Friendswood rapper Youth Soul Love makes it big on BET

Stetson Rhodes, a local rap artist, who goes by the rap name Youth Soul Love (YSL) recently had his music featured on BET JAMS.

Rhodes is a Friendswood native and graduated from Clear Brook High School. While a lot of artists come from big cities, YSL can claim to be one of the few artists that is starting to see fame from Friendswood.

“It was a bit harder to get the music out living a few miles away from the city, but that’s the best thing about Texas – you could drive a few miles and be in a new city and start something fresh,” YSL said.

YSL’s interest for music began when his mother gave him a notebook. He took advantage of the blank pages by writing his own lyrics.

“Growing up in the ‘90s, I would listen to everything from 2Pac to the Spice Girls to learn how to write lyrics and melodies,” YSL said. “At the age of 8, I had to come up with a rap and beat box for the school talent show. I knew after the performance I was here for music. I created my first song with my cousins around 9 years old.”

YSL moved to New York in 2014 to grow as an artist.

“[New York’s] not for everyone, and I feel, as a music artist, you have to see that life and go back to the roots of hip hop,” YSL said.

While in New York, YSL met Randy Perez who became his mentor and helped him make “PSA,” the music video that aired on BET JAMS.

BET JAMS is a 24-hour hip hop channel that features exclusively hip hop music videos and programming.

“I really appreciated [YSL’s] story and music,” Perez said. “He told me his vision and where he wanted to take it for the video. Youth Soul Love is driven and a perfectionist when it comes to his craft.”

YSL combines his love for action movies with music when making his music videos, including “PSA.”

“Making music videos is one of my favorite things about music,” YSL said. “The best part I would have to say is writing your ideas down and watching it come to life to share with the world. I didn’t have BET JAMS at the time, so the first time I saw it [the ‘PSA’ music video] with my very own eyes was during the Christmas holiday, and it changed my life. It gave me a lot of motivation to keep going.”

YSL sees his BET JAMS music video as just the beginning of his career. He plans to create more music and to keep sharing it with iTunes and Spotify.

“I’ve learned so much from being in New York and traveling around the U.S. from my previous tours, that I know what the city needs and am ready to take Houston up,” YSL said. “I know my city with my eyes closed, so I’m blessed to come back with accolades and a clear vision for the future. I’m ready to start a new chapter for my sound and the city.”

YSL wants to achieve success for himself and for the city he grew up in.

“I plan on bringing some of the most talented artists to the city to bring unity to the community,” YSL said.  “I will have a new music talk show interviewing the hottest upcoming artist in the world, previewing the top videos and discussing pop culture. I’m here to stay so get familiar with the movement!”

More information on YSL can be found on his social media platforms (@youthsoullove) and his website youthsoullove.com.