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Michael Alexander Hannah, better known by his stage name of Young Son, is an American hip hop rap emcee based out of the Twin Cities, Minnesota.
In October 2006, Young Son formed an unsigned independent recording collective called “Influential Melodiez” with various artists from the Twin Cities. The label serves as a group of music independent artists as close affiliates in musical creation and promotion. Under this company, he released his first solo effort, “Soul Inspired: Hip Hop's Revival” on May 25, 2007, and since then, has been promoted through promotion and performances throughout the United States. The album was a collection of 21 tracks that basically set the tone of Young Son’s lyrical content, love for classic soul music, including the Motown greats, such as Diana Ross and the Supremes. The album featured rising Twin Cities emcees Hypel (Hope Youth Power & Everlasting Life), A.R.O, and Andrew Bates. Other rising vocal talent features included Courtney Williams, Phillip Conley, better known as TruCity, Evey Jean, Angee Blevins, Adrien Lindsey and Eugene Edwards, better known as G-Notes. Young Son hailed three 2008 Twin Cities Hip Hop Award Nominations, including the categories for Best Hip Hop Album of the Year, Best Hip Hop Song of the Year and the Best New Artist award. In November and January, Young Son’s singles “A Timeless Classic” and “This Far” received coverage and reviews on the critically acclaimed DJBOOTH.NET. “A Timeless Classic” debuted on the Underground Hip Hop Singles Charts @ #70 in the nation.
Young Son is a born again Christian, and in the words of Chrisette Michele in one of her interviews "is not afraid to be a Christian in this industry (of hip hop)". When he began ninth grade, he began to write poems ritually, and with the help of his 9th Grade English teacher at Brooklyn Center High School in Brooklyn Center, MN, Mrs. Ashley-Grochowski, he began having his poetry published in national anthologies and was also accepted into the International Society of Poets, being nominated back to back years for the Amateur Poet of The Year Award in 2003 and 2004. He started rapping more seriously during his junior year and on through high school graduation, he performed in local talent shows and competitions.
Young Son works heavily in his community in the Twin Cities by devoting time, efforts and concerns to issues he feels are important, including peace building, the fight against gang and street violence, anti-misogyny (the movement against the hatred of women), education of minorities, support for immigration and immigrant rights and the advocacy for Christianity and the beliefs he was raised upon. He is also a college intern and media correspondent for the non-profit youth peace organization, Youthrive, founded by Donna Gillen, as part of the Upper Midwest Affiliates of International PeaceJam, is an organization working with multiple Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, including Shirn Ebadi of Iran and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, promoting peace amongst the world. The organization is housed out of St. Paul, Minnesota. Young Son served as the main performing act at the Midwest Regional PeaceJam International celebration ceremony for 2003 Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Shirn Ebadi of Iran in March 2007 at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN and will be a headliner at the 2008 PeaceJam Celebration for Archbishop Desmond Tutu in April 2008. Young Son is also currently on the "Youthrive Live: Hip Hop Peace Tour" across Minnesota and the Midwest at elementary, junior and senior high schools, a traveling concert tour promoting peace through hip hop with notable Twin Cities artists including Scribble Jam 2006 Beatbox Champ "DJ Snuggles", Maria Isa and Hypel (Hope Youth Power & Everlasting Life).
Other major shows have included headlining the "Hip Hop 4 Obama" Fundraiser Concert in Minneapolis, Minnesota, opening up for One Be Lo of Binary Star and for Eyedea and Abilities of the Rhymesayers. Young Son is currently the executive producer for Minneapolis hip hop emcee/storyteller and label mate "Hypel" on his debut project "My Name is Hypel, This is My Story", a cinematic story epic hip hop album. Young Son is also working on his own album, his second solo LP, entitled "Philanthropist", which is slated for a beginning of the 4th quarter release. The album will include an assortment of different production from up and coming producers all across the globe, including Teddy Roxpin, Chris Love, 2faced, C Rhymes, A.R.O, Chemist, Tom X, Trak and more.
