Today we’d like to introduce you to AJ Young.
AJ, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in Osceola, AR. Family values were instilled in me at an early age. I was raised in a family of comedians and cooks, and I took everything I saw and made it my own. My Mama is the funniest person I know, My Grandma Mable was one of the best cooks to ever walk on earth, and my biological father had a garden in which he gave everything he grew away. You take those three people, perfectly blend them together and I am the finished product.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Smooth where!? The root of all of the problems that I have faced are rooted in rejection. When you purchase my book, you’ll see the areas in which I felt rejected and how it could be detrimental to a person’s life. I found an outlet on stage, writing, and in the kitchen and it has helped greatly. Some things that sometimes plague my mind are feelings of inadequacy or insignificance: are my dishes seasoned enough, are my jokes funny enough, can I captivate and entertain the audience while hosting, was I thorough and transparent enough in my book to reach people? I tell myself constantly “Ey bro, you’re enough. You got this man!”
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am seriously a Jack of All Trades. When you can do a lot of things it’s oftentimes hard to hone in on the one thing that you love most, so I specialize in being me and I honestly try to cultivate every gift and talent that I have. I am most proud of my ability to adapt; no matter where I am, if I fall or get knocked down, you can bet your last $2 that I am getting up stronger than ever before. The one thing that sets me apart from everyone is life’s experiences. I have seen, done, and lived through some horrible things and I did it with a grace and a smile that is not common to most.
Songwriter: I wrote and released music with a group that I founded while I was in college. One of the songs “Set Me Free” was chosen by A&P Records as a lead single on their Gospel of The South Compilation, it featured Zacardi Cortez, an alternate version featuring artists Dee Dee Jones, Roosevelt Griffin, and Jaleesa McRae is available on all digital platforms. (The version with Zacardi is on my SoundCloud.)
Author: I wrote and released a memoir in 2019 entitled Life Goes On; it chronicles my life from birth until the age of 31 giving an in depth firsthand account of instances that were designed to take me out but pushed me to go forward. My first cookbook “It’s More Than The Greens” is dedicated to the memory of my Biological Father. It contains family recipes and some personal recipes and is also available for preorder.
Chef/Caterer: I have cooked my entire life. In fact, we laugh about how I was a kid cooking breakfast for my sisters and cousin (keep in mind I was the baby of the crew at the time.) I lost my job while staying in Little Rock, AR but I knew that bills weren’t going to stop coming so I sold and delivered chicken wing plates in the days before Uber Eats, Postmates, and Doordash to pay bills. That led to catering opportunities, hosting dinners, and eventually a job as a pastry chef where I was trained on the job. At the urging of a friend, I started marketing and selling my own seasoning called “Dust”, along with aprons and they’re both available on my website.
Comedian: Born into a family of jokesters, it comes naturally. I have taken life’s experiences: the good, bad, and ugly; and I tell those stories in ways that are relatable and everybody laughs. My first time taking the stage at a comedy show was in 2016 at the Loony Bin Comedy Club. I was actually the promoter of the show and one of the performers didn’t show up. At the urging of my brother, I took the stage to fill in the time gap. Since then we have sold out venues and successfully completed a 4-city 3-state tour (Osceola, AR, Little Rock, AR, Detroit, MI, Atlanta, GA).
Hosting: I am very hospitable and inviting…kind of the boy next door. It’s a part of my being. However, comedy afforded me one of my most enjoyed ventures ever: Radio Hosting. Although I love radio, I hated my voice in college when I had a radio show on the campus station. It all came full circle when I posted a video of my comedy on Instagram and was messaged by the owner of Hits 92.3 in Atlanta to audition for an open spot on their morning show. I auditioned, and the rest is history.
I then started an event that I took to various cities called: Cocktails. Art. Soul where I provided a meal prepared by me, signature drinks, and live entertainment. Being a bartender I created a way to interact with my audience by starting a show Cooking and Cocktails with AJ in which I went live on Facebook and YouTube while showing them how to make a simple meal, a drink, and entertained them with special guest hosts.
Magazine Editor: I started Art & Soul Magazine, an online magazine that highlighted every area of the arts. It featured celebrity interviews, music reviews, recipes, etc. The busyness of life caused me to step away from it, however it’s coming back in the near future.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
In every area of my life, someone pushes me. My family keeps me grounded, everyone else sees “AJ Young” but most of my family has been there in the trenches with Alton, Boy, YellaDuck, and AlCatt (all of the names I am called by various family members). My brother Sidney pushes me to be my authentic self no matter what. My cousin Jimmy has driven hours on multiple occasions to see me perform, and that’s major when you have people in the same town who won’t support you. My cousins: Sham, Whitney and Sharde are not only my cousins, but are also my classmates and friends. My cousin Quanda has stayed up overnight with me when I couldn’t sleep about a pressing issue. My friend Jadarien is my creative director…he’s in charge of all things graphics. My friend Andrew of Ejji Studios has taken just about every professional photograph I have, his pictures landed me on shows and a commercial for Belk. My sister Britney has a way of snapping me back to reality, while my friend Brittany uses such a gentle approach to keep me grounded. Brittany is actually the friend who during the height of the pandemic, called and told me to start cooking and delivering plates in Atlanta and offered her personal vehicle as one of the delivery cars. Toney, is there day or night being the “strong friend” along with Darnell, Tericka, Carl and Jessica Wright. My cousin Jalen is my right hand man. My ex-wife, Tasha, has literally purchased a ticket to every show/event that I have had pre-marriage and post-divorce…she’s the G.O.A.T. EJ Speaks has been the most influential in comedy while being one of my closest friends off stage. Kelz Mungin of Hits 92.3 in Atlanta gave me a chance and together we dominated the airwaves in the morning.
Contact Info:
- Email: admin@theeajyoung.com
- Website: www.TheeAJYoung.com
- Instagram: @TheeAJYoung
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/
AyeJayYoung - SoundCloud: https://
soundcloud.com/alton- yelladuck-young
Image Credits:
Andrew Daley
Ejji Studios (@EjjiStudios)
Macy Miller (@millerhouz)
