Separated by only 33 miles, Washington DC and Baltimore can sometimes feel much further away due to the striking differences in their cultures. Still, although the accents, slang, and even musical influences may be different, real will always recognize real in any city and at any age. That’s what connected the two members of Y$M (Young & Stacking Money), 13 year-old Lor Spida of B-More and 12-year-old Courtside Uzi of DC. The duo is a family affair as, similar to Migos’ Quavo and Takeoff, Spida and Uzi are uncle and nephew. And, although they are young, they are both talented and wise beyond their years.
Y$M’s foray into the music business began as you might expect for two kids barely into adolescence, “I knew I wanted to rap because I liked the lifestyle. Just the money, the clothes and all that,” Lor Spida admits. Uzi agrees, “I love rapping, but at the same time, I wanna get rich. I wanna get money.” However, after beginning the hard work of becoming a notable artist, those superficial desires quickly turned into something more serious. “Now, I want more than that. I want to give back. The first thing I’m gonna do is to come back and help the community.” says Spida. “I want to help the homeless. I don’t want to just buy stuff. I want to do real estate. To come back and buy some houses, maybe fix some of these vacants around the neighborhood.” That desire to leave a legacy has translated into a strong work ethic for the DMV duo.
When they aren’t in school, Spida and Uzi are spending most of the time working on new music. “I go outside and play with my friends. But really man, I like to write,” Spida says. “Like I’ll try to do at least one or two songs every day.” Instead of hitting an amusement park or hanging out with friends, Uzi went to the studio for his 12th birthday. Their hard upbringing also inspires the emphasis on work in two of the toughest cities in the country. Growing up in DC and Baltimore, they’ve seen things many kids their age haven’t, and it’s reflected in their music. However, they’re also using their opportunities in music to make things better for themselves and others. “I want to be a DC Jay-Z,” says Uzi. “Because he’s rich, he’s smart as a mug, and he started in the hood.”
Things are happening fast for Y$M. Beginning with an appearance in Baltimore artist Ferel’s video in August 2020, to their own songs and videos piling up likes and views. Spida and Uzi went from a novelty to stars in the making so quickly it was even hard for their own family to understand what was happening. “My dad, he thought it was a waste of time until he saw our first video. Then he was like, this is good. Then he started believing,” says Spida.
Family is a recurring theme for Y$M. The slightly older, thoughtful Lor Spida serves as the brains of the crew, Uzi is the younger wild card, and Uzi’s mom – Spida’s older sister – manages the day-to-day operations. Together, Spida and Uzi will continue to stack money and go as far as their talent can take them, which is wherever they want to go.
