New York’s Youngbloods imprint kicks off their eleventh year of releases with Leaning, the newest full-length collection of recordings from Brooklyn-based rapper and producer Yoh. Shadowy, intimate, and embracing, Leaning underlines Escher-esque songwriting by amalgamizing jazz and electronic inspirations into eight textured, self-produced works.

A first generation Afro-Carribean Brooklyn-based mixed-media artist and musician, Yoh’s work reflects his hometown’s roots in hip hop and jazz, while drawing shape from its melting pot of sights, sounds, and cultures. As a core member of local staples Poetic Thrust and Midi Neutron Collective, his energetic mathematical rap style has become a standout within Brooklyn’s hip hop community. As a performer, Yoh has shared the stage with trailblazing contemporaries including Navy Blue, Wiki, Akai Solo, and Nick Hakim. His recorded work, including a solo release with Youngbloods (Holographic) and collaborations with fellow New York multi-instrumentalist Carrtoons (Mirrors, Saturday Night), has been heralded as “boundary-defying” by the likes of Noisey, Pond Magazine, and Week In Pop.

Leaning is carved from actively seeking out new experiences, and sees Yoh explore beyond the contours of his creative process in search of a more personal and three-dimensional style of story-telling. In his words:


“Leaning” has several meanings in relation to this project. The act of deviating from a linear position, a strong instinct, preference, or; to “lean in,” which is to accept the challenge of doing something difficult. There’s been a lot of “leaning” in my life recently. I found myself taking trips to London and Berlin, allowing me to connect with amazing musicians I otherwise would not have met. I moved to Brazil after meeting my partner, exploring South America and stepping outside of my comfort zone to self-produce every song on this project. I learned to sew and started taking design and fashion more seriously. I began doing more print and commercial work. I learned Portuguese. The merging of all of these mediums showed me that the “what ifs” of life can turn into unexpected and welcomed adventures.”

“I'm experimenting while moving as opposed to experiencing life standing still - calculating - which feels new to me. Everything is scary and exciting as I see people engage with ideas I’ve been approaching, all while also realizing that I’m developing more tools to create in ways I didn’t realize I could. I’ve always had a desire to reflect on different spaces and cultures and it feels like I’m always searching for personal truths, but this project makes me feel like those elements I’ve been searching for have been draped over my shoulders all along. Diving head-first into these new experiences provides a clarity to this body of work; one that is more unified with the vision I’ve been iterating upon.”

The fruits of Yoh’s newfound philosophy of creation achieves singularity in these new works, illuminating carefully constructed textures and astute stylistic references on top of the familiar foundations of his canon. Craters, Nocturnal Politics, and Cycles juxtapose orchestras of ambient tones and field recordings with Yoh’s classically lyrical and rhythmic delivery of poetry atop meditations in sound design. These serene soundscapes fragment across this project - carefully reassembled with shades of dub, smoky night club jazz, trip hop, and boom-bap rap in Moths, Sableye, and Poor Man’s Rose, reflecting back a colorful mosaic of Yoh’s recent exploits in self-discovery. Zenko and Flowers for Zombies, in sound and lyrics, perhaps best capture the source of Leaning’s vulnerable and receptive qualities - sonically pairing delicate orchestral arrangements with simple, solitary piano mantras and unadulterated, raw vocal melodies. Or, perhaps best recited by Yoh:

“What if I’m speeding…what is my life in the grand? I should be leaning.”