Redemption: Freestyle artist goes all in to pursue his passion

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Material science and engineering sohpomore Kirk Norasak, left, and sophomore Tim Parr listen as Isaiah "Zae" Young freestyles for students in the Cat's Den on Wednesday. Photo by Zach Brake | Staff

By Matt Murray

Go to college and get job. It’s the moniker of the American dream. But for Isaiah Young, it’s just the opposite.
Young is a 28-year-old local freestyle rapper, stage name Zae, who spends his days perfecting his craft. Tthe venue doesn’t matter, whether it’sthe  bus, campus or city. He says it’s just about engaging with the people around him.
For Zae, freestyle rap is done by using his surroundings as his muse.
“I’m a storyteller. I’ll look at the people around me, get their opinions on things and use it to make something up on the spot,” Zae said.
Influenced by hip-hop in the early ‘90s, Zae cited Jay-Z as his biggest influence, although he admits he doesn’t really follow the music scene anymore.
“I’m in my own world of music right now,” he said. “People come up telling me I sound like Jay-Z and it’s a compliment and a diss at the same time just because I’m trying to do my own thing.”
Zae hopes his talent for rapping in the moment will translate onto his forthcoming mixtape, ShadesofZae, slated for a release later this month.
While his talent comes naturally, pursuing a career in music has proven to be a much more difficult task. With the economic condition and the state of the music industry, Zae is well aware it is a risky time to try and pursue his dreams, but feels his best chance is to jump in with both feet.
“I made a bold move and quit my job, quit school and put all of my energy into music,” he said.
When Zae says that freestyle rapping is his job, he isn’t joking. In order to get to the point where lyrical content comes to him instinctively, Zae said he practices freestyles for at least 15 hours a day.
“Basketball players don’t just score 50 points every game,” he said. “I’m working to get 50 a game, every game. It just takes passion and work.”
However, having no job, dropping out of Bluegrass Community and Technical College and relying solely on his craft has certainly come with a toll. At a point, Zae was homeless, and his freestyle rap was the only thing keeping food in his stomach.
“I went through a moment where I lost everything,” Zae said. “But that’s the thing about life — no matter how hard you’re hit, you can always find a sanctuary somewhere to start putting the pieces back together.”
Zae’s positive energy permeates his rap. In a culture where grudges and battling reigns supreme, Zae instead chooses simply to be a storyteller.
“For me it’s about love. When people ask me to battle, I mean I can battle, but that’s not why I freestyle,” Zae said. “I’m a storyteller. I make people laugh in a freestyle. I make people think through freestyle. My thing is to entertain people, not chop other people down and try to be the best.”