Hip-hop is without a doubt one of the biggest genres of the decade. While it’s an insanely popular genre, it takes another level of talent to set yourself apart and make an impact in the hip-hop industry.
Singapore-based hip-hop group YETI PACK has been making waves in the region as of late with their unique spin on the genre.
(from left to right) afro junior, rush martines, rvnd, & yello dicaprio
Comprised of Ben Obaje (Afro Junior), Russel Martines (Rush Martines), Alex Camden (Yello DiCaprio), and Arvind Jay (RVND), YETI PACK is an ambitious group of artists who aim to combine Asian influences, comedy, and Chicago Southern drill music and introduce something completely new to the industry.
With members based in North America, Europe, and Asia, YETI PACK is definitely a multicultural group whose members each bring different, fresh perspectives to their music.
WORLD OF BUZZ had a chat with YETI PACK about their music and creative process behind their work. Here’s what they had to say;
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How did you guys get started as YETI PACK?
Rush Martines: “Ben, his brother, and Alex initially formed a group, but at that time it was just called “Yeti”. They needed a place to shoot a video for their song “Talk To Me Dead” and the videographer that day happened to be none other than RVND.”
“That night, we somehow got into a freestyle circle and realised that we vibed really well with each other. At this time, because of the longtime friendship between Ben and I, I was automatically inducted as Yeti’s drummer slash DJ.”
“After a while though, I decided I wanted to do something more. I tried writing some bars for the first time, and it was when they were working on ‘HEI SHE HUI’. I fell in love with the process and the rest of was history. We grew as a group and as friends since.”
Describe your music in 3 words.
Yello DiCaprio: “Exhilarating. Electric. Enchanting.”
What sets you apart from other hip-hop artists in the region?
Rush Martines: “Diversity. Not just in colour and culture, but in personality and perspective. The four of us came from very different walks of life. That translates a lot into our sound and lyrics individually.”
Source: @yetipack | instagram
“Listen through a Yeti song and you’ll know exactly who’s on the verse and you might love each personality for different reasons. Most artists like to show off the glamours and flex when they have none.”
“We’re just ordinary guys who have fun together through our chemistry as a group, using the different strengths we have to offer as a pack.”
Take us through your creative process when it comes to making new music.
RVND: “Honestly, we’ll just be hanging out, playing video games and there’ll be a couple of beers lying around. Most of the time a few of our friends are around as well.”
“We start off by finding or making a beat and we just play around with choruses till everyone vibes with the one. It’s a very organic trial and error process. Oh, and studio high is a real thing! FENGSHUI went through almost 20 different choruses before we came up with the one we have now.”
Being a diverse group of artists, YETI PACK definitely doesn’t shy away from their Asian roots. Ben (AFRO JUNIOR), who is of Chinese and African heritage, turned heads when he put out ‘Hei Ren’ with Yello DiCaprio in July 2018. The track featured him rapping in Chinese and proved to be a hit, gaining over 12,000 views with no promotion or marketing.
YETI PACK then put out ‘HEI SHE HUI’, another track in both Chinese and English, as well as their latest release, ‘FENGSHUI’, to pay homage to their roots. On their latest single, Yello DiCaprio explained their inspiration and process behind making the track.
Tell us about your latest single, ‘FENGSHUI’. What was your inspiration for this track?
Yello DiCaprio: “We were at Rush’s place just kicking it and his dad was chatting with us about how we should conceptualise our lyrical content.”
“We were all drunk and rambling on about Asian American culture, just banging out type beats on YouTube, freestyling and one of us (I think it was Arvind) said ‘Fengshui‘ was a nice word. We just went with it. I think we had about 10 different demos before we settled on this version.”
Of course, YETI PACK definitely has their fair share of obstacles they have and continue to face, but they take it all in their stride.
What are some of the biggest challenges you guys faced so far?
Afro Junior: “So far, the distance between us right now is a big obstacle. Different time zones from three different continents create complexity in how we communicate and share creativity in our new songs.”
“However, it hasn’t stopped us from creating music for our amazing fans out there. We are here because of them and we will continue to make them proud.”
How has the general response to your music been like so far?
Afro Junior: “The response has been astonishing. The support and love we continue to receive had not been something we expected to happen so soon in our careers as musicians and the feeling is amazing.”
“It came to a point that YETI PACK is not just about us, it is also about the fans who believed in us right from the start as we climb higher to our goal as a community. I would like to thank those who continue to spread our music locally and internationally. It is your effort that got us to where we are today and continues to push us to our fullest potential in the future. Thank you!”
While they’ve definitely gained a lot of success in such a short time, YETI PACK definitely plans on keeping the momentum going with their work!
Where do you guys see YETI PACK heading in the next 5 years?
RVND: “The first year has just felt like a whirlwind, to be honest. We must’ve put out 10 songs before we signed a proper distribution deal and that just elevated our presence in the scene.”
“It took ‘BROKE AF’ two months to hit 100k, something ‘FENGSHUI’ managed in 10 days. That kind of growth is crazy.”
“The thing about music, it’s not always going to be steady growth. There’s always going to be ups and downs but we always push to only put out our best content.”
vA year from now, I see us playing shows regionally and hitting a million streams on a song. Five years? Wow. International.”
What exciting things does YETI PACK currently have in the works?
RVND: “All I can say right now is that 2019 is going to be a crazy year. Stay tuned for a big release towards the end of the year and in between, we’re going to be dropping some solo tracks as well. I can’t wait.”
“The guys at YETI PACK also know all too well the struggles of making music a full-time commitment. Here’s what they had to say for up and coming musicians who intend to make that transition.”
What advice would you give to up and coming musicians who want to pursue music full-time?
Rush Martines: “Do it for the right reasons. Have your intentions right. Not chasing and using material things as motivation. If not, you’re going to burn out.”
“Oh, and always take risks. No risk, no growth!”
So, has YETI PACK piqued your interest? You can check out their music on Spotify or their YouTube channel!
Also read: Meet MassMusic, An Independent Band That’s Making Waves in M’sia’s Hip-Hop Scene
