Vincent Young, also known as Soullone, is quite aware of the stereotype that the words 'hip-hop' have become attached to.
"People have their opinions of hip-hop and I'm trying to change it," he said. "If there was any other thing I could do besides make it in this industry, it would be to try and change the misconception that people have about hip-hop. I want to change that stereotype."
Young, was born in Belize, Central America, grew up in Long Beach, California, and has been all around the country, checking out the music scene and soaking in all that he can from his surroundings.
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Vincent Young, aka Soullone, is a DJ on WXPI 88.5-FM from 7 to 9 p.m. Mondays and 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Thursdays. He also is on the air for WLHU Lock Haven University radio, at www.lhup.edu/radio, from 7 to 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. to 1 a.m Fridays.
"I started in California, I did the music thing there," he said. "I didn't see my career growing; I was in a standstill."
From Calif., he went to Atlanta, then the midwest - including Indiana, where he attended Harrison College in Lafayette for business management.
He finally settled on Central Pennsylvania in 2009.
"The East Coast was untouched. From Pennsylvania, I can go to Boston, New Jersey, New York and D.C. fairly easy," Young said.
Currently a student at Lock Haven University for music and marketing, Young also is the CEO of Ready For Radio Inc., a business that works with artists and companies to be marketable.
The company consists of five people: Penn Lovingood, financial advisor; Durwood Kemp, financial consultant; Keith Allen, production; and Antonio Pipkins, marketing.
"We specialize in getting things ready for the radio," he said. "We've done commercials for Hardee's, McDonald's, and we also did a commercial with a bartending school in the midwest. We focus on building the artist on the business side. There are a lot of things that new artists don't know."
Young found his Williamsport tie with Anthony Parsons, AP tha Don, CEO of Smoked Entertainment, a hip-hop- based group that has connections with many artists in the Williamsport area.
"I met AP through working at WXPI," Young said.
WXPI 88.5-FM is a Williamsport Community radio station that Young is a DJ for on Thursday and Friday nights.
"He saw that I was doing the same thing he does, but on a much larger scale, so we came together," Young said.
Young has seen potential in the up-and-coming rappers in Williamsport.
"The Williamsport area has a lot of hidden talent. Guys come from the city, where there are so many artists and rappers that they might not get noticed. They come here and to them it is so much better. I like people like that. If they can make it this far from home, then those are the type of people I want to work with.," Young said.
Young has worked with Dy Hard Entertainment and helped Smoked Out Entertainment with radio play and promotion, and their artists.
Along with promoting other artists, Young is an artist as well.
Performing as Soullone, Young has performed in Central Pennsylvania, including Open Mic Night at Kimball's Pub, 972 Second St., and also has been performing with Smoked Out Entertainment artists at Club Escape, 13 S. Front St., Milton.
"It's just building now, but we are trying to set a crowd. Down the road we will have big name artists performing there," he said.
Along with Smoked Out Entertainment, Young will be starting "The Hip-Hop Alive" tour, including dates in Washington, D.C., Indiana, Atlanta and Williamsport.
For more information and music, find Soullone at www.jango.com/music/soullone; on WXPI 88.5-FM from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday nights and 10 p.m. to midnight Thursdays and on WLHU Lock Haven University radio at www.lhup.edu/radio 7 to 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. to 1 a.m Fridays.
He also will perform at Club Escape in Milton on Saturdays and Kimballs in William-sport on Tuesdays.
