TLDR: Young Kazh drops his highly anticipated mixtape, Neva Walk Away, a deeply personal project featuring DJ Kemo, Checkmate, and more. We catch up with the rapper to discuss his journey, collaborations, and what’s next.
For over a decade, Young Kazh has been carving out his place in hip-hop, balancing the gritty realities of life with an undeniable passion for the craft. Now, the American-Canadian rapper is back with his most personal project yet, Neva Walk Away—a 26-track mixtape packed with raw storytelling, heavy-hitting collaborations, and a sound that bridges the past and future of West Coast rap.
Dropping March 21, Neva Walk Away is hosted by Vancouver’s DJ J. Swing and DJ Flipout and boasts production from the likes of DJ Kemo, Checkmate, Chronic Cloud, and Don Cristo. Features include Aspects, Namilla, Supa Kaliente, P. Jerico, Yung Villin, Fara, Janelle States, JD, Jordyn Johnson, and Neph. The project offers an unfiltered look at Kazh’s journey, touching on loss, resilience, and the evolution of his artistry.
Kazh’s history with HipHopCanada runs deep. First interviewed in 2007 while incarcerated, he’s since turned that chapter into motivation, earning respect from industry heavyweights like Onyx, Swollen Members, and a long list of other notable names. With past collaborations alongside Swollen, Merkules, Method Man, and Mobb Deep, Kazh has proven he can hold his own among hip-hop’s elite, many times over.
With at least two music videos in the works and a fresh approach to digital promotion, Young Kazh is gearing up for a major year. In our exclusive Q&A, he breaks down the making of Neva Walk Away, the impact of personal loss, and his vision for hip-hop’s future. Read on as we dive into the mind of one of the West Coast’s most underrated voices.
Stream Young Kazh – Neva Walk Away
Interview with Young Kazh
HipHopCanada: Kazh, welcome back to HipHopCanada, and congrats on the release of your latest project, the Neva Walk Away mixtape. How do you feel your sound and approach to music have evolved since your first HipHopCanada interview in 2007?
Young Kazh: Thank you, thank you it’s good to be back. To jump right in, a lot has changed in my life, so a lot has changed with me musically.
The mother of three of my four children passed away in 2020 so I am a lot more vulnerable with my musical content now, which you will hear in this latest release.
HipHopCanada: Can you speak on the significance of the new mixtape’s release date, and your main inspirations for getting the tape created?
YK: The release is coming out during the month that my children’s mother passed away, which was a huge turning point in my life. That then led to the main inspiration for this project. It’s also one of my firstborn daughter Aaliyah’s birthday month. I also started writing and recording in March of 2024 and finished the album this March 2025. So, as a whole, this month holds a lot of significance to me.
HipHopCanada: You’ve got some heavyweights involved, from DJ Kemo and Checkmate to J. Swing and DJ Flipout. How did these collaborations come together, and what did they bring to the tape?
YK: I am fortunate enough over the years to have built these long-lasting friendships. Checkmate and Kemo are like big brothers to me. J. Swing and Flipout were the first DJs to ever play me on the radio. Songs like Kuruption Kamp’s “Real P.I.” which lead to Tre Nyce and myself signing with Swollen Members. So having them involved was a no brainer on this album. They brought the knowledge of me and their years of experience to the table.
Checkmate was the one who said that he liked the song “Neva Walk Away” so much that I should make more than a single, so really, he was who pushed me to even consider this project and also told me to invest in my own studio again. Kemo recorded the first 11 songs and by that time I had my own home studio which led to the personal songs being crafted because I was able to record in solitude with no time restraints and complete artistic freedom.
HipHopCanada: Checkmate is a Canadian hip-hop legend, and he’s not just on production but also a guest on the project. What was it like working with him on both levels?
YK: Amazing! Always a pleasure. A lot of people don’t know this, but my original name was Kazhualte, when I moved to Vancouver at 17 the first people, I met were Checkmate and Concise. One night at the studio they gave me the name Young Kazh after letting me know my name was too long [Laughing]. He has pushed me to do more than I have ever done before. 15 of the 26 songs I was able to record on my own and, again, Checkmate is who told me to invest in my own studio. He is literally like my big brother.
HipHopCanada: Your music has always had a raw, real-life energy to it. Can you speak a bit more on the personal experiences and loss that inspired this project?
YK: The passing of my children’s mother, my children, breakups, The loss of countless friends due to the fentanyl epidemic and my new relationship. All of these things have played a huge part in my life, so I was able to attach some of these beautiful and tragic experiences to each song and make it relatable to a lot of people.
HipHopCanada: Can you speak on the music video support you have planned for the mixtape?
YK: “Rain Falling” featuring Fara and “Upppp” will both be the first music videos that will be shot and are in the works right now. So, stay tuned for those.
HipHopCanada: You’ve got a lot of well-known community figures dropping video reviews of songs from the tape. As someone who came up before social media took over the industry, how has adapting to the digital era changed your approach to promotion and your overall game plan?
