Yonny

Yonny (born Yonatan Daniel) is a 24-year-old hip-hop artist emerging from Seattle’s North End with a voice as deep as his lyricism. Raised in Lynnwood by his Ethiopian mother—who came to the U.S. through the green card lottery—Yonny grew up freestyling in Camrys and absorbing everything from Ne-Yo to Wu-Tang Clan. He worked service jobs through the pandemic, recording demos on lunch breaks at Dunn Lumber and keeping one foot in the real world while quietly building a sound all his own. That sound broke wide open with his 2024 single “City in Motion,” a cinematic, Seattle-rooted track that went viral and helped launch his debut LP Everywhere, But Always. The nine-track project blends nostalgic soul and modern swagger, showcasing Yonny’s sharp delivery and introspective voice. With over 2 million streams and a growing base of monthly listeners, he’s steadily making a name beyond the region, working with producers Jake Crocker and Evan George, and collaborating with video creatives Nash Pearson and Finn Baker to craft visuals that hit just as hard as the music. Yonny still lives with his mom and sister. He still buses tables in Kirkland. But he’s clear-eyed about where he’s going—and why. “It’s super important to me to bring Seattle everywhere else,” he says. “And to do that, you gotta go.”