JiZO: Wasssssuup
Prince-T! We are finally doing this interview!
How is going bro? Did you have a good time last
Friday night at Sting?
Prince-T: I'm doing
really well. Feeling blessed everyday I wake
up. Sting was great, thank you for inviting me
out there! The crowd was amazing; the DJ's were
really throwing down. Speaking of DJs, big up
to all my DJs out there playing P.O.R.N.Star in
the club! I really appreciate that...DJ
Chynaman, Dis B Johhhn, Shhhadee, Deja,
Johnonfiya, Spider, Jimmy K, Onza, Snake,
Bolo...and all the other DJs out there that have
played it while I'm not in the club, thank you!
And much respect to JiZO for teaming up with all
the other promoters just to make it fun for all
Asians to come together and enjoy nightlife.
JiZO: So, tell me a
little us more about yourself? Where did you
grow up and what ethnicity are you?
Prince-T: I grew up
in Memphis, TN. Orange Mound to be exact, hard
times but good times. But I been in Dallas for
almost 13 years so Dallas is home. As far as
ethnicity go...I'm Asian waist up and Black
waist down...haha! Just kidding!!! On a
serious note I can't really give you a specific
answer for that question...cause when my solo
album come out next year, there is going to be a
song on there call "Killing Me Softly" (it will
be the last song on the album), and after
listening to this song everyone will know why I
can't really give a specific answer for this
question. But this I will say...I AM ASIAN!
I'm very proud to be Asian and feel very honor
to be able to represent for all my Asians out
there.
JiZO: Let's talk
about your music now. Why did you choose rap
music out of all the different music genres?
What's hip hop to you?
Prince-T: Well I
really did not choose rap. I am not a rapper
because there is a big difference. Don't get me
wrong I like a few rap songs, I think they are
great in the clubs. But Rap, R-A-P, to me
stands for "Running Away from Preaching", and
when someone is "Preaching" they are in front of
an audience giving a positive message. When I
make music, that is my first goal, is to deliver
a positive message...especially if it's my song
or a song that I will be featured on. So
therefore I am not a rapper because I don't
really catch myself "Running Away from
Preaching". Now on the other hand...what is
hip-hop to me??? Hip-hop to me is poetry in
motion...and I think I do that pretty well in my
music, especially in songs like "P.O.R.N.Star
[Acoustic]" and "Tribute to Hip-hop"...therefore
I am a hip-hop artist, not a rapper. And as far
as why hip-hop out of all the different genre?
Because I remember the first time I truly fell
in love with hip-hop was when I first heard
Biggie's "Juicy", I was about ten years old. It
just gave me a really different feeling than
anything I ever heard; it gave me hope that
everything was going to be all good! Plus I
grew up around a lot of soulful music so even
though I listen to all kinds of music, I am used
to hip-hop and R&B more so that is why I
concentrate my passion towards that genre.
JiZO: Do you write
and compose all of your songs?
Prince-T: It's
funny that you ask me that because a lot of
people think that the other two members in Fresh
II Def (K-Wood and LV) write my lyrics for me.
They are both incredible writers, but we all
have different styles so they do not write for
me, nor do I "write". I am not a very good
"writer", I have not been able to sit there with
a pen and pad and actually write a song. I will
eventually have to learn how to do that though.
All of my lyrics and hooks on "theFRESHalbum"
just really came to me, I have nothing written
down, I just hear the beat and keep playing the
instrumental in my car as I am driving to places
and verses will just come to me. Then when I
get them all down fluently in my head, I go
record...and that's that!
JiZO: If you could
today, any artist and/or producer of your
choice, who would you say you have to definitely
work with?
Prince-T: I like
this question...that's pretty tough because I am
such a huge fan of so many artists and producers
out there. But if I had a choice to do a song
today...I would want to make a futuristic
version of that Nas - "If I Ruled the World".
My producers that I would work with would be
Kanye West and DJ Chynaman, and I would beg
Lauren Hill to come back one last time for that
one!
JiZO: Who are some
of the known or less known artists that inspired
you to pursue a career in the music business?
Prince-T: Well my
inspiration to pursue a career in music didn't
really come from another artist. I am and
always have been a big music fan. I loved music
so much I told myself that one day I want to
give a part of me to music somehow, whether it
be production, composing or even promotions and
management. But it was never to really be the
actual artist. I started teaching myself all
the basics of producing back in 2000. I had
made a whole bunch of beats, I still have them
somewhere but they are really whack. Back then
I did think they were good though until I met DJ
Chynaman in 2002. He basically told me that
they were really whack in a nice way but that
didn't hurt my feelings. I just started driving
5 hours to San Antonio all the time just to hang
out in his studio and learn how to use all the
real equipment. Thanks to him I was able to
start working along with some of his projects as
a producer and mixer cause he said I had really
good vision and a really good ear when it comes
to music. We started producing and pushing a
few talented groups and solo artists. After
four years of that, I got burned out from seeing
myself working harder than the artists that we
were pushing, and I saw DJ Chynaman frustrated
as well. So in 2006 I taught myself how to
"rap" since I was tired of working hard for
other artists that one...didn't believe in what
I could do for them or two...didn't really want
it. I think it was in due time because I had
and have a lot of stuff to talk about from life
experiences such as losing family members and
the struggles and changes of life. There are
many artists/producers that I studied to make my
music better...Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Kanye
West, Lupe Fiasco, and Diddy...just to name a
few. But as far as inspiration for me to pursue
a music career...the inspiration really came
from my life, the life I been through, the
things I saw growing up, the things I've felt.
And I know there is so much more to come so my
music is only going to get better.
