Paperboy Prince walked into the lobby of McDonald’s with an air of regality. From their eclectic, futuristic style to their Nintendo Gameboy chain, the drip is absolute. Originally from our nation’s capital, Paperboy Prince of the Suburbs is of the people and hails from everywhere, having been or with the intention to go all places the people of this nation reside.
The depth of their character came out as they spoke to me about the way gentrification has effected Bushwick. Paperboy spoke to me about how the local venues do not allow folks in the hip-hop community to play hip-hop. With so many associations in the hip-hop sphere stemming from Brooklyn, the number of venues catering to MC’s is dwindling at best.
“Hip-hop is still the most cutting edge genre because people are still afraid of it,” Prince reflected and the truth in that is deafening. The club scene in Brooklyn ranges from pop to EDM with agency hardly held for those in the hip hop community. Paperboy has done their fill to change that heading PaperboyPrince.com Festival, in which local talent takes folks to ethereal heights via song, community, and love.
When it comes to being an agent for change, they are a maverick of it. Paperboy went viral in 2019 releasing an album in support of 2020 Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang entitled, Andrew Yang the Album. They have since become a delegate for Yang’s campaign and will be accompanying him to the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee come July.
Prince is currently assisting presidential hopeful Andrew Yang‘s campaign and themself running for Congress in New York’s Seventh District. Paperboy’s campaign will forward the issues of the most marginalized of society and offer a number of solutions to social problems being ignored by our current representatives. Upon going to Prince’s site, their policy puts humane back into humanity.
Prince has built a platform on acknowledging what many countries have; security and health are a right and not a privilege for living beings. Living in the most wealthy country in the world, the only ailment holding us back is that of greed. With their position Prince will represent their district in forwarding Medicare for All, Universal Basic Income, Climate Change Mitigation, decriminalizing drugs, decriminalizing sex work, housing for all and making an emphasis to have a solution based government focused on support over profit.
Respect My Region was able to sit down with Paperboy Prince to get a look into their vision for 2020. Prince opens up about their creative process, inspirations and how envisioning your reality with surety leads to absolute manifestation in a raw, candid interview.
Paperboy Prince Exclusive Interview
Who are a few music influences from D.C or around the area? Have you always been East Coast oriented?
Prince: “HAHAA, PAPER YEA! IT’S OUR TIME! My influences…you know what, it’s crazy. I wasn’t allowed to listen to secular music at all growing up, so it was pretty much gospel music. Up until a couple of years ago, it was easy to monitor when your kids were listening to certain things.”
“Now, anyone with a phone has access to most music ever made. The first artist I started listening to was, Soulja Boy. Soulja Boy’s dope. Kanye (West) sampled my aunt, who was a gospel artist, for his second album Late Registration. With Kanye’s old school sampling paired with the dancing and energy of Soulja Boy, those are some of the main ones. Going back to gospel, have you heard of Tye Tribbett?”
“He’s like Young Thug, ten years before Young Thug. I feel like a lot of major secular artists are stealing from Tye Tribbet sort of just because his style is wild like Lil Uzi, but he blends multiple genres. He’s like rock, rap, afrobeat, and traditional gospel. He’s whatever he wants to be and it flows so well. Backing him will be a chorus of 18 to 20 people. He faced a lot of backlash in the Christian community because he wasn’t as traditional.. the kids were getting into and liking it. His music is super powerful. Yea, so a lot of Tye Tribbett… Veggie Tales. A lot of Veggie Tales.”
Do you have a discipline or religion you practice that keeps you radiating energy and love?
Prince: You know, I had a very strong support system growing up as far as my mother and father being super supportive. My dad and mom are both pastors. Honestly, their attitudes growing up was annoying to me and confusing since it was so contrary to what everyone else was doing. Now, its influenced me so heavily I can’t get away from it. These concepts of all your words have power. Life and death are in the power of the tongue and they who love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Everything in the world started with a thought and then a word after that. Putting out what you want to receive. I feel like I’m on this next level spiritual plane where I question what do I do with this knowledge? What do I want to attract? The corporate lifestyle, having a traditional family, being a rapper? Its a matter of living above it and seeing that this is all of ours to create and change. Life is a matter of being able to hear everything you say is potentially wrong and analyze it with an open mind.
