Music

How 2 Atlanta natives became successful YouTubers in 1 year

ROLLINGOUT.COM — Yung Charc and TyTheGuy only have two singles out.

Published

5 years ago

January 26, 2019

Rashad Milligan

By Rashad Milligan

ATLANTA – Tylar Jones and Aden Liban bounced into a room at The Loft in Midtown on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019.

The encounter included a lot of handshakes, slang and inside jokes the two have formed over the years. The duo just finished their first rap performance together as Yung Charc and TyTheGuy in the state that they called home in high school.

[/media-credit] Rashad Milligan

“I was nervous at first, but I’m happy I did it,” Jones said. “I fell in love with it.”

Yung Charc and TyTheGuy only have two singles out, but the music videos already have over half a million views combined in three months. At The Loft nightclub, they performed the singles, as well as a handful of other unreleased music the two made together.

The artists are opening for DDG, the self-made YouTube celebrity who’s making the transition into the music industry himself. They’re all a part of a group of content creators who live in Los Angeles.

A year ago, however, this scenario wouldn’t have been possible.

“Last year, [Jones] and I was literally signing an application to the Air Force,” Liban said.

Jones confirmed Liban’s claim.

“Charc and I were about to join the military, bruh,” he said. “But then, it got to a point of ‘let’s do this s—.’ We didn’t have a choice.”

A couple of months later, the two took a chance and moved to L.A. with Poudii, another YouTuber from Gwinnett County, Georgia. The three content creators lived together for a few months before Jones and Liban moved into an apartment of their own once they could support themselves.

“Your friends don’t believe in you, man,” Jones said. “There’s somebody that always has something negative to say, or they want to hate on you. They don’t want to help you film, or do some s— when you’re down, but when you’re up, that’s when everybody wants to be your friend.”

The trio of Poudii, Blackcharcoal and TyTheGuy grew a community on YouTube with energetic, comedy-based vlogs using their own combination of Atlanta, L.A. and made up slang. One of the group’s most interesting catchphrases became “Yamboobai,” which originated from Jones mocking Poudii by saying “Young Poudii P” in his videos.

Now, Liban’s channel has over 300K subscribers and Jones has over 200K subscribers.

“Charc and I both grinded for this,” Jones said. “We put our foot in a pot, and we made it happen. Six years ago, I thought I would’ve graduated college at this point.”

The two are grateful for the position they’re in today.

“YouTube and the Internet changed my life dramatically,” Jones said. “I went from window shopping to being in that b—-, and buying what I want. I’m thankful that I can help my family out. Trump shut the government down. Say my parents had federal jobs, I make enough money to take care of my family. I’m forever grateful.”

This article originally appeared in Rollingout.com.

Rashad Milligan

Posts by Rashad Milligan

Up Next

2019 Volkswagen Beetle Final Edition Quick Look

Don't Miss

The amount Wiz Khalifa dropped on his new mansion

Rashad Milligan

Click to comment

Arts and Culture

Kedrick Armstrong: New Music Director for the Oakland Symphony

The Oakland Symphony Announced Kedrick Armstrong as its Next Music Director. In addition to conducting the orchestra’s public concerts, Armstrong will also actively participate in the Oakland Symphony’s many education and community engagement programs, designed to inspire a love of music in people of all ages.

Published

1 week ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Kedrick Armstrong is the new music director for the Oakland Symphony. Photo credit Scott Chernis.

By Post Staff

The Oakland Symphony Announced Kedrick Armstrong as its Next Music Director.
In addition to conducting the orchestra’s public concerts, Armstrong will also actively participate in the Oakland Symphony’s many education and community engagement programs, designed to inspire a love of music in people of all ages.

Armstrong is the successor to previous music director and Conductor Michael Morgan, who passed away in 2021 after a 30-year tenure at the Symphony.

Armstrong will open the Oakland Symphony 2024-2025 season on October 18.

Armstrong, who is 29 and hails from Georgetown, South Carolina, is currently the creative partner and principal conductor of the Knox-Galesburg Symphony.

The Chicago Tribune has praised Armstrong for his ability to “simply let the score speak for itself.” He enjoys a wide range of repertoire, spanning early music to premiering new works, using his joy and curiosity for all music to cultivate understanding and collaboration within diverse communities.
“I am deeply honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the new music director of the Oakland Symphony,” Armstrong said. “As a Black conductor, I find it humbling to stand on the shoulders of both Michael Morgan and Calvin Simmons,” the most recent and the first African American music directors of the Symphony, respectively.

