Youngman comes of age

Youngman, the DJ turned producer turned MC & vocalist, is about to have the biggest year of his life.  Hotly tipped by the likes of Zane Lowe and Annie Mac, he's an all round star on the urban scene working with the likes of Benga, Example and 1Xtra's Crissy Criss and has his new single, Who Knows?, out on 29th January. Pulse grabs five minutes with Simon Smith aka Youngman to see what's behind the success and what's ahead for 2012.

Hello Youngman, where are you at right now?  I’m at the Digital Soundboy headquarters, about to go to the studio.

Tell us a bit about the music you make.  Edgy UK bass music with a sprinkle of soul, style and sexiness.

Is Dj'ing and producing all you've ever wanted to do? And did you ever have a back up plan in case it didn't work out?  I’ve always wanted to do music but as to what exactly within that has evolved. I started off DJing, produced a few tracks and then I stumbled across my true passion; singing and MCing. My parents always encouraged me to have a back up plan so I went to uni to study Business Management at Queen Marys.

In what particular ways has having such a famous father on the scene been helpful?  Not at all. My father was a massive influence on me however I’ve always wanted to be independent and make my own moves.

Tell us a bit about your other ventures- the clothing line with Crissy Criss for example?  I’ve dabbled in clothing and it’s something I’d like to pursue in future. I’m interested in fashion and I definitely want to branch out.

Do you just hang out with other DJ's and producers? Who's in your 'crew'?  Obviously a lot of the people around me are massive DJs and producers, many of whom have grown to be my best friends. But I’m also still really close to a lot of my school and university mates.

What other styles of music are you into?  Everything. I believe there’s two types of music; good music and bad music. I listen to anything that fits in the former.

Are there any younger artists who are really exciting you right now?  Dismantle and B.Traits. I’m expecting big things from them both this year.

You're heading out on tour this month, tell us a bit about that and where we can catch you.  I’m starting a big run of Youngman live tour dates beginning with Fabric. In February, we start the Benga featuring Youngman tour which is really exciting. I’ve been fortunate enough that Example has asked me to support him on his UK arena tour in April. You can also expect to see me at lots of festivals over the summer. Check out iamyoungman.com for tour dates!

Youngman- Who Knows? feat. Skream is out on Digital Soundboy on January 29th

Listen to Youngman on Pulse Radio