There's nothing most Idahoans will remind you of more than their disdain for Californians.
Add being Latino in a predominantly white area (an existence I'm equally reminded of as a former Boundary County resident), and those feelings can be even more demoralizing. Finding your voice in an area that's generally unaccepting of your identity is hard, but Post Falls rapper YP uses both backgrounds in his life to feature his voice.
In one moment, his voice boasts a bold and epic bass-heavy tone that makes you feel his swagger, but seconds later, he switches up to an almost nasally higher pitch, mirroring the dichotomy of his existence in North Idaho.
Born on California's Central Coast, Eddie Andrade relocated to Kootenai County with his family at age 8. Growing up in Rathdrum as a Latino, Andrade stood out and described his upbringing as being "a speck of pepper in a pool of salt." But from an early age, hip-hop made him feel like he belonged.
Rappers like Lil Wayne and Travis Scott inspired Andrade to create his own lane and filter his personal challenges through his lyric-writing pen. At age 15, he took up the rap name YP, short for "young prospect," a moniker given by a fellow artist which stuck with him.
YP wants listeners to instantly identify his unique rap sound.
"A lot of artists are the same in the music industry, but my biggest thing is to be different from everybody else," he says. "I feel people like those artists — you hear their voice, and you just know who they are right off the top. I feel like I have that."
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Channeling frustration, pain and acceptance, YP shows the consciousness of his life decisions and learning to let go in his latest song, "Take Care." The eerie melodies and a trap-style rhythm perfectly lift the two vocal styles featured, as if an angel and devil are on listeners' shoulders, guiding their perspective.
Lyrics like, "You can go to hell with all your wishes and your blessings" hits with the fatigue of finality. It's the type of line you don't write unless you're authentically going through intense issues.
Not all of YP's music showcases his hurt. His duality is much more complex than that. Songs such as "LaLaLa" introduce a fun and playful artist who's willing to talk about the good times and "higher" moments of his life.
YP isn't on this hip-hop journey alone. As a member of the local music collective Skeemn Entertainment, he's part of a crew of independent artists and producers who uplift each other to their fullest potential. Led by local musician and producer Bendi, the collective is ready to make a big impact on the local scene. Skeemn will drop its first album, Skeeemn Tapes Vol 1: Dark Days, with a release show at The Chameleon on Aug. 23.
Fans can expect much more from YP, as he also plans to release new music in September and has plans for a more in-depth project that he describes as "more vulnerable."
Even with support from the music community and a rising local profile, YP still faces other challenges as a single father, full-time worker and artist, which leads to sacrifice.
He's quick to say he's a "father first, artist second." Raising a 10-year-old daughter isn't easy for YP, but he wants his daughter to know that being an artist and chasing your dreams is normal and never wrong. You might even see his daughter performing with him.
"She's my little rager and number one fan," YP says. "She knows all my lyrics and songs. We've even performed together on stage."
Although YP hones in on many personal obstacles in his lyrics, he doesn't want listeners to feel angry or in pain.
"I just want them to take [away] that it's normal to be hurt, it's normal to be broken," he says. "But just as long as you stay on that path, nothing can stop you."
