Recently, Yalee performed at the Peppermint Club, where his songs landed not just as music, but as testimony.

His 2024 single “Paper Cups Paper Plates” turns childhood scarcity into something vivid and visceral, reflecting on a time when paper plates were not a convenience, but a necessity. In many households, paper plates are a matter of convenience. In Yalee’s world, they meant something else entirely – a symbol of survival, sacrifice, and the kind of love that gives everything it has.

Paper Cups Paper Plates Pt 2 — Paper Cups Paper Plates, Pt. 2 – Yalee ft. Kvngshad

Few moments land with more impact than the quiet portrayal of a mother setting aside her own needs for her children. In lines such as, “Single mom, three kids, that’s just how it be. My brother and sister at the table, now it’s time to eat. Mom, I know you’re hungry too, don’t you want a bite? She said, no, I love my babies, I’m gonna sacrifice,” Yalee renders her selflessness with striking clarity. His voice carries a palpable urgency, as if he is reliving each memory in real time. Beneath him, the insistent percussion never settles, creating a sense of constant momentum that reflects the resilience woven throughout the song. Now, Yalee has reunited with fellow Ohio native and longtime collaborator Kvng Shad for a remix that hits even harder, intensifying the heartbreak and toughness at the song’s core.

Born in Dayton, Ohio, Yalee grew up surrounded by music from the start. With a gospel-singing mother and a rapper father, his upbringing shaped the natural dualism in his sound. Defined by early adversity and inner strength, Yalee’s past was far from easy. Tragedy struck in his youth, as he saw two friends lose their lives. That heartbreak stayed with him and played a major role in forming his identity as an artist.

It was after relocating to New Jersey that Yalee’s early career began gaining serious traction, as he broke through with his 2013 debut mixtape Remember My Name, later followed by the viral 2015 track “Pretty Girl Dance, Pt. 2” featuring Fetty Wap, and eventually joining Mac Miller on tour. Now he continues to musically flourish, refining a sound that balances vulnerability and confidence while building on the raw authenticity that first set him apart.

“Paper Cups Paper Plates” is an intimate account of adaptability and the immense strength of love in even the most challenging situations. In promoting the single, he’s embraced an unconventional approach – pairing his Spotify link with tossed cash in a spontaneous act that echoes the song’s themes of hardship and perseverance. The gesture is especially fitting for a song rooted in struggle, now repurposed to ease the weight of someone else’s. It also reflects the distance he’s traveled in his journey. Speaking with Yalee, we delve into the song’s inspiration, his background, and a whole lot more.

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:: stream/purchase Paper Cups Paper Plates here ::

:: connect with Yalee here ::

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Stream: “Paper Cups Paper Plates, Pt. 2” – Yalee ft. Kvngshad

A CONVERSATION WITH YALEE

Atwood Magazine: Your single, “Paper Cups Paper Plates,” features a shimmering synth backdrop paired with a driving, pulse-quickening beat. How did you craft that sonic?

Yalee: I remember a time when we were at rock bottom. The lights had been shut off, so we lit candles just to see around the house. Most nights, we didn’t even have paper plates, we’d put our food on paper towels instead. I didn’t want to simply say, “We were broke” or “We hit rock bottom.” I wanted to paint a picture of what that looked like. Now I eat off paper cups and paper plates because I choose to, but those days that’s all we had. I remember standing in the kitchen and asking my mom, “Are you going to eat?” She looked at me and said, “No, I’m making a sacrifice for my babies.” That’s the feeling where that song was birthed.

The track is incredibly moving. Lines like “not enough to eat, but we still say grace” and “Mom, I know you’re hungry too, don’t you want a bite? No, I love my babies, I’m gonna sacrifice” hits with real emotional weight. Can you share more about what inspired the song?

Yalee: My mom put me in an all-white high school, and one of my best friends is white now. I have a white mom and white family members, and then my best friend’s family. So it’s like, wow, you guys eat dinner three times a day? I didn’t know I was poor until I had white friends. I love my mom. I love my dad, but they went through some real shit too. My upbringing was always different. I didn’t want to lay it all out like what I’ve seen danger-wise in that song, but then I give a shout-out to my mom. I said, “Shout-out to my mom, because when we were struggling, she would never show it.” My mom kept a poker face when really, deep down inside, she was f***ed up. She couldn’t afford to give us what she felt we deserved. She did her best. I say shout-out to my mom because she never showed it. She never broke character or broke down in front of us. She probably did it alone in a room somewhere. I always say some of the most painful tears aren’t the ones people watch fall from your face, they’re the ones shed in private.

Your sound is often described as “Hood Soul.” How much of that is rooted in your upbringing?

