Q+A with Persian American Rapper Prynce P

By Iman Sadri

Prynce P has established himself in the Dallas Rap community (Image Credit Instagram)

December 26, 2019

Prynce P, born Payam Abbasi, is a Texas based rapper who has already established a name for himself in the Dallas rap community. His songs are regularly played on Dallas rap and hip hop radio stations. Prynce P has collaborated with big names such as Lil Flip and Paul Wall and has been hashing out rap hits for over a decade now. Prynce P cites Tupac and Nas as two of his many inspirations. He has established himself as one of the few rappers of Iranian descent to emerge in the music industry. To get more acquainted with this up and coming rapper from The Lone Star state, we caught up for a Q+A with Prynce P.

IS : Thank you for meeting with The Persian Observer. Please describe your early life, education and upbringing ?

Prynce P on the guitar (Image Credit Instagram).

Prynce P : I was raised in Dallas and growing up, I did not have much. My parents worked multiple jobs to give us a better life but we struggled financially. However, one thing that we had as a family, was LOVE and support and to me, that’s being RICH. Thankfully, after years of hard work, my parents started to do well and I was able to get both my bachelors and master’s degrees in Business. I can tell you one thing: When you are not born rich, you value things much more when you can afford them. 

Prynce P with 50 Cent (Image Credit Instagram).

IS : Who were some of your favorite rappers growing up? What influences did they have on you?

Prynce PI grew up listening to Spice 1, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Canibus, Immortal Technique, Nas, Jay-Z, N.W.A, Geto Boys, K-Rino, Pac, and Biggie to name a few. Rap to me is a form of poetry. What I learned from some of my favorite rappers growing up is that dreams can turn into reality. Most of these rappers grew up struggling, yet, they made millions while entertaining the world.    

“Most of these rappers grew up struggling, yet, they made millions while entertaining the world.” – Prynce P. 

IS : Please describe your rap style? Are there any rappers whose style you most admire? Why?

Prynce PI am known for my voice and delivery so I personally can’t compare my style to anyone else. I guess you can say that I have created my own lane.

Prynce P at a Dallas radio station (Image Credit Getty).

IS : Do you write your own rap lyrics ? If so, what is the process of writing your lyrics? What is the memorization process like?

Prynce POf course! I don’t think that it’s genuine to rap someone else’s bars (lyrics). No disrespect to those who use ghostwriters, but I rather write my own songs as my lyrics come from the heart. In regards to the process: I first get a beat from a producer that I choose. Depending on the vibe, I listen to it in my car and freestyle until I like something. I then try to memorize what I said and form it into a 16 bar verse. 

Prynce P single cover art (Image Credit Instagram).

IS : What is the state of the record industry today? What is the best way to monetize music as a performer?

Prynce PThe music industry has always been shady. A lot of politics and they mainly look out for their own interest. If you are an independent artist, the best way to earn revenue is by creating a buzz for yourself. I’ve had millions of streams just from my social media and word of mouth.

“If you are an independent artist, the best way to earn revenue is by creating a buzz for yourself.” – Prynce P

IS Please describe some of the collaborations you do with other rappers – the process of creating an album / track?

Prynce PI have been blessed to have been able to collaborate with some of my favorite artists growing up. In 2016, I released the biggest Hip-Hop compilation out of Dallas entitled 14 featuring Paul Wall, Lil Flip, Spice 1, K-Rino, Mr. Pookie, Mr. Lucci, Roosh Williams, Headkrack, Keynote, Miladic, Loyal Sally and more. In 2018, I released the biggest Cypher out of Dallas entitled The Triple D Cypher featuring 14 of the hottest rappers out of my city which included Big Tuck, IQ Muzic, Eclipse Darkness, Motian, Ritchy Flo, Alsace Carcione, Teleoso and more. Furthermore, I have a single with Bizzy Bone of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and I recently released a new single entitled Reloaded that has already been on nine radio stations featuring Flower Child, GSpook, FlexinFab and more. The process is a bit crazy! The artists that I usually choose already have names.

“In 2016, I released the biggest Hip-Hop compilation out of Dallas entitled 14″ – Prynce P. 

Just to give you some numbers: Lil Flip has sold over 23 million records. Spice 1 has three gold albums under his belt and had a lead single in the 90’s movie, Menace II Society. Paul Wall has sold millions of records and is a Grammy nominated rapper. Bizzy Bone of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony has sold over 55 million records worldwide. Alsace Carcione, Flower Child and Teleoso are currently top 10 best female rappers in Texaz. K-Rino is known to be the top 10 best lyricists in Hip-Hop. Mr. Pookie, Mr. Lucci and Big Tuck are the highest selling independent Dallas rappers. These artists do not just hop on a song with you unless your resume looks good. They also have to like the song as their names will be on it. Once I have a producer make me a beat, I choose an artist of my choice based on the vibe of the song. I then have my management team contact theirs so we can set a meeting to go over the project. If everyone is on board, we then get the contracts signed and meet at the studio to create magic.     

Prynce P in studio (Image Credit Instagram).

IS What more can be done to influence the next generation of Persian Americans to get into rap music / entertainment industry ?

Prynce PThis is a tough question. I really think that art, music, etc… is something that you are born with. It’s a gift that you are blessed with and if you have the right people around you who encourage you to pursue it, then, you can make some amazing things happen. I guess my advice to the Persian parents is to let your kids follow their passion. You never know if your son or daughter can be the next Picasso or next amazing singer.

Prynce P in Dallas, where he is from (Pic Credit Instagram).

 IS : Imagine you’re 100 years old and are reading your Wikipedia profile. What other career and life milestones would you like to see on there?

Prynce P : Well, unless I have found the fountain of youth. Just kidding, but I like to see that I have made a positive impact with my music. I have received many awards from Congresswoman Johnson and Amnesty International for a few songs that I did for humanity. I would love to see a cleaner earth. I would love to see less people go hungry. I would love to see an end to children getting abused. I would love to see an end to animal cruelty and I would love to see that maybe I had something to do with these. 

Prynce P with Maz Jobrani at the Addison Improv (Image Credit Instagram).

IS : Anything you wish to add ? 

Prynce PFirst and foremost, I would like to thank my family and friends for supporting my music for over 17 years ! I have been featured on over 54 magazines, have been on every Dallas radio and have collaborated with Grammy and Platinum artists. I have won many awards and I owe it all to the amazing people who have supported me. Furthermore, I would like to thank all the talented musicians who have trusted me over the years and a huge shout out to The Valley of the Kings Studio who have treated me like family. Last, thank you The Persian Observer for this interview and your support to all the Persian entertainers.   

Follow Prynce P on social media @PryncePTheGreat

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Iman Sadri is the founder of @LASmileMagazine and @ThePersianObserver

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