Q. Give us a general description of you as an artist. What cultures and experiences cultivate this persona or identity of yours?
A. I guess I would describe myself as a visionary. The words I say and the aura that comes off me reflects in my songs and is put onto the listeners. I’ve often had people, sometimes total strangers, tell me that the energy I give off is something they can’t ignore. I feel as though me and the art I create are very vehement. I like to utilize different genres, sounds and words to create my own genre that I call “cosmic sound”.
Ever since I was younger I’ve always been surrounded by music and art. My mother specifically, has created my passion for music. I often have dreams and visions of certain out of body experiences. I also have spoken and interacted with entities in my dreams and I often talk about that in my songs.
Q. How has your experience in the industry been thus far?
A. It’s been really good! I’ve been soaking and enjoying the moments. I started with no followers on Instagram or SoundCloud, and I started to gain traffic. It’s been really nice to see all the people that support me and share this journey with me.
Q. Do you have an outstanding moment since you got into the music industry that makes you realize how important it is to make music like this? If so what would that be?
A. The most impactful moment that showed me that music is my true passion is when a girl on Instagram did a guitar cover of my song “Superman”. It literally brought me to tears to see her post. Me and my friend Evan watched in awe as she played the notes to my song. Another really big moment was when my song “Aphrodite” hit 10k on SoundCloud. That seriously hit home for me and made me motivated to put out more and to keep going strong.
Q. What do you think personally sets you apart from the rest of your peers in the music industry? What do you bring to the industry that you believe no one else has the ability to bring?
A.I would say my lyrics and sense of style that I bring. Everyone can say some words but it’s about how it’s said and the delivery and I feel my sense of catering to songs sets me apart. Also my choice of instrumentals. Me being influenced by artists from a multitude of different genres, it has allowed me to fuse and mesh those into something unique. Anyone can see my lyrics and rap then or sing them, but no one can do it like Yuko.
Q. Is there any one song that you’ve made that stands out from the rest? Any songs that people should listen to that will get people hooked?
A. Music that has been released I would say my song “Superman” or “Palestine”. But a lot of my unreleased music that I have made are mind grabbing in their own unique ways.
Q. What keeps your current audience listening and why should people start listening?
I think my personality is refreshing. Seeing a kid that is their age and goes through the same emotions and experiences, I feel they can relate to me. What keeps them even more is the fact that my unique way of showcasing myself makes them feel like they know me on a personal level. The music I make and the things I say create a relationship with my listeners.
Q. Who do you listen to on a regular basis? Are these the same people who inspire your sound? Or are there other factors that come into play?
My biggest influencers and role models are the people I listen to and observe everyday. All of them are creators but not all of them are musicians. People like Frank Ocean, Tyler the Creator, Kanye West, Jaden Smith, Billie Eillish, Kid Cudi, Childish Gambino; are just a few musical artists that inspire me. Some other ones are Virgil Abloh, Takashi Murakami, Elon Musk, Daisuke Ichiba, My mom; are some influencers who aren’t musically gifted but still impact me and help me create songs.
Q.What do you think is the most important aspect of music as a concept, personally and objectively?
A. One, which is the most important one be your own creator. Don’t do something because it’s trending or popular, create what you want, be you. If someone doesn’t fuck with you being you who cares, your biggest critic is yourself. You’re your biggest hater and lover. If it feels good to you than 10/10 do it. Every single creator who has created something unique to the universe was once judged because it was unique to the universe.
Q. Lastly, what advice or experiences would you like to share with your peers or anyone else who is up and coming in this industry?
This is cliche, very very cliche, but don’t stop. No matter what your numbers look like, no matter what people say, don’t stop. If this is your passion and you believe in it and put your blood in it, it will pop. Trust me.
Bonus; I would like to give a huge thanks to NefariousSupply for giving me the opportunity to give this interview! I’m eternally grateful. Much love <3
Big shout to Yuko Yokio for the Interview with Nefarious Supply. You can find out more about him via his Instagram and for new music you can check his SoundCloud above. If you enjoyed this interview be sure to leave a like and comment, and to keep up with content coming from Nefarious Supply you can find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and be sure to check out our Youtube for hot music from underground and emerging artists.