Stephon Delante' Manuel aka Yung Mistro is a native of Caroline, Virginia. At the age of 15, he decided to pursue a career in rapping after just rapping with friends in school. "I mean I used to rap for fun, we would put it on tape, and then people just started crowding around. People used to look forward to hearing me rap. So then, I kinda thought I was pretty good." He started rapping with his friend Jaymarr Williams. It worked but carried little success. So he bought a microphone and started recording his own music. After the song "Goon 2 A Goblin", people started listening to him and ever since then, he has been making more and more little success. Now, Mistro has made two mixtapes and is going on his third one.

 "I am in search of a record deal. I am not somebody who is trying to build an enterprise all around myself. I feel confident in my music and I am looking for somebody to help me further pursue my career as a hip-hop artist."

Who is he?
A young man trying let people hear my voice

Where did you get the name "Yung Mistro"?
From living in Caroline I was related to a guy named MiStro, so I took on the Yung MiStro in respect of him.

What made you want to become a rapper?
I used to rap back when I was in Caroline but we used to do it for fun. When I came up here, dudes was like they rap so I was like I'm going to hang with yall. I was with J-Real and he seemed like one of the most serious dudes who said they was rapping so I stuck with him, bought my own mic, and it was a wrap from there! =)

Do you think you will have success as a rapper?
Honestly, I think so. I feel like I got the drive and motivation for real. Like some people say they want to be a rapper and as soon as somebody say that their music is wack, they want to quit. People have said my stuff was wack, people has said my stuff is nice, either or I go off of the feedback and continue to make music. I got the right dream for it, I just got to make sure I stick to it. A lot of rappers have said in interviews that there has been times where they just wanted to give up on it, but they kept going and look at them now. I'm trying to be that person who can get to the rough times and end up sitting on the couch on 106 & Park with whoever is hosting the show at that time.

Are you in it for the money or fame?
To be real, I liked rapping, but then when I started really making songs, I was like "I can start making money off of this." So that pushed to put out a mixtape. Once I put the tape out, and people started really listening, I thought that I really had a chance to do something so now I'm not even worried about putting the tape, as to I am trying spread my music around so that it can get out of central Virginia and end up broadening to possibly and record label.
 

How do you describe your rapping style?
I guess free, I don't like to write because I feel like I end up forcing myself to rhyme and then I feel like it just doesn't flow right with the rhythm sometimes

Who are your favorite rapper?
Young Jeezy, Chamillionaire, Lil Wayne, Boosie, Jody Breeze, Lil Flip, Fabolous, Jay-Z, and I can't forget 2Pac. Oh yeah, and MiStro

How do you feel about the rap game?
I feel like the game is not dead, first of all. I feel like people like Soulja Boy are very welcomed into the game. I respect the way he got into the game using the Internet as the broadcasting network. If YouTube gets me a record deal, then I'm going to make videos until I get tired of TV!

Boxers or Brief?
Ewww...how about a girl in a thong? =)

- Ashley Cummings & Courtney Vierling