San Francisco based Hip Hop duo ‘The Jealous Guys’ made up of Casa and Yin are on the rise thanks to their conscious and soulful Bay Area Street style that pays tribute to Hip Hop culture as a whole.

To anyone new to your music, name 3 words that best describe your sound.

Three words to describe : lyrical, fun and chanting to be short. We like to think of our music as having a good time within the midst of the struggle and life. Touching on awareness of the issues that trouble our community and society. While also being grateful for our lives, enjoying the time we have here and making the most of it. To frame it, think of a wild Bay Area Sideshow while listening to Nas as the backdrop music or soundtrack. This is why we rather release music for free. We all are faced with trauma, PTSD, and mental health issues. The least we can do is give the people the music for free because medicine rent and everything else is already sky high and expensive as is. Let music be a natural remedy or form of medicine and then we can make profit off of product development for our brand Art of HipHop among other things. 

What’s your writing process like? Do you write the music or lyrics first?

We write songs together and separately. Whatever we go through in life is what will influence the song. We have our own unique ways that we write but the topic is figured through the vibe of the song. What message we are trying to send first. Then we can get technical with the way we write using literary devices etc to paint a picture or tell a story with detail. 

We always say hooks are our money and verse is our core fan base because people will sing along for hooks but dive into the verses to find the gems. Make it relate to the world and then make the world relate to you.

Do you prefer performing live or recording, and why?

We prefer both performing and recording honestly, it’s a fruition process! Nothing is better than sharing energy with the people who know your songs and want to experience them live. Our whole movement is about the Art of HipHop in all art forms and celebrating freedom of expression it allows. Whether that’s in the studio crafting or showcasing on stage they are both equally satisfying as creatives and performers. You want to leave a lasting impact in every way. Although, none of this happens without recording though!

Who are your main musical influences and why?

Main musical influences: Nas, The Jacka, Jay Z business and music wise, Marvin Gaye, KRS one, Rakim, Nipsey Hussle, Gregory Isaacs, Ralfi Pagan (more oldies then actual hip hop) Lupe Fiasco, Outkast

There are so many great artists that deserve to be acknowledged. I feel we have been influenced by so many things and people. At the end of the day nothing is new under the sun, so many people can have a light shone on them as an influence. These for us were just some artists that impacted our lives with the work they put out musically and the work they did in the world. The topics of their music, how they delivered that music, and the message behind that music whether through lyrics, interviews, business and visually spoke to us in ways we can never forget. 

What would be your dream support gig? Bonus points for place/venue.

We haven’t had a chance to perform outside the UNITED STATES yet and that’s one of our biggest and main goals. We feel that for what we do and the music we make there’s a big chance we can have a great impact in places outside our own home. Hip hop is truly adored and loved universally. Paris, London and Japan are at the top of that list of places we want to travel to and perform because the appreciation for hip hop is high in these places just to name a few.