Yalee: When I hear soul music, it’s music that lands deep in your core, you can feel it. Some songs have a dope beat that makes you nod your head, but once they’re over, you forget about them. I make “pay attention” music. My nickname is the Black Adele because a lot of my biggest records are just me and a piano. My latest song, “Ghetto Prayer,” is different, and I have more music like it coming. It’s just me singing and rapping over a piano and violin, stripped down and raw. I guess it’s not normal, but I’m singing classical music, and I’m painting a picture. People tell me all the time, I could show you so many DMs saying, “These songs give me life.” They say… “I thought about taking my own life, but I put this song on repeat.” I get messages like that all the time. It’s not that I think I’m onto something. I’m just being myself. And being yourself is always going to work out better than trying to pretend to be somebody else.

Mentioning your upbringing, growing up with a mother who was a gospel singer and a father who was a rapper, how did those musical influences shape your sound?

Yalee: My mom turned her life to Christ, so by the time I was old enough to comprehend music, she had already been doing worldly music and all that stuff when I was born. But she didn’t let me listen to the radio, and I thank her for that. So when I was with my mom, I was not allowed to listen to the radio or worldly music or rap music. When I went to my dad’s house, I got to hear what my mom didn’t let me listen to. It felt like a switch, not that I became two different people, but I began to understand why my mom was the way she was and why my dad was the way he was. My mom had turned her life to Christ. My dad went to prison. He used to rap and did shows with artists like Tupac, Too Short, and Heavy D back in the day. My mom sheltered me from worldly music growing up, so I used to wonder why she wouldn’t let me listen to it. As I got older, I started to understand. It felt like my mom filled half my cup with clean, more positive music, while the other half came from my dad’s influence. Not that it was bad, just different.

Looking back, I realize my whole cup wasn’t filled with just worldly music. And when I look at people who grew up around me, many of them only listened to that kind of music, and some of them aren’t here anymore. I’m not saying that’s what caused it, but that’s also a powerful seed. It’s planted in us, and sometimes we don’t even know why we feel a certain way or do certain things. Music is powerful. My mom understood how powerful it is. So now, if you listen to my music, I take classical elements and combine them with real-life stories. It just made me realize, if you listen to some of my bigger records, I’m pulling from classical substance, but I’m not writing “worldly” lyrics, I’m telling my real story. I’m mixing the two—the gospel and the worldly music—and that’s what I’m getting out of it. “Paper Cups Paper Plates” isn’t one of those songs, but like I said, “Ghetto Prayer,” my next single, is. It’s a really cool combination.

I understand that you are a strong advocate for mental health, a theme that comes through in your Dear Cloudz merch line. What advice would you offer to others who may be facing similar struggles?

Yalee: I’ve had fans that have died by suicide or struggled with bullying that I never got the chance to meet. That’s when I realized that sharing my story helps people feel less alone. When they hear that I’ve been through similar struggles, they realize they’re not the only ones facing them. It creates a sense of relief, they know Yalee is going through it with them. It’s like, if he can get through it, I can get through it. I’ve been through some shit, and it really helps people realize they’re not alone and puts things into perspective.

You also give back by showing up at different spots across Los Angeles, like college campuses and malls, and surprising people by throwing money for them to catch. What does it mean to you to come from a background of financial hardship and now be able to help and uplift people in this way?

Yalee: I pay it forward by showing up at different places across Los Angeles, like college campuses, malls, and other public spots, and surprising people through throwing money. I come from a background of financial hardship, so being in a position to help others now means a lot to me. When I throw the money, I’m promoting my song as well. I also try to make a difference in other ways too. When I see a homeless person who’s hungry, I feed them. If I have enough cash on me to get somebody a hotel, I’ll do it. I do that off-camera.

I’ve gotten a lot of backlash… people asking why I’m throwing money in places where people may not be as in need. People say, “Why don’t you go where people actually need it?” And it’s like, ask me if I already do that. Maybe I do. I do that every other week, damn near every day. If you go to Skid Row or a homeless shelter, people there don’t have Spotify. The whole point is to get people to scan the barcode and go listen. But many of them don’t have Spotify or even a cell phone. Instead, I go and give shoes to the homeless or feed them.

You constantly motivate and encourage others, but who are some artists that have truly inspired you?

Yalee: Tems, Gio Martin, Kvng Shad, DC Tay

What’s next for Yalee?

Yalee: I have a hook basically saying I need all my blessings. A lot of people have been through so much, and it’s time for us to receive everything God has for us, everything he’s ready to give. I need all my blessings.

Who are some artists on your current playlist you can recommend to our readers?

Yalee: I’m weird. I’m pretty sheltered. I don’t feed myself with a lot of outside noise, whether it’s good or bad, because I want to stay in my authentic, pure form of me. I might get off track. So much of what you watch and what you listen to determines how you think, it determines your desires, and your desires determine what you do.

You know the saying: Whoever you surround yourself with is who you’re going to become. If you surround yourself with five people who complain all the time, you’re going to complain. If you surround yourself with five people who always wear red shirts, you’re eventually going to want to always wear a red shirt. I do like to listen to Adele though and Tems, but not that often. If I were to press play, I would play them.

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