YNG Travs pens a love letter to his beloved Montreal on his single and video For My City — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The lead single from fast-rising Canadian rapper Jesse Travaglione’s breakout EP More Than Music, For My City celebrates the community — speaking geographically and musically — that kickstarted his career.
“Montreal gives off a very individualistic idea when it comes to the music scene, and we tried to show the exact opposite,” he says. “Coming from Montreal, our music scene is very local and home-based, so I knew I had to do something different.”
Fans of the new wave of R&B and hip-hop will find plenty to love in For My City. It’s clear YNG Travs has been inspired by rap legends along with key players in the modern scene, taking instrumental elements and vocal influences to make a familiar but unique sound all his own. And with an EP and nine singles under his belt, the 19-year-old artist is only just getting started. His big-picture vision for the future extends beyond his own sound; he wants to elevate his own community and inspire younger generations to boldly follow their wildest dreams.
To that end, he focuses on those he has met along the way, as well as the importance of his partners and production team. “I’m very team-oriented, and have a strong belief in partnership, so I tend to really express that in my music,” he says. That’s evident both in his music and in the For My City video; rather than singing of skyscrapers and poutine, he wanted to capture the bustling community of young talent among all genres (and art forms) — “not just music.”
“The main ideology I wanted to represent was that this city is more than just a place with big buildings,” he explains. “By bringing in some other local artists to participate in the shoot, as well as showcase some of the city’s more well-known landmarks, the video’s intentions are to put the city — and all its talent — on a podium to show the industry that we’re here, and we’re here to stay.”
Watch For My City above, hear more from YNG Travs below, and connect with him on his website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
