Yung Nation are arguably the most popular act in the rejuvenated Dallas rap scene, say music insiders. Their latest mixtape “YNU2” has earned them a diehard fan base in Texas and beyond.

“I’ve been listening to their music since they came out,” Lamoris Williams, 15, said.

Williams finds it “cool” that rappers from his city are finding success and hopes to see their star rise further.

Yung Nation is Duncanville rappers B. Reed (born Brandon Reed) and Fooly Faime (born Kendall Johnson). Their mixtapes “iYess” (2011), “YNU” (2012), and “YNU2” (2013) have won the duo a growing, loyal following. Fans love their irrepressible energy and tight chemistry.

“Nation’s probably one of the biggest movements coming out of the DFW right now,” K. 104 radio personality Kiki J. said. “The whole city is turned up as we watch them progress.”

“We look forward to watching their stars rise and hit the Grammy stage one day.”

Reed and Faime met each other as 11-year-olds while playing on the same basketball team. After a victory, Reed delivered an impromptu freestyle. Faime fired a freestyle back, driving the crowd wild. The pair have been rhyming together ever since.

The boys initially joined the collective Thugboss Nation in 2008. Thugboss Nation quickly dissolved as members left to serve prison sentences. The group’s youngest MCs Reed and Faime soldiered on, rebranding themselves as Yung Nation.

The group’s latest and most focused mixtapes, “YNU” and YNU2,” are themed around university. Now, Reed and Faime will concede their college days ended after one semester.

“We’ve failed at life,” Faime joked.

Faime explains that the college theme represents their growth.

“Every year you learn more,” Faime said. “You have a new set of classmates.”

Yung Nation has refined their style since their first mixtape. Their beats are bouncy and melodic, ideals for any dance floor.

The real draw is their dueling party raps. Verses are volleyed back and forth in quick bursts. Reed and Faime attribute their style to strong chemistry.

“I finish his sentences, he finishes my sentence,” Faime said. “We don’t even rap full [verses] any more.”

Listeners rapping along to songs like “Shawty Wassup” might not pick up on their slang. Yung Nation is happy to give listeners a lesson:

Fallin’ (adj.) – attractive; “She is not fallin’”; Dip (n.) – a good friend with benefits, see the song “My Dip”; Duck off (n.) – see “Dip”; Skitz (n., v.) – to dance.

Readers who browse YouTube might have come across “skitz” videos featuring Nation Gang. Nation Gang is the group’s dance crew, jittering in videos to Yung Nation’s street hits. Some of these videos – including the “Club Rock” skitz – have more views than the group’s own videos.

The crew’s membership is in dispute. Fans also film dance videos tagged “Nation Gang.” The group themselves are unsure who belongs Nation Gang.

Yung Nation manager Digital Executive Merk (born Philip Ward)will tell you this is a good sign. Merk, a former manager for Dorrough, instantly recognized their charisma after meeting them at a video shoot.

“At first I was apprehensive,” Merk said, referring to the duo’s wild nature. “But when I had the chance to meet them, I was like ‘I can see where they need to go.’”

Merk oversaw Yung Nation perform at Drake’s Club Paradise, their first national tour. Opening spots for Future, Pusha T and Tyga helped the group cut their teeth on the touring circuit.

The twenty-something rappers soon developed a reputation for outshining more established performers. In 2012 Yung Nation opened up for Roscoe Dash and headliner Big Sean. The Dallas Observer reported that audiences cheered louder for Yung Nation than Dash.

“It’s expected,” Merk said, warning others not to underestimate Yung Nation’s fan base. “When Yung Nation comes out to your show, especially in Dallas Fort-Worth, it’s going to be a bigger response than say someone coming from out-of-town.”

Merk aims to keep Yung Nation relevant both in Texas and nationally, an admittedly difficult task.

“People don’t normally have a good reception for Texas artists,” Merk said, noting how Texas hip-hop has never enjoyed long-term success.

One solution to this problem is public appearances. The group frequently plays shows at Dallas schools for their underage fans. In 2013 Merk organized a back-to-school pool party for college kids at pool bar Revive.

The “Revive Splash” party sported a diverse crowd, a sign of Dallas’ diverse hip-hop scene.

“I think the Dallas culture is getting more savvy and hip to going to concerts now,” Merk said. “It’s a cool thing to support local artists.”

Dallas rappers are supporting each other, a stark contrast to the city’s rappers in the ‘90s. A diehard local fan is bound to have seen Yung Nation onstage with groups like A.Dd+ and Brain Gang.

“It’s on purpose,” Merk said. “A lot of it’s natural, and a lot of it’s the management side. We’ve got Snow tha Product here, BootyFade here, A.Dd+. We might as well do a song or show together to swap fan bases. It’s all about trading the fans.”

The Dallas rap scene has grown in recognition as a result, although Faime isn’t surprised.

“It goes with who’s better,” Faime said. “It’s like basketball. You ain’t gon’ watch the Toronto Raptors, but you’ll watch the Miami Heat. But if Lebron’s traded to the Raptors, you gon’ watch, huh?”

The group plans on continuing their prodigious release of mixtapes. Merk sees Yung Nation touring different states, including Arkansas and New Mexico.

Other artists have reached out to work with Yung Nation. The group is set to release a remix to their hit “Pimp” featuring L.A. Rapper Problem.

The group’s “#iYess3” mixtape is expected to come out in October 2013. Until then check out “T.Y.B.”, their song with DJ outfit Bootyfade.