YOUNG MP, a ten-year-old rapper from Edgewater, New Jersey, has released his debut, the 'Young and Talented EP,' on October 10, 2025 with a music video for the single 'The Ghost'. The EP explores the realities and imaginative worlds of a child on the brink of adolescence.

The record explores the transition into adolescence, drawing parallels between pop culture's stereotypes of rap artists and the reality of being a ten-year-old child.

"I am too young to own anything, but also too young to have responsibilities, so I observe and document," says YOUNG MP, who turns eleven in October 2025. Inspired by artists like Tyler, the Creator, Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, and Drake, YOUNG MP uses his perspective to reflect and comment on the world around him. The EP is filled with an intentional self-irony that demonstrates a maturity far beyond his years.

Having started rapping at age nine, YOUNG MP feels that rhymes come to him naturally. He isn't interested in social media, and when you talk to him, one can see that he is constantly thinking in rhymes. "It is like breathing," as he says.

YOUNG MP is heavily influenced by film, with The Truman Show being a key influence. As he explains, "The Truman Show inspires me to observe the world and look at everything from a different angle. Hey, I am just a kid! What else is there?"

The EP is produced by Ilya Popenko, a New York City filmmaker, musical artist, and frontman of the band Mad Meg. Musically, it draws inspiration from English and European rap, with deep, soulful instrumental hooks that add a multi-dimensional feel and complement YOUNG MP's innate rhythm. Popenko also shot and directed YOUNG MP's music videos.

 

COLUMNS

Makin Waves Song of the Week: "Pumpkin Man" by Greg Amici

The Makin Waves Song of the Week is "Pumpkin Man," the opening track of Jersey singer-songwriter Greg Amici's new album "Tragicomic."

---

Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites...10/16/25

---

This Week in Music: Previews for Concerts from October 16-20, 2025

---

Makin Waves Song of the Week: "When It Rains" by James Deely