DMV-Based Hip Hop Artist Yusha Assad Pours His Talent for Music Into Youth Education

With over 20 years of experience in writing and recording music as a creative lyricist, DMV-based Hip Hop artist Yusha Assad has made it his mission to inspire greatness in youth through his music. Authentic Hip Hop, diverse style, unique delivery, and creative wordplay all describe Hip Hop artist Yusha Assad. Yusha is a North Carolina native by way of Washington, DC, striving toward a future of success. Humbled by his roots, Yusha connects to the soul of his listeners while providing reflections of his life, love, business and religion.

Yusha Assad has been writing and singing since age seven. He is inspired by artists such as Jay Z, Nas, Sam Cooke, and Lauryn Hill. The works of these artists all play a role in Yusha’s artistic craft. He is inspired by the stories of hustle and success by Jay-Z, the knowledge that Nas expresses, the pure and soulful melodies of Sam Cooke, and the love and spirituality that Lauryn Hill delivered through her lyrics.

Yusha is also passionate about educating the youth. He believes that education could be used to change the lives of students. Being an educator for over five (5) years, it is important to him to teach youth to follow their dreams, as well as allow the students to motivate him with his continued path toward success.

The Hype Magazine chatted with Yusha about his career and passion for education

Tell us about your creative flow…how do you get inspired and what does your writing process look like?

It might sound cliche, but much like Lil Wayne or Jay Z, I don’t write songs or lyrics on paper. I typically have a folder of beats from producers that I listen to until one of them speaks to me. I start creating and organizing a story in my head, then I tell the story out loud. I keep reciting the story over and over so by the time I get to the studio I just jump on the mic, get my levels together, and perform.

You’ve opened up for a long list of established artists. What’s one thing you’ve learned from sharing those same stages and witnessing how they work?

I’ve definitely had the opportunity to open up for some big names and incredibly talented folks. Watching them during sound check, I learned how to perfect my sound for any show and how to prioritize the sound for my band. During their performances, I learned about stage presence, crowd control, and how to create a memorable experience for fans. The best examples were The Game, Sir the Baptist, Scarface, Brandy, K. Michelle, and D. Smoke. Lastly, opening up for these major artists helped me to see what type of backstage person I want to be. Backstage demeanor is a real thing, and the nicest of people can come off really different backstage. The nerves that come with making sure things are right for the show, people and things are where they are supposed to be, etc, can cause a person to not be present. The best experiences I’ve had backstage were with D. Smoke, Maimouna Yousef, Brandy, Sir the Baptist, BJ the Chicago Kid, Ro James, and Devyn the Dude. These artists just had a peace about them that allowed them to keep their preparation while still being present as human beings. As I grow, I want to make sure that I keep an open energy with other artists backstage. You never know who people are and where they are going.

As an artist, how did you find the courage and confidence to put yourself out there?

The courage to put myself out there comes from watching my family. I come from a stock of people who get things done. The desire to be respected by my big homies, to be a man of action, and the get to the money, was stronger than my fear of anything else. There were times before major shows when my stomach was in knots and it was hard to breathe. But I just took a deep breath, reminded myself that I was where I was supposed to be and did it scared. Once you overcome that feeling enough it doesn’t bother you as much, because fear is temporary.

It’s great to see you’re so passionate about teaching and giving back. What are some of the biggest struggles you see the youth dealing with and what solutions do you aim to provide?

Honestly, my student’s struggles are what made me start doing music again. After doing music all through school, I gave up on the idea of doing it professionally to become a teacher, with the goal of becoming a principal, and then moving into higher education. However, the things my students were dealing with couldn’t be discussed in the math class I was teaching, so I started using my music to tell their stories and inspire them. I didn’t release those songs, I just gave them to those students that the songs were for.

Students are essentially dealing with the day-to-day problems that come from poverty and growing up in an oppressive system that believes the worst about them. The hopeful among the youth hold on to an imagination or a dream that drives them. The realists accept what they see and survive by any means necessary while the rest cope with whatever vice is available. I am in the schools to help guide them to the best of my ability.

There’s no doubt that Yusha Assad is a rising star that is driven toward empowering others to follow their dreams. Follow @yushaassad on Instagram for more updates.

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Tags: D SMOKE, DMV, DMV Rappers, Education, independent artists, K. Michelle, North Carolina, The Game, Youth, yusha assad

About the Author

Crystal Willis Crystal Willis is an Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker, Entertainment Publicist and CEO of The Omni Firm. She is also a Transformational Life Coach and Founder of The Crysalis. Her personal story has been seen by millions of people on media outlets like Marie Claire Magazine, PBS, Blaze TV, Daily Signal and more.