“These concepts of all your words have power. Life and death are in the power of the tongue and they who love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Everything in the world started with a thought and then a word after that.”
Paperboy Prince 2020
RMR: I see that a lot in your policy. You draw upon the experiences of a myriad of people. It’s really exciting to see someone wanting to pursue reforming the political structure be as open as you and willing to know who is actually in your community.
Prince: A lot of folks don’t see how running for office will benefit them or how it is cool. I ran into some friends the other day who heard I was running for office and commended me cause I had added a cool factor into it. Even if it’s clout chasing thing… oh, you’re chasing clout to help your community? We’ll start there. That’s better than not caring at all until your friend is locked up or the police are at your door. And, I’m not blaming people. The system is set up like that. Part of what I feel is that hip-hop artists and artists are supposed to be putting you on the new stuff. But, what artists are putting you onto new politicians, new policies, things that will help your grandma get medicine. I’m a rapper, if it’s new I gotta put you on.
RMR: Your impact has been visceral, to say the least, but circling back to music. Do you creative direct and shoot all your videos or do you have a team working behind you?
Prince: I have 123 videos and maybe five, other people have helped me with. But mainly it’s me with my tripod.
Norris (Paperboy’s Manager): It goes beyond that. They’ll write the song, make the beat, record the song, shoot the video and then releases and promotes the video. Their process from start-to-finish is DIY.
RMR: You’re a superhero. My goodness. That’s wild.
Prince: And you know what’s crazy is it’s being done so much. There are folks who write, record, produce, and shoot their own videos… but have they done it 123 times though?
RMR: That has to be quite a process. Do you write or freestyle in order to create content at that rate? Are you sitting on a lot of content we should be expecting music videos for?
Prince: “Now I am doing a lot more new songs that are written. There are times I would not write, only freestyle. But when you’re able to say, “…ooo, I’m dripping just like Dennis Rodman. I’m in a foreign. No, this ain’t no Mazda,” and that’s the hook. It’s different. There’ll be a time where I’m freestyling more. But I have three to four albums released that are completely freestyled…Fairy Godmother is a classic.”
But when you’re able to say, “…Ooo, I’m dripping just like Dennis Rodman. I’m in a foreign. No, this aint no Mazda,” and that’s the hook. It’s different.
Paperboy Prince 2020
What should folks be expecting from you in 2020? You have so much foundation, what are you wanting to build upon?
Prince: I’ll be getting more sponsors to expand PaperboyPrince.com Festival and take it to the next level. Do more for the artists and community with that platform. I’m going to become a Congressperson using my art and influence, and then changing the world after that. When that happens… I mean, it’s already happening; there’s a shift and the world is changing right now. When I walk into these political rooms they don’t know whether to react with excitement or fear. I’m too black not to be black. I can’t take a day off. They don’t know what to do. There are so many people who are smart and creative and actively aspiring for the same future as me. We’re going to inspire a lot of people and win. We’re going to win this campaign by a landslide.
Norris: The campaign is the key thing they’re focused on, but in 2020 they plan on dropping 50 music videos. They will be releasing separate songs with Azalea Banks and Shia LeBouf this year. In Washington, we’re creating a wellness collective that will be having a UBI (Universal Basic Income) run, called DCWellness.Club. We have a lot of friends in the DC area intersected in wellness and we want to put on more events of that nature in the community. Putting the network together and hosting wellness events for that community. Comedy Central has picked us up for a pilot that should be released this year.
Paperboy: Lots of surprises! Lots of guest supporters who’ll be making appearances at the festival. Keep coming out and showing support.
