YUNG MUJI

by Danielle Benson and Tyler Sanderson

Makeup by Sausage Gurl

Our very first cover star Yung Muji is a gorgeous, young, multi-hyphenate wonder. From rapping and modeling to photography, everything he does has his special sense of quality and style. Here, he talks with us about getting started as an artist, moving to Los Angeles, and the advice he gives himself to stay real.

Would you like to introduce yourself?

I’m Yung Muji. I was born in Brooklyn and raised in Tampa, Florida. I moved out to Los Angeles after graduating high school, like two months after graduating high school. I just knew that it was either that or, like, going to college, and for me, college was, like, hell. I wasn’t really too fond of school. Getting good grades wasn’t hard, I have a really good memory and shit like that, it was just too much responsibility. Like, you’ve got to go home and do more work, it was just a lot. And my mom really pushed me. Like, there was a small point where I thought that I was going to go to college for cybersecurity, like, I, fuck with, coding and shit like that. When I was younger I was just on my computer all the time just doing random bullshit, and I just had a whole bunch of different thoughts and recollection after, like, you know, realizing that being a creative is a thing, and I was just, like, oh, yeah. I was hell set on it. My mom was pissed at first, and then like, kind of embraced it.

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So you wanted to pursue creative endeavors. How did it go from musician to whatever you set your mind to it seems?

Honestly, the way I started making music is even, like, funny. Like, growing up music was just kind of white noise to me. It just didn’t really make sense. I was just like, okay, this—it’s just—it’s just sounds, but it just wasn’t hitting for me. And then I was in, like, sixth or seventh grade, and it was summer. I had my mom’s iPad and I was watching YouTube, I was, like, across the room doing something, and it autoplayed “Run Upon Me” by X. And it was the most, like—no seventh grader should be listening to “Run Upon Me” by X, but it struck a chord in me, and I was like, wait, like, this music shit is hard. And then I had a whole fucking era where, like, I just went through all of X’s old shit and listened to all of X’s music. And, like, that was my first favorite artist. And then my older brother introduced me to Tay-K. And then after listening to all of Santana World, I was like, yeah I could do this. Then I started making music, and my first songs were, like, shit, as everybody’s songs are. But, like, as you do it more, it gets better, and I fell in love with it.

And Fashion?

My older brother, the same one that put me on to Tay-K, he has a friend that has a consignment shop. So he gets, like, Margiela, Dior, like, all this high fashion and he resells it. They needed a model for something. And I guess, like, they were tired of using the same homies. So my older brother asked me if I wanted to do it. And I was like, yeah, like, why not? And it was my first time on, like, a set , you know, like, white backdrop. The homie Noah, Noah Burnett, was shooting it. They had me in this shirt. It was, like, a Margiela shirt, I think. And it said, like, I don’t smoke. And I was wearing these Rick pants with Geobaskets. We’re on the white backdrop and Noah’s like, “jump.” I’m like, jump? And I just started jumping. And, like, he gets the shot. And he shows it to me. And I’m like, oh, this is the one. Then they posted it on the account and it kind of went crazy. It got, like, 3K, 4K. And I was like, oh, shit. But, like, and then I just fit into everything. They had, like, extra, extra, extra small women’s, and I just fit into everything like a glove. And I was like, fuck it. Like, if I can’t gain weight, I might as well make my weight work for me. You know what I mean? And then I’ve always just been a little bit conceited. So modeling was
just a matter of time.

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Photography?

Olive Jol is a really big, like, reason as to why I got into photography. Because a lot of my early portfolio modeling was shot by her. She’s just a really good homie. I love her to death. But I’ll just always watch her and how she worked with her camera. And I was like, damn, that’s fucking gnarly. Because I get to look at these pictures, and I’m like, yo, you’re working magic. Any time I picked up a camera, I’d just put it in auto and just, like, shoot it like that. And I knew that, like, there was a world behind, manual and, like, doing shit yourself. But I never got into it. But Olive was like, “it’s
not that hard.” Like, you know what I mean? Sometimes she would hand me her camera, and I’ll just, like, take pictures of landscape and shit like that. One day I had, like, extra money. I think I got paid for a booking I did. And I was like, okay, I’m going to get a camera. And I went on Facebook Marketplace, and I got a D3400. It’s the best decision I ever made in my life. It’s the camera I still shoot on and I love it to death. Like, favorite, favorite in the world.

"There are people that'll step out of their circle

and interact with you, those people are angels."

What made you realize you had to go someplace fresh?

Honestly, I didn’t have to move, but in my heart, I felt I had to move. Like, at this point, after graduating high school, I had already thrown a big-ass event. I was doing, like, cool shows, and I was getting a lot of support from the people around me in the city and shit, and I love them to death, and I still do. I just felt like the pond that I was swimming in was too small. I knew that it was either back to New York or to LA, and I was familiar with New York, so I was, like, that would be the easy way out, so I chose LA. I’d never been to LA prior to moving.

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What was the experience like coming to LA and living on your own?

