As the sun set on a warm September evening, Nice People Magazine had the pleasure of recording the Leeds-based rapper and producer Yusuf Yellow perform his track 'Growth Of The Flower'.
Featuring on his signature EP The Yellow Tape, 'Growth Of The Flower' is a deeply personal track that provides a monologue to the 22-year-old's experiences growing up.
Yellow explains the background of the track:
"The main purpose of making songs for me is to understand what my thoughts and feelings are about certain things that happen in my life. Before I was rapping, I would just write down all thoughts and feeling to try and understand them. This turned into poetry and then rap. Writing songs is always like self-therapy for me."
"In terms of ‘Growth Of The Flower’, the lyrics represent some very heavy insecurities for me. I was brought up being told often that I was clumsy and forgetful with my head in the clouds. I’m sure most people didn’t mean to be hurtful, but after a while, those comments lead me to believe that I was pretty stupid and unintelligent. Now, my awareness of why I feel that way helps me ground myself and it gives me the confidence to tell them they’re wrong. The song also explains a lot of other things that I’ve experienced, such as society’s pressure to drink and do drugs, and also about my experiences in relationships. That song, in particular, has a huge amount of meaning to me."
Sound recorded and mixed by Oliver Nixon, mastered by Tom Nixon.
Video filmed by Meg Firth and Tim Wheeler, edited by Meg Firth.