MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – Charles Young could get a crowd up on their feet.
The 41-year-old was a crowd-pleaser. Quite literally, Charles went by ‘Crowdpleeza’ on stage, in the studio, and around town to fans who knew him. Friends knew him as Lil’ C.
Charles’ energy was infectious. His music is bumpin.’ But it was Charles’ character that made others value and love him.
Charles was killed in a car crash on Front Street in Midland on Sunday. He lost his life in the very city he loved.
“No one could move an audience like he could,” said Thomas Davis, Charles’ brother-in-law. “He made everybody on stage better.”
Thomas owns ‘Tycoon Music Group,’ a record label and a publishing label. Charles was his business partner, a label mate.
“There was no major music industry in West Texas. It’s all East Texas, all Dallas, Houston, this, any other. So, our whole game plan, even before we started the actual record label, was that, OK, if we can just get West Texas, who’s going to represent West Texas?” Thomas recalled.
When Charles was 14, Thomas entered his life. After all, Thomas married Charles’ sister. But ever since then, the two shared a relationship like no other. Both Charles and Thomas shared a love for rap and for live performance.
From Houston to Las Vegas, from California to Colorado, the two would travel to perform. It quickly became apparent, Lil’ C had incredible work ethic.
“His attention to detail was above reproach. Nothing. You couldn’t touch him. Yeah. He was awesome,” Thomas mused.
Charles had two albums completed: ‘Hood Certified’ and ‘Still Certified.’
“His music speaks for itself,” said Charles’ older brother, Wahtayse Young. “If you listen to his music, it’s telling you something.”
Charles was working on two projects at the time of his death: a third solo album called ‘Certified: The Last Chapter’ and an album with his super group, ‘Triple C.’ There are plans to release both albums posthumously, when the time is right.
‘Crowdpleeza’ could perform in ways that would turn a crowd crunk.
“Everybody had his vibe. He was just the whole vibe up there,” said Danye’ll Jefferson, Charles’ Cousin. “That’s the crowd-pleaser! Because that’s who he was.”
Sometimes, Charles’ rap was about reality, and sometimes, it was a hard reality.
“He got to the point where he would still tell you about these things that go on in the community, whether it be the drugs, whether it be this, whether it be that,” Thomas explained. “But then he was also able to give you what that does to your children when you’re not there and you’re in prison. What that does to your mom to have to hold you behind a prison gate or come to visitation to see you.”
There was something in ‘Crowdpleeza’ that made him want to do more. So, Charles turned to his community.
“They would organize picnics at Washington Park where they would just feed the whole community for free out of their own pockets, out of their album sales,” Thomas said.
Charles’ last performance was on Juneteenth weekend at a community event in Midland.
“They got up on that stage and performed like it was a hundred thousand people out there. Because that’s their community,” Thomas said.
Charles’ older brother had a chance to be with him one last time on Juneteenth weekend.
“Hey, bro, I’m proud of you. I’m proud of the man you was becoming,” said Wahtayse. “He was so proud of what he was doing.”
Charles leaves behind four children.
