http://www.westsiderap.com/interviews-theprophet.htm
WSR: For all the folx that don't know, introduce yourself and let everyone know where you're from.
Alright…I go by the name The Prophet. My birth given name is Ali and I’m actually named after a very famous Prophet name Hazrate Ali and that was one of the factors when I chose the name The Prophet for myself. I originally was born in Iran and moved here with my whole family when I was 3 years old. There were a lot of things going on in my country at that time and my parents didn’t want me growing up around violence and war so we moved out here. I’ve been in California ever since so I pretty much consider myself a native of Cali.
WSR: Has being Iranian influenced you in your music? If so, how?
Yes definitely. Actually, everything about me influences my music. Being Iranian and being a rapper are two things that you don’t normally see together so I think that really also helps me stand out a little from the rest. Since 9/11, I’ve also had to deal with a lot of racism towards my culture and even directly towards me. It’s a shame but it’s now a part of everything else that’s wrong in this world. I’ve already experimented here and there and will most likely be incorporating some of my native language, Farsi, into my raps. I got to keep it creative and new so that my music never gets old and I think people will be interested in hearing some flows here and there in Farsi.
WSR: How did you get started in the rap game?
I can remember listening to rap as far back as eazy-e but I got my first rap cd in 6th grade. 2pacalypse now. From then on I was hooked. Especially listening to Tupac, I just couldn’t believe and was so intrigued by being able to express a person’s thoughts and inner most fears through words and music. It was inspiring to me and I started writing poetry. Not till years later did those poems evolve into raps.
WSR: How did you get the name The Prophet? What's the name story behind it?
I have to give props on part of that to my parents. My birth name is Ali Reza and Ali is the name of a very famous Prophet back in Iran. When it came time to choose a name for myself to associate with my music, I stepped back and really evaluated my music and what my purpose in this game was going to be. I’m trying to get my message across and that’s what a Prophet does and I’m also named after a Prophet so that’s where my name, The Prophet came from and it just fits with me.
WSR: Who were/are your influences comin up?
Man…that’s easy. Tupac Amaru Shakur. There’s a lot of people I look up to now, Nas, Tech N9ne, people who have taken hip-hop to a level that it’s never been at before but ever since 6th grade, I have studied Tupac and have dug way deeper than just the rapper that a lot of people see and hear. Tupac was a true Prophet in every sense of the word. He inspired me the first day I heard the songs, Trapped, Soulja Story, Brenda’s Got A Baby, and he still inspires me to this day even in his death. I got his name tatted on my arm back in 98. I felt like since 6th grade, I grew up with pac, he taught me a lot of things about life through his music and so when he passed, it felt like my friend died and so just like he says in his track Life Goes On, “though memories fade, I got your name tatted on my arm so we both bond till my dying days”.
WSR: You recently signed with Creative Minds Entertainment. Tell me about your decision to go with them. What was it that made your decision crystal clear?
I’m sure everyone can say this a few times about situations in life but I’ve been burned by a lot of people. Not just in music but I’m generally a pretty trusting person and I knew that in the music industry, being too trusting can do you more bad than it can good. When I came across CME, I was at a point in my music where I didn’t know where I was going. I had just ended a partnership with another rapper that I knew I would never want to do business with again. I knew that I wanted to remain a solo artist. I knew that god had given me this talent and I just needed someone to take a second and listen to me. I just began sending demos out and got no answer until CME called me. I’m not even gonna lie, I was real cautious at first. You never know what a person’s real intentions are. I have to say now, it has been one of the BEST decisions I ever made. What hooked me and made me believe that CME was true and was down with me was the sincerity in them. Before we even started talking about signing and contracts, CME was already feeding me knowledge on the game and helping me grow when it didn’t even benefit them. I had a feeling inside that I just knew CME was where I needed to be and together we would make it to where we want to be.
WSR: Tell me about the album "A New Breed Of Rap." When can we expect it? How far along is it?
A New Breed of Rap. A New Breed of Rap is my debut solo album. I’ve put my sweat, my blood, my tears, my joy, my fears and the list goes on and on, into this album. It is definitely my best work yet. I’m proud to say and you are the first to hear it publicly, the album as of Tuesday, is COMPLETE. I just got it mastered this week and all 15 tracks are finished and in order ready to be pressed. I’m proud of myself, proud of my CME crew, and proud of this project. What you can expect from A New Breed of Rap is everything…”REAL”. By real I mean, I’m not trying to make fake music just to please a certain crowd or move units. I write what I feel and it is that much more satisfying when people feel my music because it isn’t fake, it’s what I’ve gone through in life, what I’m currently going through, and my inner most thoughts and fears. It’s a feeling that I can’t fully describe.
WSR: I hear you and Keesha Rowe are doing a project together. How'd that come about and what can you say about it?
