Emcee-Battle.com Interview [Nov, 2004]
written by Emcee-Battle.com

Emcee-Battle Talks To The Emcee Prizm, A Successful Artist Whose Last Album Turned Some Heads In The Industry.Here, EB Talks Exclusivly To Prizm About His Rise To His Current Status, The Problems Of Being A Canadian Rapper, His Influences And His Love For Nas.. And Much More.

EB.com: First of all tell us a little about yourself. How old are you and where are you from?
Prizm: I'm 18 years old now, and I'm now living in Toronto, Canada. I grew up and first started out as a 16-year-old in Vancouver, though.

EB.com: Are you working with any other artists at the moment?
For sure, I've worked with too many vocalists, emcees and DJs to name them all. But I feature a few of the artists I'm feeling on my upcoming album, Soliloquy. Eunnie is an extremely-talented vocalist who was on several songs from the last album. DJ D-Rec is a cat who's been down from me from the very start, he actually produced my first song ever. Haze is a real down-to-earth cat from Miami who I've been exchanging knowledge with on a regular basis. Arowbe is my buddy from back in Vancouver, and we've both moved to Toronto just this fall to pursue our music careers.

EB.com: What new elements do you feel you bring to the rap game?
(Refer to question 10, please)

EB.com: Do you feel Canadian hip hop is accepted by the mass American market?
No, few Canadian artists have done well south of the border, producers excluded. The problem is that many Canadian artists simply don't make music that appeals to a broad audience. In the Canadian independent music scene, everyone sort of fits into a particular niche and so few are even able to see commercial success here in Canada.

EB.com: How long have you been rapping for and do you feel ready for the strains of being a famous emcee?
I've been rapping for nearly two years now, and while I'm ready for the pressure of a larger stage right now, I think my rapping still has some progression to go before I'm ready to be addressing a world stage.

EB.com: Who do you feel has influenced you the most?
I'd have to say my best friend Christina who I grew up with as a kid. She's taught me more about myself than anyone has, and I'm sure she'd say the same thing about me. Even with music, I owe a ton to her for believing in me from day one and pushing me to where I am now and beyond.

EB.com: Do you have a certain set of messages and values you want to get across in your lyrics?
I definitely have a lot to say to the entire world through my rhyming; I think music's a great medium to express a message to the general public. Though I'm more of a pessimist with world issues, I think I come across as a positive emcee because I try to stress the hope within my darker, sadder songs. As a result, there's always the element of truth and personal growth on my albums I think.

EB.com: Can you briefly explain your rise to fame?
Haha, not really sure how famous I am at this point. But people would know me from doing those little shows back home in Vancouver; I definitely tried to build from the ground up, despite my lack of patience. I think word of my music got out a lot when my second album was released in the summer, too. Surfacing sold out in less than two months, and really made hiphop heads across the country check for me a bit. Now I'm in Toronto, trying to take it to the next level. I'm always incredibly thankful for all the publicity I've gotten along the way too, it's definitely helped get my name out all over the country.

EB.com: If you could choose anybody to work with, who would it be?
Hmm, I'd have to say Nas. The first hiphop I ever listened to was the golden age ish from New York, so when I finally came across Nas' work I was addicted to his style. I've been listening to his work religiously ever since.

EB.com: Do you consider yourself an underground or commercial emcee?
I think I'm unique in that I have a lot of stylings that would be considered commercial but I never dumb down in terms of content, beat-selection, or technique. So, I'd really consider myself an artist with commercial appeal, but who doesn't feel a need to limit himself to what other commercial artists are doing. My goal is to make enjoyable music with a message.

EB.com: What can we expect from Prizm in the future months? Where do you see yourself in a year?
My third LP, Soliloquy, will be in stores across Canada (literally) after January 15th, 2005 and a lot of my future plans really depend on how well this album does. The initial press is 1000 copies, but I'm hoping to re-press after that point. I really want to get this album out there. If all goes well, I'll start thinking about shooting a video and releasing wax.

EB.com: Why should we buy your new album, and what makes it different from your others?
Soliloquy is my most complete album to date, and has more up-tempo productions than ever. The slower, deeper songs are still there, but there is much more balance and the album isn't one-dimensional in style at all. Fans of my music should definitely check this because, like all my works, it definitely speaks volumes about my artistic growth as I see the ins and outs of the industry every day. Without any false modesty, I can say that this will be my most enjoyable album to date.

Thank You Very Much For Dropping By Prizm, Good Luck With The Future And Be Sure To Check Into EB In the Near Future!

WRITTEN BY EMCEE-BATTLE.COM
(Article online here.)