SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The thing that stood out about Reginald Foster Jr. – AKA Yung Bloo – was his instinct to bring people closer to each other. The hip-hop artist from Bay Area, California loved helping people. He was trustworthy, and his word meant something. And most of the people who knew him would say that even if he didn’t have anything, he would do whatever he could to help somebody else.
When Reginald passed away earlier this year after an acute Asthma attack, the absence of his care and compassion left a hole in the world. And though his physical presence is now gone, his mother hopes that his legacy will live on. And she knows that one of the best ways to pass along his legacy to others is by making sure his music is heard by as many people as possible.
“Everybody who knew him loved him,” said his mother, Angela Finley. “He didn’t discriminate. He would call me sometimes after he had moved out of town and let me know that someone was out of work and ask me to give them $40 for gas or something and he’d pay me back as soon as he was around. Or he’d go out of his way to help someone who was homeless. He was a really good kid, and though he struggled with some things I think music was his solace. I think the music allowed him to express himself. And I hope more people can know who my son was through his music because his music career was very important to him.”
Angela describes her son’s sound as hip-hop with a little bit of R&B. She said his sound was reminiscent of Lil’ Wayne, with nods to some other old-school rappers. But she said many fans of Yung Bloo have commented to her how much they appreciate how he would mix up old-school hip-hop with new-school sounds.
“His voice was in a class by itself,” she said. “Something about his voice made people perk up and take notice. And though his lyrics were a little explicit at times, they worked for him and people really connected with the things he had to say.”
In addition to pushing people toward Yung Bloo’s music, Angela has also created a nonprofit organization in his name called Yung Bloo Foundation. In addition to selling Yung Bloo merchandise, the foundation also accepts donations – and all of the proceeds go toward helping people who are experiencing difficult financial situations.
“It’s all about helping people who are in need,” she said. “People can call or email me, or other organizations can contact me, and we’ll do what we can to give them whatever we can in his name. I want to be an extension of who he was to me and my family, even if it’s just a little bit. And I know this holiday season will be hard on some people, so reach out to us so that we can help in whatever way we can.”
Those wishing to contact Yung Bloo Foundation can do so by emailing admin@bloofoundation.org.
To follow the Foundation on social media or to listen to some of Yung Bloo’s music, please visit the following links:
https://twitter.com/Bloogotti1993
https://www.instagram.com/yungbloo1993/
https://www.facebook.com/BlooFoundation
https://soundcloud.com/bloogotti1993