Yes, yes yes. Keesha Rowe. Beautiful girl and EXTREMELY talented emcee. Creative Minds found out about her and they introduced her to me at my last performance in San Diego, CA. Man, she’ll bust a flow and rip some of hardest emcee’s out there. I’ve had some bad experiences before with working with other emcees so I didn’t know what to expect at first but once we met and I got to hear her and learn a little bit more about her, I felt a lot more comfortable. We don’t have anything rock solid yet, but I’m hoping in the near future to be able to do a few tracks with her.
WSR: You've been touring alot over the last few months. How's that going? When are you back on the road again? And where?
I love touring man. Everyone I come across, producers, engineers, ceo’s, etc. are amazed at how hungry I am. I’m down to perform multiple times a day for months at a time. I love doing shows, I love interacting with my fans. Touring to me is one of the great fruits of this business. I can’t see a fans reaction at home or in their ride or wherever, when they’re listening to my tracks but when I’m on stage and I got thousands of people in front of me bobbing their heads and throwing their hands up rappin the tracks along with me, it’s the best feeling in the world. I got a few shows coming up between now and January and we hope to add more to the list but in January, we’re going to be on a 20 city tour across the nation, the Import Motion 2004 tour. I really can’t wait for it. We’ll be starting on the west coast, San Mateo, Portland, Seattle, Sacramento and then moving east.
WSR: With the "Import Show" starting in January which of course you are touring with, what are your plans from now til then?
Well, the album as far as mastering and mixing and sound, is COMPLETE. Right now we’re trying to get the cover and duplication finalized so we can press up copies and have them ready for the January release right in time for this Import Motion 2004 Tour that I’m gonna be on. It’s funny that you ask this cuz I wanted to be able to hand something out to people for free whenever I get a chance so that they can still hear me and bump my tracks but I knew that I couldn’t be giving any copies of the album out for free. So I decided to do a mix tape. I figure that this mix tape will not only show my skill in adapting to different beats and different styles but it will also give something to fans to bump with well known beats and I can just give it out for free. The main goal is that people just keep burning, and burning the mix tape and it spreads like a virus so that when my album drops, everyone is already anticipating it. Besides that man, it’s always about promotion. My label and I are always hustling so hopefully I can get a couple performances before this tour starts but you better believe I’ll be busy. We just did a TV show the other night called Playa Vision, they had me come out and do an interview and live performance. That’s was tight and thanks to Beth and the whole Playa Vision staff for having me out there. We’re also working on some MAJOR sponsorships from some MAJOR companies that I can’t name right now but you better believe it’s BIG. I’m just trying to do whatever I can cuz every second is an opportunity and I can’t let any pass me by.
WSR: For all the folx that don't know, introduce yourself and let everyone know where you're from.
Alright…I go by the name The Prophet. My birth given name is Ali and I’m actually named after a very famous Prophet name Hazrate Ali and that was one of the factors when I chose the name The Prophet for myself. I originally was born in Iran and moved here with my whole family when I was 3 years old. There were a lot of things going on in my country at that time and my parents didn’t want me growing up around violence and war so we moved out here. I’ve been in California ever since so I pretty much consider myself a native of Cali.
WSR: Has being Iranian influenced you in your music? If so, how?
Yes definitely. Actually, everything about me influences my music. Being Iranian and being a rapper are two things that you don’t normally see together so I think that really also helps me stand out a little from the rest. Since 9/11, I’ve also had to deal with a lot of racism towards my culture and even directly towards me. It’s a shame but it’s now a part of everything else that’s wrong in this world. I’ve already experimented here and there and will most likely be incorporating some of my native language, Farsi, into my raps. I got to keep it creative and new so that my music never gets old and I think people will be interested in hearing some flows here and there in Farsi.
WSR: How did you get started in the rap game?
I can remember listening to rap as far back as eazy-e but I got my first rap cd in 6th grade. 2pacalypse now. From then on I was hooked. Especially listening to Tupac, I just couldn’t believe and was so intrigued by being able to express a person’s thoughts and inner most fears through words and music. It was inspiring to me and I started writing poetry. Not till years later did those poems evolve into raps.
WSR: How did you get the name The Prophet? What's the name story behind it?
I have to give props on part of that to my parents. My birth name is Ali Reza and Ali is the name of a very famous Prophet back in Iran. When it came time to choose a name for myself to associate with my music, I stepped back and really evaluated my music and what my purpose in this game was going to be. I’m trying to get my message across and that’s what a Prophet does and I’m also named after a Prophet so that’s where my name, The Prophet came from and it just fits with me.
WSR: Who were/are your influences comin up?
Man…that’s easy. Tupac Amaru Shakur. There’s a lot of people I look up to now, Nas, Tech N9ne, people who have taken hip-hop to a level that it’s never been at before but ever since 6th grade, I have studied Tupac and have dug way deeper than just the rapper that a lot of people see and hear. Tupac was a true Prophet in every sense of the word. He inspired me the first day I heard the songs, Trapped, Soulja Story, Brenda’s Got A Baby, and he still inspires me to this day even in his death. I got his name tatted on my arm back in 98. I felt like since 6th grade, I grew up with pac, he taught me a lot of things about life through his music and so when he passed, it felt like my friend died and so just like he says in his track Life Goes On, “though memories fade, I got your name tatted on my arm so we both bond till my dying days”.