I feel like moving to LA really puts, like, hair on your chest and I moved at 18 and it was the best decision I ever made in my life. You have to become an adult. The craziest shit in the world was when I had to go grocery shopping by myself the first time, and, like, I’ve been grocery shopping in Florida, but normally it’s like, okay, I’m gonna go buy the bullshit snacks I want and shit like that, because, like, there’s always food at the crib because my mom’s cooking something or my mom is buying groceries. When I had to go and buy fucking, like, napkins it was just crazy. Soap? Like, what are we talking? I was just so pissed. I called my mom, and I was like, yo, mom, I get it. Like, this life shit is gnarly. And she was just laughing.

One of your collaborators encouraged you to consider moving out here?

Yes, my producer, he’s the reason why it was even possible, if I’m being honest. When I was like 16, 17, I had already locked in with him. We had a good couple songs, and like, an album out. And then I expressed interest. Like he would FaceTime me every once in a while. And I was like, yo, like what’s Cali like? And he was like, “bro, if you ever want to move out here, come kick it with me.” And I kind of , like, heard it. And I was like, okay, you know what I mean? I’m like 16, I’m not moving out anytime soon, but it’s there. And then when it’s getting closer to graduate, like, you know, I’m calling him more often. I’m like, you for real? Like, you know, I could come. He sent me pictures of his studio and it’s like one room, and then a kitchen, and then a hallway. He’s like, “yeah, dawg, I don’t know how you’re going to do it, but if you want to come kick it with me, come kick it with me.” And I was like, fuck, yeah, I have a place to stay. It is so fucking funny. I bought the ticket at work. And then I went home, woke my parents up because I got off at like midnight and was like, yeah, I leave in a week. And they were fucking livid, rightfully so, but I’m leaving.

"Trying to be a desirable person for somebody else, when there's another person who's still not gonna desire you, doesn't make sense."

How did you find your crowd?

So I would just go walk around and go places. It felt really isolating at first because LA’s really clicky, in my opinion. Like, you go places and everybody’s going to stand in their circles with their backs to you and if you don’t have a circle to stand in, you’re the outlier. You know what I mean? And I don’t have any issue being the outlier, but it’s like, I’m not about to sit here and stand on the wall the whole time. So I would just work, go home, work, go home. And then slowly I would go to events and there are people that’ll step out of their circle and go and interact with you, those people are angels. I also started following a lot of casting pages when I first moved to LA, submitting to castings and then going on set and meeting people and going to more shoots. It was just a lot of being outside. I used to go to work and come home and stay home all day, and then I was like, wait. I could do this in Florida and pay no rent. And I was like, I didn’t move to LA to stay inside all the time. And once I got out of the lazy mindset, I wasn’t necessarily lazy, but I just wasn’t going outside. If I wasn’t booked for something or somebody wasn’t like, oh, come with me, I wouldn’tgo outside. So I made it a point to look. Where am I going to go? What am I going to do? Keep an eye out for flyers and little shit like that.

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Do you see your life as one continuous art project? The way that you adorn your body is so beautiful. Attention to detail flows into every avenue that you explore.

I feel like I’ve always been that way. I’ve always been like, when I go into something, it has to be the way that I see it. Like, I feel like I’m not sitting over here telling people their issue. But I feel like something that I see often is people like to settle instead of going for what they want. And for me, like, I’ll hesitate a lot. But when I act, it’s very
calculated. My camera is a perfect example. Like, I knew that I wanted a camera. So I did a whole bunch of fucking research. I learned the light triangle before getting the camera. I figured out what camera would be best for my budget. You know what I mean? And then spent more than my budget because I want to, like, I don’t know how to explain it. It’s really weird. But attention to detail should be my middle name. And I feel like that’s why my work ethic is the way it is because I know the way that I want stuff done.to do? Keep an eye out for flyers and little shit like that.

I feel like I’ve always been that way. I’ve always been like, when I go into something, it has to be the way that I see it. Like, I feel like I’m not sitting over here telling people their issue. But I feel like something that I see often is people like to settle instead of going for what they want. And for me, like, I’ll hesitate a lot. But when I act, it’s very calculated. My camera is a perfect example. Like, I knew that I wanted a camera. So I did a whole bunch of fucking research. I learned the light triangle before getting the camera. I figured out what camera would be best for my budget. You know what I mean? And then spent more than my budget because I want to, like, I don’t know how to explain it. It’s really weird. But attention to detail should be my middle name. And I
feel like that’s why my work ethic is the way it is because I know the way that I want stuff done.to do? Keep an eye out for flyers and little shit like that.

Do you study historical context of your pursuits and interests?

No. I take a lot of inspiration from current day, like, historical? That gives me looking back vibes and rarely do I ever look back. Of course, there are iconic pieces of media that you can’t ignore. But, like, to say that I go back and I’m studying the artist and their work and, like, looking at their applications, it’s not really me. I definitely feel like inspiration can be taken from a lot of places. To me there’s nothing better than finding inspiration from the homies. You know what I mean? Like, it’s just, historical context? As bad as it sounds, like, I just don’t really care. Like, I just don’t really care for the history. You know what I mean? I feel like we’re in 2024. You’re just trying to live and capture the moment. Ultimately, whatever is around you, you’re just trying to make that who you are, essentially.