JiZO: Many platinum
selling artists may not care what ethnic group
or socioeconomic strata their consumers are from
as long as albums get sold. Do you record your
music with a particular listener in mind? Who do
you feel would benefit most from hearing an
album like "The Fresh Album"?
Prince-T: When I
created "Fresh II Def - theFRESHalbum", my
vision was to create something that the entire
world can listen to. I purposely didn't go too
lyrical on the album like I know I can because I
wanted it to be a fun album. An album that
anyone, any age, any background, any gender
could relate to and enjoy. There are so many
different types of songs on "theFRESHalbum",
club songs, songs that you can just jam in the
car, to songs that talk about relationships,
songs that talk about society. There's even a
song on there called "Mic Check" where we act
like we are talking about a girl or the love of
our life but we are really talking about a
microphone. That track is really nuts! There's
a lot of feel good music on there but with a lot
of substance. So really anyone can enjoy the
album, I know all types of people listening to "theFRESHalbum"
from kids to college students to adults, even
grandmothers...no really, I know grandmothers
that are jamming to "theFRESHalbum". Haha!
JiZO: What's the
latest word on your future upcoming solo album,
and how will it differ from your previous one(s)?
Prince-T: My
upcoming solo album will most likely come out
September of next year. It's going to be called
"Trials & Tribulations". I've already recorded
a lot of songs for it and I have to say that I
really brought the heat this time around. It's
going to be a little more personal than "theFRESHalbum"
since "theFRESHalbum" was a group project. I
really open up to the audience to let them know
personal life experiences I've been through.
Plus I got a lot better as a producer and so did
DJ Chynaman, and I also have other really
talented producers I am working with so stay
tuned...
JiZO: Where do you
really see yourself in 5 years from now?
Prince-T: First I
hope I'm still alive, there's a lot of negative
energy in the music business, especially the
"rap game", and words a lot of times can get
twisted and next thing you know your best friend
is your enemy. So I'm just gonna do me, make
music and hope none of my people get involved in
that kind of stuff. If we can surpass all the
nonsense, I see myself in my prime not just in
the music game but in entertainment period. So
5 years from now I see myself on a world tour,
and shooting my movie that I wrote, it's called
"Color Blind" and it's basically a movie loosely
based on my life. I see really big things
coming for me and I am just going to continue to
work hard to make everything happen, not just
for me but for all my peeps by my side and all
my peeps out there...
JiZO: So man...who
are you again gonna vote in the upcoming
presidential elections??? Are you going for
Obama or Hillary Clinton or someone else?
Prince-T: I really
don't know so I don't want to vote if I'm not
definitely sure. I know I would vote for either
Obama or Hillary, I feel they both would make
some good changes so I hope either one wins.
JiZO: Do you think
the U.S. will ever have an Asian American
president?
Prince-T: Not in my
life time or my children's lifetime. The reason
I say that is because a lot of Asian Americans
are still in the mode of just making a lot of
money and sending it back home to our
relatives. We are taught to not focus on that
kind of stuff too much and instead just get a
good education, work hard and get money. But
eventually one day, a very long time from
now...yeah, there will be an Asian American
president cause anything is possible.
JiZO: What can
people reading this interview do as a start if
they want to make a positive change for their
community or living conditions in this country?
Prince-T: I think it
starts with ourselves...parents and adults
caring about our youth and doing anything
positive for them, it could be as simple as just
being a good role model. So look at ourselves
first, if you don't like something about
yourself then change your outlook, changing your
outlook will change your outcome!
JiZO: So tell me...
what's the perfect girl to you?
Prince-T:
Wow...perfect girl??? I really don't know how
to answer that question because there is not
really a perfect girl out there. There is a
girl that I will meet, and when I meet her, all
of her imperfections are going to be perfect to
me, and that's when I'll know that perfect
girl. So when I meet her JiZO will be the first
to know! Haha...
JiZO: Last and
probably the most important question...where can
listeners buy your album and why should they buy
your album?
Prince-T: Well I'm
not going to sit here and tell you that you
should go buy "theFRESHalbum" because it's hot
and it's the best thing out there and blah blah
blah...cause almost everyone swear their album
is the hottest and the best. I'm just going to
tell you that "theFRESHalbum" is REAL.
Everything about that album is real, it comes
from the gut. Every word that comes out of my
mouth or K-Wood and LV's mouth is real. We are
not on the album talking about cars we don't
have, or guns we don't shoot, or drugs we don't
sell. We give you the real us, not an image,
not what we want you to see us as...but the real
Prince-T, LV, and K-Wood, and how we really are
in our daily life. Real stories, real
situations, and real songs that everyone can
enjoy. Plus I am all about support and
progress...I support everyone that I see trying
to do something positive and trying to make
progress in their life. So until someone can
convince me that spending money to get drunk is
more worth it than spending ten bucks to support
an artist that is doing something real and
positive with their life...then everyone should
go support "theFRESHalbum" at
www.theFRESHalbum.com so GET YOUR COPY!
Last and most important, I really want to thank
all those that have already purchased "theFRESHalbum";
I really appreciate it from the bottom of my
heart.
JiZO:
Prince-T...Thank you so much for the interview!
We are gonna do our best to promote your music!
You know JiZO got your back!
Prince-T: Thank you
so much JiZO…I really appreciate the love. I
take my hat off to JiZO-Entertainment for taking
the Asian American community to a higher level.
JiZO will always have my support. I promise I
will continue to work hard and keep making real
music to support not just the Asian American
movement but the Hip-Hop movement also. Big up
to all the other Asian artists out there doing
their thing, lets keep reaching for the sky and
we too can be amongst the stars! I also want to
thank all the other promoters out there that
supports me and respects my craft and
passion…out of respect I'm not going name all
the other promoter's names but you all know who
you are….Thank you!
