Young Ravisu wants to make it in the rap game, but Gliwice, Poland doesn’t necessarily put budding producers in the right hands. Ravisu (whose real name is Radoslaw Sobieraj) got his first big look when he submitted a beat to YouTube, tagged with the words “Finally Rich type beat,” which just so happened to be the kind of thing Chief Keef might search. In what became a testament to what is great about the Internet, a song called “Citgo” materialized.
Since then, the song “Citgo” has developed a bit of a following, and has taken on a life of its own among Keef fans, which may have played a part in him making a video for it months after the album’s release.
We caught up with Ravisu, via an exchange of e-mails, to ask him about how this serendipitous springboard has affected his daily life in Poland—over half a year after his beat got picked up. In the process, we discovered how the Poles around him are reacting to his success, how Poland is a lot like Chicago, and his dream of being a producer in Los Angeles.
Interview By Alex Gleckman (@andfeedingyou)
First of all, what do you think of Bang Pt. 2?
I am the biggest Sosa fan you can think of, and honestly I was a little bit disappointed when it finally came out. It's not because the mixtape is whack, I was just expecting a huge mixtape filled with big bangers. I was expecting songs like "Deezy," "Feel Good," "Jet Li," "Leanin," "True," "You," and "24"! But back to the Bang 2. I really do like songs like "12 Bars," which bring great aggressive trap feeling, I love the song called ''3'' for this awesome, uplifting beat and Chief Keef talking about his bitch holding his pistol and weed. My boo wanna smoke all of my weed too!
I love ''Hard Way," it reminds me of ''Everyday''! I love the track called ''2 Much'' which reminds me of Gucci's ''My Kitchen." I think that Gucci had a big influence on Sosa's flow on this one! I really enjoy ''Cause I'm Gettin' Money,'' the Auto-Tune voice and swingy flow of Keef! ''Hoez and Oz'' is great too! I love ''Buy It'' 'cause Sosa so mean in that one, and he's known for that!
''Chieefin Keef'' is turnt up too, great hook and features, Tadoe going in! I fucks with ''Fuck me" too! I think that Sosa revealed Bang 2 this way because he wanted to show his fans that he isn't attached to one type of flow. He got 100 variations of flow in this mixtapes which is a big score! Good work Keith.
I was dreaming of something while I was producing ''Citgo." I was truly in love then, with a girl that I couldn't tell about my feelings for a long time. Then I finally found some courage to let her know, fell in love, but then she dumped me a week before Christmas Eve. But now I'm glad and satisfied for it. She was boring like s**t! I'm too happy with the woman I'm currently with to even mention of her!
Let's circle back for a minute. Can you tell everyone where you are and a bit about what's currently going on in your life?
Actually I'm still living in my birthplace, a town called Gliwice up in Poland. And I still do live with my parents. I set up a nice, home studio which has been my workplace for some time. Honestly I never expected such a success and recognition that Finally Rich gave me, and I messed up my school situation because of that! Everybody in my city knows that I am producing music for Chief Keef and that I have a chance to produce for much more famous rappers! Most of them hate me, they laugh at me, making fun of me because they still don't get it, that I made such a move in my life.
Things got wrong when my closest friends started to get jealous of my success, my gear, and lifestyle that I am living right now. But what can I say, I never mean no harm to them, and I always respected them. It is their mistake for treating me the wrong way. I will never shake hands with some of them for the rest of my life because they turned out to be fake!
I found a boo, and I think she's the one I'm the most thankful for, giving me a lot of support and good advice. I'd like to greet her from this place! And recently my career is moving up faster, I just got messaged by Warner Music Group and they want my beats on projects for Wiz Khalifa, B.o.B, Trey Songz, and many others! Plus I just recently found out that I am coming to the States in early 2014 to work there! Life is good!
People love the song "Citgo." It seems to have developed a life of its own among certain Keef fans. What were you thinking when you made that track?
I produced the track in September of 2012 so I hardly remember. But for sure I was dreaming of something while I was producing ''Citgo." I was truly in love then, with a girl that I couldn't tell about my feelings for a long time. Then I finally found some courage to let her know, fell in love, but then she dumped me a week before Christmas Eve. But now I'm glad and satisfied for it. She was boring like shit! I'm too happy with the woman I'm currently with to even mention of her! But to be honest I think the beat was that good because of the strong, positive emotions filling me while I was focusing on it!
Tell me about the first beat you ever made.