YK: The digital era has definitely not been an easy adventure for me. I am not computer / social media savvy so imploring the help of people close to me to manage that has been the route I took. They have set up so many things for promotion regarding the new release. You will be able to find handles to all the social media outlets on my new website kazh.ca. The overall game plan is to get my music to reach and touch as many people as possible. There is something in this compilation for everyone. So, however I can reach the people whether its TikTok or Facebook, YouTube, Instagram etc. I’m all in!
HipHopCanada: Fredro Starr once said you reminded him of 2Pac. That’s a big statement. Do you ever feel any pressure to live up to that kind of comparison, and how is your relationship with Fredro / Onyx today?
YK: Fredro is like another big brother to me. We speak often. The comparison is definitely an honour. However, for me there is no pressure only because I don’t feel like I have to live up to anything but being a better artist than I was yesterday.
HipHopCanada: Hip-hop turned 50 recently, and we’re seeing more conversations about its future. Where do you see the culture heading in the next decade?
YK: Hip-hop is not just in a music-based community and everyone can see that now. There is hip-hop in what we are drinking, eating, reading, wearing etc.. Hip-hop is in all genres of music. It is so amazing to watch it evolve and to be a part of it.
HipHopCanada: You’ve been balancing life between Canada and the U.S. for years. With Donald Trump’s recent threats about making Canada the 51st state, what’s your take on the current state of Canada-U.S. relations?
YK: Hopefully one president will not be able to break the American / Canadian bond. But, jokingly, I will say if they give us some NFL or NBA teams and the beloved Vancouver Grizzlies, we will consider! [Laughing]
HipHopCanada: How do you feel about the Canadian public turning on Canadian icon Wayne Gretzky?
YK: Being American / Canadian, I stay pretty neutral regarding political stances. To me, Wayne Gretzky is an icon of Canada and will always be regardless of his affiliation with politics in the States.
HipHopCanada: With Neva Walk Away dropping soon, what’s one track you’d tell people to listen to first if they want to understand what this project is all about?
YK: I can’t just name one. Tracks 4, 6 and 9 are the essence of this album bringing it all back to the significance of this month. And again, something relatable for everyone.
HipHopCanada: After Neva Walk Away drops, what’s next for Young Kazh? Are you already plotting the next move?
YK: Of course, I’m already plotting the next move. I have two solo EP’s that are almost finished. Stendo Gang EP with Namilla. An EP with Nova Scotia’s Awai. Another EP with Checkmate, and an EP with Oak Park’s Traure Nelson.
I would like to give quite a few shout outs to: Checkmate, DJ Kemo, Shayne Dickie, Barris Smith for your help building the beginning of this album, Spictacular (@capitalwavestudio) thank you for composing my album review by peers, Tre-D80 out of Houston Texas, I appreciate all the work on this project hit him up if you need a mix and master @Tre_D_80, Franko Kweli (@frankokweli) for mixing and mastering four of the five final songs on the track list and jointly mixing the final song with Roger Swan (@roger.swan, Gavin Surerus (@ManifestMarketing) and the Surerus family, thank you for allowing your husband / father to give hours of his time promoting, web building, EPK building. This album would have been impossible without the unwavering support, belief and encouragement of him and others who are equally important such as, Checkmate, DJ Kemo, Shayne Dickie, Barris Smith, Sarah, Tre D-80 and Franko Kweli.
Thank you, Derrick Powell, Will and John Sheilds for your critiques, love you guys! Peter Jackson, Maestro, Red-1, Martini from Dipped, Adam Banes (@cashmoneyadam), Concise, Chubbs at Soundproof Studios, Charron from Wild n Out. Thank you Zes, I got a passport on the way and I’m coming to Germany to see you fam.
King Benz, I appreciate the time we spent talking on the phone and trading songs back and forth. You helped me tap into and release the pain I was feeling in a positive way. To Merkules, 10 months ago you played your new album for me at the Landles residence and your pride in your work truly inspired me. Make sure you guys check out his newest music. Kleaveland, thank you for listening to hours and hours of my work. To my Sarah, thank you for inspiring me, for standing with me through my musical process and personal growth. I love you.
Thank you, Jesse, for supporting my projects. We need to have another night like you, me and Sticky had at the hotel in Ottawa.
A lot of people don’t understand that it’s more than just a rapper and a producer, beat and a microphone to be able to deliver their art to the fans. These people pushed me and encouraged me to create this album which in turn helped heal a lot of the pain I experienced with the loss of my children’s mother. It sparked my passion in music that had been absent.
I only hope that people going through hard times mentally or emotionally have a support system in place like the people I named above who were monumental to me being able see the light. If you do not have that and are going through a hard time, please reach out to me with no hesitation. No one should feel alone, and I will never be too busy to listen, because I know your pain matters.
