Today we’d like to introduce you to IMB YO.
Hi IMB, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Yohann Nganza, stage name IMB YO, but I just go by YO. I’m an independent artist born in Côte d’Ivoire, west Africa. Growing up in the streets of Abidjan, the city I spent my formative years, I was truly blessed in every way with hard working parents who taught me the importance of resilience and a familial community who still loves and supports me to this day. In a city where if you drive 20 minutes in any direction, you can see the stereotypical “Africa” that comes to any westerners mind when they think of it. Folks tossing their wastes in the street, others standing on the sides of the road selling anything and everything of relative value to put food in the mouths of their loved ones. During the time I was growing up, there was a lot of civil unrest, militia gunning folks down after a certain hour, wide scale blackouts in less affluent communities to strong arm them towards an agenda, lots of corruption in the government. Early 2005 my father entered a raffle to gain tickets for him and his immediate family to go to America. Due to everything going on in the country my parents organized themselves to make our journey a one way trip. So we said goodbye to our extended family and landed in Dallas Texas in September of 2005.
When it comes to my artistry, my father played a huge role in who I am as a musician. He was self taught in all of the instruments he played and was part of the music scene before the wars. I still remember him taking me to studio sessions in my diaper and I would grab the nearest microphone and start singing or get to smashing on the coolest piano in the room. For my 8th birthday I remember begging for a bike, a PlayStation and my own room haha. But obviously we were just 3 years into immigrating to America so they didn’t have the means to get me any of those things. They did however manage to save what they could to buy me my first piano and though it wasn’t what my younger self wanted at the time, I’m eternally grateful for that piano because I played it until the keys fell off. Spent my time learning all my favorite songs, creating my own, and performing others at local events. It wasn’t until my late teens that I began to view music as a craft. I remember working at an amusement park one day when I was 19 and freestyling with a coworker after work. It was that moment that transformed my sparks of musical talent into the inferno that burns in me everyday. That same night, my coworker and I went to Walmart and I purchased my first microphone. After that I dedicated any and all free time I had to perfecting my craft and mixing abilities because I understood that talent meant nothing if I didn’t have the skills to polish them. I began mixing for local artists I went to school with offering free sessions until I felt my skills merited a price tag. I was also experimenting and recording hundreds of songs while searching for my own signature sound while still taking time to love and appreciate the craft. I would talk to any and everyone I could find about their creative journey, discover how they handle the ups and downs, taking their testimonies as lessons so that I wouldn’t make the same mistakes.
I spent 2019-2024 learning, networking and practicing. Within that time I partnered with a local creative group called “ The DISC” and did a lot of community outreach shooting free content and commercials for local small businesses, helped host R&B nights and even threw a music event of my own bringing out all the artists I worked with over the years to celebrate my birthday. During this time I also met my current photographer, cinematographer and close friend Myles Mays, AKA, TDM pixels. Working with a certified sniper like Myles amplified my creativity beyond the studio and onto a larger screen. It wasn’t until june of 2025 that I truly put my foot on the gas. Without any warning or promotion, I dropped my first three songs of the year and slowly started building my fan base on social media. With the help of Myles, I was able to shoot my first cinematic music video “Voicemail” and tons of amazing visuals for my other songs like “Biggie Biggie”. In doing so, people started noticing, started seeing, and some even started believing, “oh he means business”.
I came up with the stage name “IMB YO” because growing up I listened to a lot of different genres of music but my favorite artist was lil Wayne and I always loved his “weezy ‘f’ baby” tagline that he would adapt in whatever way to fit whatever song he wanted. The original meaning behind the acronym was “I Make Bangers You Overheard”. At some point in stood for “In My Bag YO”. But over the years as I’ve matured, learned more and developed in my career (both musical and in corporate sales), it’s come to mean all that still(whenever the song requires), but most importantly “I Mean Business”.
I have had a beautifully blessed journey so far with its fair share of trials and tribulations but the thing that keeps me going is the same thing that made me start in the first place, the love of the music. I feel like if you ask most musicians, they’ll tell you that they constantly hear music in their heads and the same goes for me. My goal truly isn’t to be famous with my music by any means. God blessed me with musical talents but also a mind that ponders far beyond my years. My ultimate goal in life is to utilize my success, in whatever capacity it amounts to, wherever it comes from, to gather a group of first generation immigrants like myself to rebuild Africa into the motherland that it truly is. Build schools, create jobs, shift the narrative and change the perspective of our kinfolk for the better. I know it’s a grande dream and will definitely not be completed in my lifetime but I have no doubt in my mind that the movement and momentum we create will continue for generations to come.
So in short, IMB YO is the hero I wish was around during my early years. Someone with an infectious smile that lights up every situation, the knowledge and wisdom to navigate anything life may throw, and the determination to change every life he touches for the better through song, being an inspirational figure, or simply being a friend.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been far from smooth haha but again, I am blessed nevertheless. Between uprooting my life to live in America, becoming estranged from my family in Africa, losing myself and parts of my culture in the American education system, and rebuilding myself into who I am now, it has been challenging to say the least. Immigrating at such a young age was definitely a culture shock. I went from knowing everyone to no one overnight. Even looking beyond that, I had aspirations of being in the medical field and even got my degree but quickly realized that wasn’t the way I wanted to achieve my dream. There was also a point where I battled a severe depression that almost led to me taking my own life. It was troubling period for me because as a first generation immigrant I felt like the weight of my family’s hopes and dreams all resided on my shoulders, a weight I wasn’t truly prepared for at the time. Even now in my adult years, it’s tough balancing work, music, family, and taking care of myself. There are some days I face imposter syndrome and question whether or not I should continue chasing this gigantic dream, whether or not it’ll even amount to anything. But I’ve learned that each time o start to deviate from the path, I just have to take it back to my roots and that’s the music. It’s been so therapeutic along this journey and has taught me more about myself than I could ever imagine.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an independent artist. I make genre bending music that, depending on the song, can uplift you, make you reflect, or portray a vivid story. I specialize in making music people can live to, not just listen to. So far along this journey I can say that I’m most proud of my ability to adapt. I have made songs of just about every genre except rock and country. And each one unique and beautiful in its own way. I can proudly say that is what sets me apart from my peers. Because I never truly took the time to belong to any one specific group or culture, I’ve gotten the opportunity to experience them all and take them all in making them part of myself. In doing so I feel I have gained an advantage over most allowing me to create anything I manage to set my mind on.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
As much as I hate to admit it, luck did play a role in my life. Because it all started by chance. My dad won a raffle of over 3000 people to get him and his family into the states. It was by chance that I’ve met all the amazing people who have not only inspired me to become who I am now but have also taught me things that I still hold dear to me to this day. But like I said, I don’t like to call that luck, I like to believe that God personally carved out this road for me. He never said it would be easy, but with everything I’ve come to endure throughout this journey, I have gained exponentially more. And the only person I can thank for that is God, not luck.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.liinks.co/imb.yo
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imb_yo?igsh=eXAyaXg0MnVtY29m&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1HyaLmtF11/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@imb_yo?si=7WuATxvBOC06nna0
Image Credits
Myles Mays, “TDM Pixels”
