MEMPHIS, Tennessee — A young Memphis rapper named Otis Morris Jr., who goes by the name of Yung Hunnid, hopes to spread positivity in a city plagued with gun violence.
Of all the things a 13-year-old Treadwell Middle schooler could rap about, Yung Hunnid has chosen to take the higher road and encourage people to put the guns down and unite.
In his songs, he raps about positivity while keeping it real and addressing the issues holding Memphis back from reaching its fullest potential.
Behind the mic, the catchy beats and soundproof walls is a talented, young scholar exposing the issues he wants Memphis to change.
Yung Hunnid has been rapping since he was just 2 years old, and his talents and have taken him beyond his wildest dreams.
He said he found his purpose one day when he was on the phone with a friend who used to get bullied, and his dad asked about him.
“I hung up the phone and I just started thinking about it. I said, 'Dang, he really did used to get bullied...just for his shoes.'” Yung Hunnid explained.
It then led to a much deeper conversation with his dad after hearing about a stray bullet hitting a baby by accident.
“I went in my room and said, 'Man, people getting bullied. People getting killed. We don’t need this stuff no mo. Ain’t no need for this. I said, ‘no need’…’bullying no need no mo,’” Yung Hunnid said.
He put those words into a song.
Yung Hunnid’s father, Otis Morris Sr., who has been one of his biggest inspirations, said he did not want to see his son be another statistic, which is why he has steered him in a different direction.
“It’s so much going on in Memphis, whereas parents are not involved in the kid's life, and this is a young boy that grows up to get attached to other young boys, men or whatever, and they become followers,” Morris said. “When they get caught up in that…usually, the innocent kid is the one to get caught.”
Morris said he knew he had to lean into his son’s gift when he would rap to the songs by other artists like Gotti, the Migos and 2 Chainz, but on one condition: he promoted positivity and did not cuss.
According to the Memphis Police Department (MPD), this time last year, there were 231 murders. So far this year, there have been more than 320 murders.
Also, the number of homicides this time last year was 281, and so far this year, MPD has reported more than 380 homicides.