When people hear good music, it makes them homesick for something they never had and never will have.
-Edgar Watson Howe
WBM is proud to introduce Prote-J to the Why Blue Matters family. Not only is he a rapper, producer, song writer, but he plays his own instruments and for some time lived overseas. Prote-J is 21 years old and has been doing music since the age of 7. He's a college graduate and continues to work on music that shows a positive side of Hip Hop.
Take a minute and get to know this new young artist.
How long have you been in the game?
P: 10 years from now, I'd like to get asked this question and be able to respond by saying "10 years." Today, I'm a 21-year-old rapper who's determined to work harder than every other hip hop artist trying to establish themselves in the music industry.
I started playing the guitar when I was 7, and I then learned how to play the drums, bass, and piano by being a part of my church band. I've always loved to write, but I really started taking rap seriously in high school. I've definitely been doing music for a while, but I'm not going to consider myself "in the game" until I've established my name.
What's your greatest accomplishment so far in life?
P: Graduating from college last year and earning my bachelor's degree. That's a very big deal to me, and now that I'm done with school I want to pursue my dreams in music.
Tell me a little bit about yourself:
Interest(s)?
P: I was born in Los Angeles, but I was raised in Papua New Guinea (north of Australia). I moved back to the states when I was 12, and that's when I really fell in love with hip hop. In high school, I started taking rap very seriously and now I'm doing everything I can to become everyone's new favorite rapper.
Besides creating and listening to music, I love basketball (go Lakers), I like eating Thai food, and I can beat anyone in FIFA 10 on PS3 or XBOX 360.
What's your ultimate goal in life?
P: I can't really think of one ultimate goal, because there are a ton of things I want to accomplish in my life. When it's all said and done, I just want to be able to provide for my family while doing what makes me happy.
What do you like most about being in the business?
P: I just like being able to express my thoughts and feelings creatively.
What's the thought process behind your works?
...from personal experience?
...mere creativity?
P: It all depends. Most of my music is based on personal experience, but I do write songs to try and creatively express my opinion on certain subjects. On Good Hip Hop Meets Radio, I have a song called "Hold that Thought" where I talk about gun violence using personification. In the first verse, I'm talking from a gun's point of view. In the second verse, I'm talking from the bullet's point of view that came out of the gun. In the third verse, I'm a cop who finds the bullet and tries to link it to the gun.
It's one of my favorite songs on the mixtape and I think it has a very powerful message.
What inspires and motivates you?
P: The people in my life are my biggest inspirations. My success is thier happiness, and they have my back no matter what. It's that type of support system that keeps me going and forces me to work extra hard.
How has life changed for you since being you started?
P: I have very little time for anything not related to music, but I'm ok with that.
What would you be doing now, if you never started doing music?
P: I'd probably be curled up in a ball somewhere trying to figure out what to do with my life haha. I don't even want to think about my life without music...it's too scary.
What are you listening to in your ipod these days?
...Why?
P: I've mostly been listening to a lot of mixtapes lately. The mixtape scene is where most artists tend to go hard lyrically, so that's why I like it. Lupe's "Enemy of the State" and J.Cole's "The Warm Up" are two of my most recent favorites. Ryan Leslie is my favorite producer, so I've also been blasting his first album and "Transition" a lot. Kevin Cossom's "Hook Vs. Bridge" is also a mixtape I've been playing a lot. Everyone should check it out at www.kevincossom.com
What has been your favorite job you've done so far?
P: Last baseball season, I made the walk up song for Milwaukee Brewer's first baseman, Prince Fielder. He had a great season and also won the home run derby. Of course that's simply because he's an amazing baseball player, but I'd like to think my song had something to do with it. Check it out here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnbKU3T6qDk .
That was a great experience and the song has got me a lot of exposure.
What are you currently working on ?
P: I'm currently finishing up "Good Hip Hop Meets Radio" and preparing myself to become everyone's new favorite rapper. I'm also working on songwriting and producing for other artists on some big projects.
Does any negativity from the media ever affect you in anyway?
P: Negativity from anywhere, not just the media, is a huge motivator. I love proving people wrong.
Any advice for those looking to pursue their dreams?
P: Struggle is just an indicator of success to come (yes, those are my own words haha). Write that down.
What do you want to be remembered by?
P: Besides my music, I'd like to be remembered for helping give people the same opportunities that were given to me. There are tons of talented, creative, and intelligent kids in Papua New Guinea, and other third world countries, with so much to offer the world. Sadly, most don't have the resources or get the opportunities to reach their full potential. God willing, I'll be able to create some sort of avenue for them to do just that.
Anything else you would like the world to know about you?
P: Like I said earlier, Good Hip Hop Meets Radio is coming and you won't skip one song on it!
For more on Prote-J:
http://www.prote-j.com/
www.myspace.com/protej
www.twitter.com/protej
www.facebook.com/protej
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