WSR: You recently signed with Creative Minds Entertainment. Tell me about your decision to go with them. What was it that made your decision crystal clear?
I’m sure everyone can say this a few times about situations in life but I’ve been burned by a lot of people. Not just in music but I’m generally a pretty trusting person and I knew that in the music industry, being too trusting can do you more bad than it can good. When I came across CME, I was at a point in my music where I didn’t know where I was going. I had just ended a partnership with another rapper that I knew I would never want to do business with again. I knew that I wanted to remain a solo artist. I knew that god had given me this talent and I just needed someone to take a second and listen to me. I just began sending demos out and got no answer until CME called me. I’m not even gonna lie, I was real cautious at first. You never know what a person’s real intentions are. I have to say now, it has been one of the BEST decisions I ever made. What hooked me and made me believe that CME was true and was down with me was the sincerity in them. Before we even started talking about signing and contracts, CME was already feeding me knowledge on the game and helping me grow when it didn’t even benefit them. I had a feeling inside that I just knew CME was where I needed to be and together we would make it to where we want to be.
WSR: Tell me about the album "A New Breed Of Rap." When can we expect it? How far along is it?
A New Breed of Rap. A New Breed of Rap is my debut solo album. I’ve put my sweat, my blood, my tears, my joy, my fears and the list goes on and on, into this album. It is definitely my best work yet. I’m proud to say and you are the first to hear it publicly, the album as of Tuesday, is COMPLETE. I just got it mastered this week and all 15 tracks are finished and in order ready to be pressed. I’m proud of myself, proud of my CME crew, and proud of this project. What you can expect from A New Breed of Rap is everything…”REAL”. By real I mean, I’m not trying to make fake music just to please a certain crowd or move units. I write what I feel and it is that much more satisfying when people feel my music because it isn’t fake, it’s what I’ve gone through in life, what I’m currently going through, and my inner most thoughts and fears. It’s a feeling that I can’t fully describe.
WSR: I hear you and Keesha Rowe are doing a project together. How'd that come about and what can you say about it?
Yes, yes yes. Keesha Rowe. Beautiful girl and EXTREMELY talented emcee. Creative Minds found out about her and they introduced her to me at my last performance in San Diego, CA. Man, she’ll bust a flow and rip some of hardest emcee’s out there. I’ve had some bad experiences before with working with other emcees so I didn’t know what to expect at first but once we met and I got to hear her and learn a little bit more about her, I felt a lot more comfortable. We don’t have anything rock solid yet, but I’m hoping in the near future to be able to do a few tracks with her.
WSR: You've been touring alot over the last few months. How's that going? When are you back on the road again? And where?
I love touring man. Everyone I come across, producers, engineers, ceo’s, etc. are amazed at how hungry I am. I’m down to perform multiple times a day for months at a time. I love doing shows, I love interacting with my fans. Touring to me is one of the great fruits of this business. I can’t see a fans reaction at home or in their ride or wherever, when they’re listening to my tracks but when I’m on stage and I got thousands of people in front of me bobbing their heads and throwing their hands up rappin the tracks along with me, it’s the best feeling in the world. I got a few shows coming up between now and January and we hope to add more to the list but in January, we’re going to be on a 20 city tour across the nation, the Import Motion 2004 tour. I really can’t wait for it. We’ll be starting on the west coast, San Mateo, Portland, Seattle, Sacramento and then moving east.
WSR: With the "Import Show" starting in January which of course you are touring with, what are your plans from now til then?
Well, the album as far as mastering and mixing and sound, is COMPLETE. Right now we’re trying to get the cover and duplication finalized so we can press up copies and have them ready for the January release right in time for this Import Motion 2004 Tour that I’m gonna be on. It’s funny that you ask this cuz I wanted to be able to hand something out to people for free whenever I get a chance so that they can still hear me and bump my tracks but I knew that I couldn’t be giving any copies of the album out for free. So I decided to do a mix tape. I figure that this mix tape will not only show my skill in adapting to different beats and different styles but it will also give something to fans to bump with well known beats and I can just give it out for free. The main goal is that people just keep burning, and burning the mix tape and it spreads like a virus so that when my album drops, everyone is already anticipating it. Besides that man, it’s always about promotion. My label and I are always hustling so hopefully I can get a couple performances before this tour starts but you better believe I’ll be busy. We just did a TV show the other night called Playa Vision, they had me come out and do an interview and live performance. That’s was tight and thanks to Beth and the whole Playa Vision staff for having me out there. We’re also working on some MAJOR sponsorships from some MAJOR companies that I can’t name right now but you better believe it’s BIG. I’m just trying to do whatever I can cuz every second is an opportunity and I can’t let any pass me by.
