I had a lot of space as a kid. My mother worked with human rights for the government, and my dad had a book publishing company, but they weren't really musical.

The quote by Yung Lean, "I had a lot of space as a kid. My mother worked with human rights for the government, and my dad had a book publishing company, but they weren't really musical," reflects his unique upbringing and the freedom he experienced in his childhood. Lean suggests that he was given a certain amount of independence or room to explore his own interests, as his parents were involved in careers that didn't directly influence his path in music. This "space" allowed him to develop his own artistic identity, free from the expectations or influences that might come from a family deeply rooted in the arts or music industry.

The origin of the quote highlights Lean's personal background. His mother’s work in human rights and his father’s role in the publishing industry placed him in a world that was intellectual and socially conscious, but not necessarily driven by the creative forces that shaped his own future in music. This divergence between his family’s professional lives and his own passion for music may have played a role in his sense of autonomy and exploration in the early stages of his career.

Additionally, the mention of his parents not being "really musical" points to the contrast between his family environment and his eventual involvement in music. Lean’s quote may also reflect the intergenerational shift that often happens in creative fields, where an individual can carve out a path for themselves that is vastly different from the one laid out by their parents. This freedom allowed him to experiment and create his own sound, leading to his rise in the music scene.

Ultimately, Yung Lean’s quote illustrates how a non-musical family background, coupled with the freedom to explore his interests, gave him the room to develop into an artist with a unique voice in the music industry. The space he had as a child became a key element in his personal and artistic growth, allowing him to break away from conventional paths and establish his own identity in the music world.