“I was born with music in my blood,” he said. “Everyone in my family is musically talented. My brother, DJ Big Phil is a deejay and producer. My other brothers are into beats and playing the saxophone. My dad has been in a band ever since I was four years old. He was with the Real Silk Band. My brother and I were listening to my father in nightclubs at four and five years of age.

“You have to understand—one thing is that I was born in 1974 so I basically grew up listening to hip-hop. It all started in the basement in 1979 at 19 Chastity St. Myself, my big brother DJ Big Phil, Supa C, DJ Assassin, Wally Cuts, Emmai Alaquiva and anybody that was straight old school hip-hop—we all got our start together. Since my brother was a deejay, he had the beats and I had the rhymes, so we got it poppin.’ I really cannot say exactly when it happened, but it is something that has gone on in my life.”

YUSEF THOMPSON

With all this musical influence from his older brothers and father, Yusef reflects back on when he first started writing.

“I started writing when I was in the seventh grade,” Thompson said. “I have always been a freestyle artist. In order to get into the recording studio, you had to have written your own rhymes.”

Back then Thompson was in a group called High-Low Productions. They opened for many of major artists in hip-hop. “We were one of the first cats to perform at the first Time Bomb store on Shady Avenue. We opened up for The Roots as well. A lot of cats know my brother and (me) as a group,” he said.

But, unfortunately, reality can intrude and often recalibrate your plan. In Thompson’s case that reality is a mixed blessing that required him to man-up.

“I am married with children and I have to work,” said the family man. “Life goes through changes and you come up against certain stumbling blocks. In order to feed my family, I had to get back on my grind and start to work. I have a bachelor’s degree in education so I will always have something to fall back on.”

But for now, the dream is still alive and its time to emerge from the shadow.

“My handle is U-Turn but all of my friends call me Sef. I am trying to let the world know who U-Turn is instead of just being DJ Big Phil’s little brother. If you do not know me, you will soon. People that know me already get the message loud and clear,” he said.

The return of U-Turn maybe slow and steady, but it is sure. For now, it’s about taking it one step at a time.

“I am focusing on my product and not shows. My mother taught us something along time ago and that was, ‘In order to be successful, you have to prepare for it.’ Right now I am in the preparation stages. The only way for me to prepare is to make sure I have my product right. Once I get the album done, I will work with other artists, but right now I am just doing me. I have my brother Kim Sim on the beats. The only way I will do collaborations is if High-Low Productions gets back together. You will also hear DJ Big Phil on a couple of tracks.

The new CD is called ‘The Total Package Part II.’ I don’t slack when it comes down to my lyrics, stage show, writing, or free styling; so if you are not ready, you better get ready. The only thing you can expect from me is hot music.