Why I Removed My Old Music

Recently, I made the decision to remove most of my older solo music from streaming platforms. That includes Bonafides—a 45-track anthology of early hip-hop recordings—my 2011 album Signed by 29, a recent project called Hard Reset, and several past singles.

If you were one of the people who found something in those songs, I appreciate you more than you know. But they no longer align with the music—or the man—I’ve grown into.

One of the biggest guiding lights in my life is my wife. She’s my best friend and my clearest mirror. And here’s something that stuck with me: she never connected with my old music. Never really listened to it. But when I put out my album Dry, she actually fell in love with it. She likes it—really listens to it. That told me everything I needed to hear. It made me proud of how far I’ve come, and honestly, a little embarrassed to have those older songs still sitting out there next to the work I care about now.

This isn’t about erasing the past—it’s about honoring the present. Over the past month, I’ve been quietly building something more focused: music rooted in Western storytelling, atmosphere, vulnerability, and grit. The new three-song EP I just dropped is part of that journey—not the beginning of it, just the latest contribution to the sound and soul I’ve been shaping.

I’ve also changed distributors recently, giving me more creative freedom and control going forward. Every release from here on out will be intentional.

I want the songs you find under my name to reflect who I actually am, not just who I used to be. Thanks for sticking with me—and if you’re new here, welcome. You’re catching me at a time when it’s finally starting to feel right.

—Cole Younger