YSY A (Alejo Acosta, Buenos Aires, 1998) is one of the big names behind the origins and expasion of the Argentine urban scene, which is now exploding on music charts and major platforms. Young artists from the hoods have become world icons, amassing millions of streams and followers worldwide. A new wave of urban talent that transcends music to encompass artistry, aesthetics, and culture. But it’s important to note that this genre revolution didn’t come out of nowhere; it was born in the plazas of Buenos Aires.
YSY A was only 14 years old when he founded El Quinto Escalón with musician and host Muphasa in 2012. It became one of the most renowned rap events in Argentina, then across Latin America, and eventually worldwide. But it was more than just that: it was the explosion of hip-hop in the country and the birthplace of a new generation of emerging artists in Argentina, including Duki, Paulo Londra, Lit Killah, WOS, Dani Ribba and Bizarrap, among many others.
During his last visit to Spain and after releasing his latest single ‘Está que Quema,’ in LOS40 we had the opportunity to chat with the pioneering urban artist about his career and the generation of this urban movement. YSY A talks about exciting news, such as the release of not one, but two albums in 2023!
We also asked him if ‘Modo Diablo‘ will make a comeback and ifhe misses the El Quinto Escalón era. He even reflects on La Mansión that inspired his first album, ‘Antezana 247,’ where he lived with Duki and Neo Pistea. YSY A also shares how he met them and which artists he would like to collaborate with.
Moreover, the Argentine artist delves into more introspective details, concerns and dreams that have made him the artist he is today. He even comments on what it’s like for him to be an urban star and a father at the same time. Keep scrolling to read the full interview!
Current Moment, Latest Release & Upcoming Albums
You just released ‘Está Que Quema.’ How have you noticed the reception of the song?
I see the comments and people are really happy, honestly. Thank God I have a very loyal and strong fan base. I know they love it when I mix in electronic elements. The last album had an electro song that went gold, so I thought: let’s go for it again!
You drop your latest album, Y$YSMO, in 2022, and it was a great success. What does this album mean to you today?
Y$YSMO is the culmination of all these years that I’ve been working on music since I released my first album,‘Antezana 247.’It’s a beautiful summary and the culmination of all that effort. It generated beautiful things for me. We started filling venues all over the world and it makes me very, very happy.
This year, we want to give a double treat. Two albums seemed totally explosive to me!»YSY A
Is there another album coming soon?
Yes, we are preparing an amazing album, an explosive bomb with another rapper from Argentina whom I love a lot, but it’s still top secret [laughs]. It’s a duet album that I know will have a significant impact in Argentina and everywhere people listen to us because such an album hasn’t been done in the scene there yet. A whole album with a new concept, a new sound… We are really, really excited. You already know that I release an album every 11/11, and as soon as I release it, people start saying, «YSY, 364 days left until the next 11/11.» They are already waiting for it.
So, we can expect it by the end of the year?
Yes, the one on 11/11 always comes out, and the duet album is meant to be released before that. This year, we want to give a double treat. Two albums seemed totally explosive to me!
Trajectory and Looking Back: From Alejo to YSY A
At what point in your career do you find yourself right now? How would you say everything has changed for you in recent years?
In recent years, I was able to make it clear what my shows are like. I started playing in bigger and bigger venues, touring more and more countries. I was able to bring that feeling of giving my own show to everyone. The stage is the most important thing in my career for me. I always made music in the studio, thinking about the stage. There are artists who don’t live it that way, but I live it with all my heart. I was able to show my people what a wild, intense show filled with love is like. That is now the most significant thing for me, considering that we went through the pandemic and everything.
For people who discovered the Argentine urban scene when it already became what it is today, as someone who was there from the beginning, how was everything before El Quinto Escalón?
Hip-hop was very underground in Argentina. It couldn’t gather more than 200 people in a plaza. And who would have thought that from the pure feeling of being there rapping, such a big and beautiful story would emerge? And I come from a country like Argentina, which has so much cultural and musical history. It’s very emotional, at my age, to experience everything I’m experiencing and to contribute to the music of the place I love so much. I really take it with a lot of commitment and love. It’s incredible to see how a couple of rappers in a plaza ended up creating such a big global scene, right? The Argentine scene.
We have to ask: Do you miss the El Quinto Escalón era?
Yes, I miss how immersed we were in the dream, the dream of doing something big, out of love and without imagining everything it would bring. At that time, we had nothing to lose; we had everything to win. And that feeling… Now it’s the complete opposite. We have a lot to lose because of all the blessed work we’ve been doing, and every step we take, we take with a lot of responsibility. It affects more people. At that time, it was just dreaming, and it’s one of the feelings I miss: dreaming without thinking that something could go wrong.
Let’s talk about ‘Modo Diablo.’ Do you remember the moment when you met Duki and Neo Pistea?