I made my first beat when I was like 10 years old, but it was on a very easy program with custom loops which just had to be put into gaps. But my serious career with FL studio producing started when I was 15 years old, and I still love the program! But if you were to hear my first ever made beat, your ears would escape and kill me for showing you!
I love frightening snares, I love 808 big bass that sounds like the Satan is jumping up in hell. I love the synths that will make you go outer space in your mind.
But even when I was 15, I was dedicated to the trap music so I tried to keep my beats trap, grimey, horror style (which obviously sounded horrible, because trap styled beats are one of the most complicated type of beats in my opinion, and I had no experience with samples and synths back then). My homeboy did a verse on that though for fun.
Who have you been listening to?
Recently I've been listening to Bang 2, Glo-gang homies like Fredo Santana, Ballout, SD, Capo, Lil Durk, some Chief Keef singles like "Darker" with Gucci Mane (salute to the Trap God). Bricksquad is really going in with some new artists like Young Scooter and Young Dolph. I like Yung Fresh's flow. I really enjoy Juicy J new productions like ''Yet'' because he is probably the first trap artist I started to listen to!
I like the new squad called Migos, Quavo's flow, he sounds like old time Gucci Mane, plus they got dope features with Gucci Mane and Soulja Boy, of whom I am a big fan too (new mixtapes like Life After Fame, King Soulja, are so beyond, I think mainly because of the beats). I like to check out Chicago's scene from time to time, mostly people that are opposite to GBE like Lil Jay, Swagg, etc. because they use good beats too, and there is a lot of rage in their songs, which I always look for in trap music. I like Trinidad James for his unique, trippy style!
How do you go about discovering new music?
I mostly use sites like Youtube to check my subs, Datpiff to check the newest mixtapes, and I often watch worldstarhiphop.com.
What is it about trap music or the Chicago scene that appeals to you?
It's similar to the reality I am living in, just more cold and violent. Where I'm posted at, I'm facing a lot of violence every day. Football hooligans are fighting for their club colors just like the gangs back in the '90s for the gang colors.
It's similar to the reality I am living in, just more cold and violent. Where I'm posted at, I'm facing a lot of violence every day. Football hooligans are fighting for their club colors just like the gangs back in the '90s for the gang colors.
The clubs are just camouflage for the real business that is beyond, and it's all about selling drugs, straps, and stolen cars. Two weeks ago, one boy died in the hood near to mine because some rats that were high of bath salts didn't like his tight pants. They beat him real hard, the boy died, and it appeared that he had a brain aneurysm.
The other week there was a giant fight of two opposite clubs. 10 big, mad, bald hooligans vs, 10 of the same type of guys, and everything was taking place at the public pool where kids and families were enjoying their time, cooling in the water on a hot, sunny, calm day. Every night time is really unpredictable. There are always crazy, dangerous adventures because most of the psychos go out drugged out at the night time.
I can walk freely because it's my hood and everybody knows me and respects me because I've been up to no good for a part of my life too. But they understand that I'm the one who has a chance to escape from that reality, so they don't force me to go back to my previous life.
Have you tried to tell your Polish friends about the music you like?
Most of my homies are listening to the trap music. It got really popular in my city, but I don't think it's because of me. Trap is starting to gain a lot more attention by itself I think. People just like to hear good and true stories of people like Chief, Gucci, Juicy, and people who've been in the struggle and got out.
Where do you want to live once you come to the US? Do you have a concrete plan?
I would love to have the opportunity to live and work as a music producer in the U.S. It is truly the biggest dream of my life! I would choose Los Angeles as my home, because I'm all about that Cali life, good kush, sunny weather, laid back people, and the great atmosphere of the big city! I mean like, every important person lives in L.A., and I've dreamt of living there since I was 8-years-old!
Back to the trap music, I just love the drum play, I love the crazy quick hi-hats. I love frightening snares, I love 808 big bass that sounds like the Satan is jumping up in hell. I love the synths that will make you go outer space in your mind. Sound is a very powerful tool, and it gives me lots of joy!
Is there anything else you'd like to tell your readers?
I'd like to greet every person who messaged me about "Citgo." Most of them told me it's the best beat of 2012 because it's different from other kinds of beats. I appreciate your good words and support. Hopefully you'll like my future productions!
Follow Young Ravisu on Twitter here, like him on Facebook here, and find his music here.
RELATED: Video: Chief Keef "Citgo"
