vision Pack is able to be purchased/streamed at SankofaSuite.com or any digital streaming platform. Follow You Gene Write on Instagram @yougenewrite or @sankofasuite.

Jakob Frazier, aka Phrasure, a rapper who sometimes writes words that don’t rhyme. He’s committed to spreading word about some of the best MCs from Birmingham, Ala. He can be found on Facebook and Instagram.