Yes, I met Duki in a plaza in Buenos Aires while rapping on the streets. We connected because we were people who were in a plaza at any hour of the night, throwing rhymes. We enjoyed freestyling, throwing cypher… And then I met Neo because I was already organizing festivals with 14 and he… Actually, Neo doesn’t come from the freestyle branch; he has been making music since he started. From a very young age, he hung out with rappers in his school, and he already had songs and came to perform as an artist at the shows I organized. That’s how I met him, by hiring him [laughs]. Really… we were very young!
«I miss dreaming without thinking that something could go wrong»YSY A, on 'El Quinto Escalón'
And when did you decide to form ‘Modo Diablo’?
Yes, I think it was when we moved to La Mansión, and we were determined to make music. We wanted to do something much bigger than what we were doing with El Quinto Escalón, freestyle and all that. Duko and I were creating new things side by side, and Neo was also present in those meetings because we also loved him and admired him for everything he had been recording for a long time. We didn’t hesitate at all. At that time, we were in the studio together all the time, experiencing the same things and that’s when those great songs started to come out.
On social media, your fans are thrilled to know if ‘Modo Diablo’ will return. Will it be back soon?
People are going crazy, so we’ll leave them intrigued. Let the hype build up [Laughs].
Let’s go back to Antezana 247, a.k.a La Mansión where you lived with Duki and Neo. What memories do you have of that time?
I remember being wild there in our dreams. We were clear that we wanted to do something very big; to make history in our country. So, that house served us a lot as… in the album, I explain that we became men, adults. We stopped being teenagers chasing the dream and materialized it. We understood that being artists and successful as we planned to be was not a game. It wasn’t about partying with drugs and women… We had to work hard, have discipline, do it in the best way possible… and also deal with our own demons [laughs].
Together with you, who do you think have been key figures in recent years for the global success of urban music? In Argentina, but also if any other names come to mind from other parts of the world.
Undoubtedly, Modo Diablo, obviously, I feel that we are the greatest architects because we were at the forefront of many things that were happening in Argentina. We were the first to experience certain things. And Biza, without a doubt, is the most successful producer in terms of numbers and exposure in Argentina. What he managed to achieve is something that no Argentine producer has achieved, and they have incredibly talented producers there. And then… there are also artists that I really like, who knew how to mix the more pop and purist aspects, like KHEA or Tiago PZK, who were able to bring a pop sound from Argentina that was very authentic. And on the other hand, the female scene in Argentina had a huge boom. At a time when the world was looking for new artists, Argentina produced a very strong generation.
We were clear that we wanted to do something very big, make history in our country.YSY A, on 'Modo Diablo'
On a more personal level, you dedicated ‘Igualito a tu padre’ to your son Bruno, where you describe how much you miss him during the pandemic. How has it been for you to be a star in the urban genre and a father at the same time?
The truth is, it’s been a lot of learning because every time I miss my son, every effort I make feels twice as valuable, and when I see him, I enjoy it even more. But it really teaches me a lot, it gives me double the value. When I feel like I can’t go on, when I’m tired of being in one city or another… that’s when I always come back to that love and I know he’s waiting for me to come back with victory every time. He inspires me and teaches me a lot.
You explain your trajectory and the generation of the urban movement in Argentina in your own comic, YSY A. Why did you choose this format to tell your story?
Yes, it was during the pandemic when we were all locked up, and we were looking for nice things to give to the people, to nourish them in that crazy moment. I thought the comic format was a very visual way to simply tell a summary of how I saw the beginning of my story and the story of which I was both an architect and a witness. I didn’t create the story alone, there were many people involved, many hands in everything that happened. That’s why in the comic, I’m having conversations with each one to give them their place in the story as well. I found it interesting, although there are still many years to continue telling.
Collaborations: from Kendrick Lamar to Morad, C.Tangana & Rels B
You have worked with many great artists, but is there any dream collaboration you still want to fulfill?
Dream collaboration, I don’t know… maybe Kendrick Lamar, my favorite rapper of all time. But we’ll see how far all this goes. Honestly, I make music for pleasure, I never think about the business side, the numbers, or whether it’s advantageous to be friends with someone… It’s always a matter of inspiration, feeling that the music resonates with me, and then I do it.
And is there any Spanish artist whose music you feel connected to and would like to collaborate with?
Yes, I love Morad. I love his sound. It’s very powerful, he has a lot of passion, a lot of potential. It’s something that activates me. In Spain, there are incredibly talented people like C.Tangana or Rels B, who are very versatile. I think we could connect well. And then, on the more rap side, Natos y Waor, they’re beasts, people have a great affection for them. That’s what an artist needs, recognition and love from the people.
I make music for pleasure, I never think about the business side, the numbers, or whether it’s advantageous to be friends with someone YSY A
You were also featured in one of Bizarrap’s sessions and I suppose you have already seen his latest collaboration with Rauw Alejandro. Who would you like to see in a BZRP Music Session that we haven’t seen yet?
Neo’s session still has to be released because he’s the third demonio left to conquer. I would also like to see other artists from the Argentine underground scene, like Obie Wanshot. It would probably be Bizarrap’s most trap session ever.
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