Do you have a routine that you exist in to accomplish everything that you do or you just kind of just go with the flow?

No. The only routine that I have is going to work and getting off of work, but everything between getting off and then going back in, could be anything. I could go home and sleep all day and then wake up and go back to work, or I could get off of work and go to a shoot and then go hang out with a homie and then go to a party and then somehow make it back to work. Like, it’s just whatever the day calls for. I think routine creates rigidness, and then you become comfortable. I just don’t get comfortable at all. I’m in my manic era. I’m everywhere doing everything, no sleep.Like, what’s up? And it’s been going well.

"I was, like, across the room doing something, and it autoplayed Run Up On Me by X. And it was the most, like - no seventh grader should be listening to Run Up On Me by X, but it struck a chord in me."

Do you want to talk about what you’re working on right now?
You’re working on music right?

Yes. I don’t know if I’m going to do it as an album or an EP just yet, but I have a body of music that I’ve been brainstorming, putting together, like, getting beats, writing, sourcing sounds, and stuff like that. I have, like, three or four songs done, one of them I’m thinking I’m going to drop as a single sooner rather than later, and then just, like, you know, segue it into that. But, yeah, I’m super stoked. We’re shooting a bunch of fucking crazy media for it, and I love being able to see things and turn them into real things, and that’s just all creating art is, you know what I mean? You have a vision, and then you make it into a thing. And whoever appreciates it appreciates it, and whoever doesn’t, doesn’t. But for photo, I’ve been brainstorming a small passion project with just some homies.

Do you spend time thinking about the future?

I do a lot of, like, what can I do right now? What can I make happen as soon as possible? And then I kind of think about he future in a sense, like, if I do this thing, what benefits or consequences will future me have to deal with? I feel like that’s how I was taught to think. Like, cause and effect, you know what I mean? Like, you do this thing, there’s going to be a reaction in the future, whether it’s immediate or after X amount of time. I’m very present, but at the same time, I’ll have moments where I’m like, okay, like, I have to do this, I have to do this, I have to do this. And it’s just like planning for the future. You know what I mean? But, yeah, you can only act in the present. So, yeah.

How do you feel about the internet and social media?

Yo, the craziest thing in the world to me is when people are like, “guys, I have to take a break from Instagram, it’s just so overwhelming.” Grow a pair of balls. Like, be real. Like, just turn off your phone. For me personally, the internet’s just great for gathering information, communicating with people, and collaborating with people. Like, I think that, yeah, it definitely can become an issue when it’s over consumed and overused. But I feel like to the extent I use it, Instagram is just a big portfolio for me. I just post what I do. I post the places I go. TikTok is where I’m a little bit more myself. I’m really, like, I’m a jackass on TikTok, honestly. And I spend a lot of time on TikTok because TikTok’s just funny. Like, more time than I’d probably be proud to admit. But, like, the internet’s cool. You meet cool people. And then, for what I want to do I kind of have to exist in that, like, cyber realm. You know what I mean? Like, I have to be there because it makes me the most accessible to other people. So, yeah, I love the internet. It’s, like, the best.

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What other types of media do you like to consume? Books, Movies, TV et cetera?

Every once in a while, I’ll read a book. I do judge books by their covers. I have to feel like I look sophisticated holding this book. I’m just being honest. I’ve been reading books about existentialism recently, like Dostoevsky. And I’m not necessarily saying I’m an existentialist, but it’s really interesting reading some of the things that they write. I like philosophy and they have pretty sophisticated covers. And it’s an interesting topic. And then, shamanism - I have a book about shamanism at home. I haven’t read too far into it, but what I have seen is pretty interesting. I thought that they were like, fucking crazy people, but in reality, they just kind of like, make tonics and heal, but people look at it as like, curses and like, negative shit. That’s what I went into it assuming. They are really just ritualistic people essentially. I’m not the type to go and sit down and watch a movie. Like, if it’s recommended to me, I’ll watch it. I really like shows. I like anime. I like a show that, because like, when it catches me, then it’s like, I have all of these seasons and these episodes to watch, but I rarely ever finish shows. One show that I can tell you for a fact that I’ve finished is Hunter x Hunter, the anime, but after that, like, I always fall off somewhere. Like, I started One Piece. I don’t know what I was thinking. One Piece has like, 3,000 episodes. It’s a good show but I had to stop around episode 100.

What do you want to say to the universe?

Honestly, the only thing that I wanna say to the universe, because I say it to myself and I say it to all my friends and the people I care about is, as corny as it’s gonna sound, be yourself. Like, be who you are. I feel like you have one life to live, and living that life trying to be a desirable person for somebody else, when there’s another person who’s still not gonna desire you, doesn’t make sense. I feel like you should be exactly who you are, those that desire you will desire you and those are the people that you should cherish. Those that don’t desire you won’t, because not everyone’s gonna like you, regardless of who you are. You can try to be the coolest person in the room, and there’s gonna be somebody in the corner that doesn’t like you. And I would rather be disliked for the real person I am, because when I’m liked, I’m liked for the real person I am. So, just be who you are.

"Just be yourself."