YONAS – Mindless

YONAS Strives To Be Universally Heard On His First Full-Length Project

DOWNLOAD: YONAS – Mindless

Bronx, New York MC YONAS is proud to announce the release of his debut album, The Proven Theory. First hitting the scene with The New Golden Era EP in 2008 and the I Am Us mixtape, a project that received over 50,000 downloads, in 2009, YONAS continues to raise the bar for his own music and is now releasing The Proven Theory on April 25, 2011 via City of Dreams.

Self-reflection, positive philosophies and meticulous assembly played major roles in the project’s development. “I just approached each record with the mentality of, ‘How can I make this individual song as good as possible,'” says YONAS. “I take my time to create as much music as possible in a certain time frame, and then sit with those songs and piece [them] together. It’s almost like building puzzle pieces, and then trying to put the puzzle together in the end.” He also upgraded the sound quality of the album, noting that, “it takes time to get the necessary tools in your corner to achieve this quality, and I’ve been blessed to acquire those tools over the past year.”

The meaning behind the album title is the result of YONAS’ personal studies in applying familiar philosophies to his life, citing “quality over quantity,” “patience is a virtue,” and “you are the company you keep” as major themes that have proven successful time and again. “I can lean on these theories and ideas to get me through life,” says YONAS. “Embodying these characteristics, ideas, and morals makes me the proven theory.” Going against the trend of having a potpourri of beats from different producers, YONAS opted to work with only one producer, Sean Divine, whose own credits include Jadakiss, on The Proven Theory in order to create a unified sound for the album.

YONAS chose to begin the album with the inspirational “I Could,” a song that serves not only as a single from the album but also a concentrated representation of what the album stands for. “I’m just trying to show people that it’s possible to achieve whatever it is you set out to do,” says YONAS. Starting out as a classically trained violinist and the son of Ugandan and Ethiopian parents, he is a testament to his own cause. Above all, there exists a passion that transcends YONAS’ music: “I want people from all different walks of life to relate to my music and that’s the only thing I’m concerned about—being a universal artist.”

YONAS’ album The Proven Theory will be available this April via City of Dreams.

Background:

The son of a Ugandan mother and Ethiopian father, Yonas was in tune with music at a very young age. He learned how to play violin at 5 and attended a program at Julliard while in middle school. Taking a full-time approach to music after receiving his GED, Yonas’s very first project, The New Golden Era, released in 2008, earned him a Billboard Songwriting Award for Best Hip Hop/Rap Song. His next release, the I Am Us EP, received over 50,000 downloads. Backed by his material, the MC began sharing stages with acts such as Pharoahe Monch, Curren$y, and Big K.R.I.T. to name a few. Now, for 2011 and beyond, Yonas’ goal with his live shows and official debut, The Proven Theory, which will be released April 25, 2011 is simple, to be a “universal artist.”