He’s been around Grambling for his entire life, a full 24 years. After absorbing so much from the community, LeShaun “Big Yum” Johnson is preparing to push the Grambling music community.”My aim in life is to keep Grambling alive,” Yum said. “Ca$h has a big footing in this area, but after him, who’s next?”
As Yum is trying to keep the Grambling music industry alive, he’s also doubling as Ca$h’s manager.
“Being a manager is the toughest thing I’m going through right now,” the 24-year old said. “I made a lot of mistakes with it at first, but we got a lot of stuff riding in ’08.”
Yum is gearing up to release a mixtape entitled Grambling Chronicles. The mixtape will feature music from artists set in Grambling.
“The Grambling Chronicles will basically feature just Grambling artists,” Yum explained. “I plan on being around Grambling for a long time. I’m trying to keep it alive as long as I can. Grambling has the potential to become a baby big city, like a baby Monroe.”
As Yum works on improving Grambling artists, he had to work on one thing first: improving his skills on the mic.
“I did my first recording and I sucked,” Yum said of the beginning of his career. “I got better over time. I was garbage back then.”
Yum started recording with Cook-N-Ca$h, doing random freestyle sessions to work on being a “technical freestyler.” Eventually, a friendship blossomed with Ca$h, and they haven’t looked back since.
“I always wanted to see Ca$h make it,” Yum said. “In the music we business partners, but outside of it we are friends.”
That friendship has led to a few Ca$h tracks on the Grambling Chronicles mixtape. The mixtape will also feature ATM, Dece Brother, Baby Tatum, and others.
“We treated the mixtape like an album,” Yum said of the process. “We’re making power moves. I want to help Grambling to the fullest.”
Even though Yum is trying to help Grambling, he still wants to fulfill the one promise he made. That is to help Ca$h make it big in the music industry.
“I’m going to keep Ca$h going since I made a promise to him first,” Yum said. “I’m going to fall into more of an office position. Rap is a hobby for me. It’s not something I want to do.
“I want to be a behind-the-scenes cat,” he continued. “I want to promote myself as the guy that helps everyone fulfill their dreams.”
But in order to fulfill dreams, Yum needs for people to work for themselves first.
“Grinding is the key to everything,” Yum said. “If you print up one copy and try to pass it around, you’re not doing anything. You have to push your work and your material. That’s’ the key to success.grind.”
Yum said that fans of his music can hit up www.myspace.com/bigyumbaby. After Grambling Chronicles, Yum has another mixtape, a dual one, he’s already working on.