Armstrong led three programs at the Symphony between 2022 and early 2024, which showcased his broad knowledge of the classical repertoire and enthusiasm for spotlighting diverse voices.
On his Oakland Symphony subscription debut on Feb. 16, Armstrong led the world premiere of “Here I Stand: Paul Robeson,” an oratorio by Carlos Simon on a libretto by Dan Harder, commissioned by the Oakland Symphony.

Armstrong was selected unanimously by the Oakland Symphony’s board of directors and musicians after an extensive two-year search. “The search committee was overwhelmed by Kedrick’s scholarship and curiosity about all kinds of music, from classical and jazz to gospel and hip-hop,” said. Dr. Mieko Hatano, executive director of the Oakland Symphony. “We are thrilled to have him join us at the Oakland Symphony.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Arts and Culture

Faces Around the Bay Dr. Carl Blake, Pianist

Born in Liberty, Missouri, Carl Blake, a virtuoso and respected pianist, made his most recent migration to the East Bay in 1999. One might have seen him performing recently at Noontime Concerts in San Francisco, or at the Piedmont Center for the Arts in Oakland. He is Director of Music at The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco. He was also co-organizer and collaborative pianist at Herbst Theater for The Majesty of the Spirituals concert in 2022 and has held several church positions in the Bay Area.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Dr. Carl Blake

By Barbara Fluhrer

Born in Liberty, Missouri, Carl Blake, a virtuoso and respected pianist, made his most recent migration to the East Bay in 1999.

One might have seen him performing recently at Noontime Concerts in San Francisco, or at the Piedmont Center for the Arts in Oakland. He is Director of Music at The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco. He was also co-organizer and collaborative pianist at Herbst Theater for The Majesty of the Spirituals concert in 2022 and has held several church positions in the Bay Area.

Blake obtained a Bachelor of Music from Boston University and continued post-baccalaureate studies in Jamaica before earning a Master of Arts in Music at San Jose State University. He was the recipient of two Fulbright residencies in Honduras and completed a third residency at the University of St. Petersburg in Russia. He has a Doctor of Musical Arts from Cornell University.

At age 19, Blake, then an undergraduate piano major at Boston University, was “discovered” by Impresario Dr. W. Hazaiah Williams, who is the Founder and Director of Today’s Artists/Four Seasons Arts.

Williams honored Blake by awarding him the first Marian Anderson Young Artist Award. Anderson personally presented the award at the Masonic Auditorium in S.F. Subsequently, Blake was presented by Dr. Williams in his San Francisco debut at The Herbst Theatre. Williams subsidized a year of study abroad for Blake at the Paris Conservatory of Music. Additionally, Williams sponsored Blake’s New York Weill Hall debut, where he has performed twice since. Blake performed several times at the Yachats Music Festival in Oregon.

Blake continues to perform nationally and abroad. His hobbies are reading, baking and travel. He says, “I’m still pumping ivories, as Belgian pianist Jeanne Stark described the disciplined practice of concert piano.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Arts and Culture

Oakland Jazz Great Offers Master Class as City Declares “John Handy Day”

World-renowned jazz master saxophonist John Handy, a McClymond’s High School graduate, was presented with a Mayor of Oakland Proclamation declaring Feb. 12, as John Handy Day in the city. Handy is most notably known as the featured saxophonist for Charles Mingus on “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” from the album “Mingus Ah Um” (1959) and on “Hard Work” from his own album “Hard Work” (1976).

Published

2 months ago

February 24, 2024

Oakland Post

(L-R) Del Handy, John Handy, Roger Glenn, and Joe Warner celebrate John Handy Day at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle, Oakland. Photo by Lady Bianca.

By Conway Jones

World-renowned jazz master saxophonist John Handy, a McClymond’s High School graduate, was presented with a Mayor of Oakland Proclamation declaring Feb. 12, as John Handy Day in the city.

Handy is most notably known as the featured saxophonist for Charles Mingus on “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” from the album “Mingus Ah Um” (1959) and on “Hard Work” from his own album “Hard Work” (1976).

“John Handy is a jazz icon and an inspiration to musicians everywhere,” said Ayo Brame, a 16-year-old Oakland tenor saxophone player who is enrolled at the Oakland School for the Arts.

In celebration of this day, the reception in downtown Oakland at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle was a gathering of artists, young and old, coming together in his honor and celebrating his 91st birthday.

Handy presented a Saxophone Colossus free masterclass for musicians. This class afforded a rare opportunity to learn about the saxophone from an aficionado. The class was free and open to all – saxophonists, vocalists, aficionados, students, and casual listeners.

“As a longtime friend for over 60 years, and fellow musician who has had numerous opportunities to share the stage with John, it has always been a pleasure performing with him and hearing his creative interpretations of the music and his gift of ease inspiring the next generation of jazz musicians,” said Roger Glenn, a multi-instrumentalist.